Getting Out: Last summer, I told you about Butano State Park, a
secluded park on Highway 1 between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz. I
closed that column with a promise to return in the spring to see
the beautiful purple calypso orchid that blossoms there from
February to April. Over the years, I have seen many photographs of
elegant calypso orchids and lady slippers, but I have never seen
one in the wild. It’s spring now and time to keep my promise.
But Butano State Park is closed. It closed Nov. 1 and will
reopen April 30.
Last summer, I told you about Butano State Park, a secluded park on Highway 1 between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz. I closed that column with a promise to return in the spring to see the beautiful purple calypso orchid that blossoms there from February to April. Over the years, I have seen many photographs of elegant calypso orchids and lady slippers, but I have never seen one in the wild. It’s spring now and time to keep my promise.
Before heading out, I went to the park Web site to refresh my memory. Is the orchid in bloom now? It is a bit of a drive, and I wanted to be sure I would have a fruitful trip.
But Butano State Park is closed. It closed Nov. 1 and will reopen April 30.
I am pleased to write a column that is not topical. Let the rest of the newspaper talk about health care, budget deficits and crime. Let Thomas Friedman and George Will express a point of view about all the things that ratchet up our blood pressure. This column is meant to be an antidote to that. Get out. Take a walk in the woods. Forget about all that for awhile.
But as we have learned, in today’s world, even protecting and preserving our wild places is a political issue. Last year, the governor threatened to close 100 state parks to save a pittance of the huge state budget deficit. People screamed, and the governor relented — sort of.
Nearly 60 state parks are either closed part time like Butano or are operating on reduced hours like Fremont Peak State Park, which is closed every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Funding for parks is not a new problem. Our state parks have been chronically underfunded for years, resulting in closures, skeleton staffing and a backlog of deferred maintenance of more than $1 billion.
Help is on the way. Signatures are being gathered to place the State Parks and Wildlife Conservation Trust Fund Act of 2010 on the November ballot. Funds would come from an annual State Parks Access Pass of $18 that would be part of your annual vehicle registration. The surcharge would entitle all passengers of that vehicle to free day use at any state park for one year.
I know, I know, it’s the T-A-X word, and many people will recoil from the measure just because of that word. But consider this:
– Disneyland, $97 (one person, one day)
– Heavenly Valley Ski Lift Ticket, $87 (one person, one day)
– Coyote Creek Weekend Green Fee, $102 (one person, 18 holes)
– Movie ticket, $10 (one person, 2 hours)
– State Park Access Pass, $18 (a car full of people, all day, every day)
Tax or fee, try and taint it with any word you choose; it is an amazing bargain. A value like this makes a Macy’s White Sale look like a Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme. With passage of this measure, parks would be forever removed from the uncertain budget process. State Parks Director Ruth Coleman said this is not a band aid; it is a complete fix for California State Parks. Parks would be fully staffed and funded, and long-deferred maintenance would finally be addressed.
Parks are not a fashion or a luxury. They preserve our heritage and our history, natural resources and wildlife habitats, and amazing landscapes that are the last refuges of the wild state that was here before we were. Parks are a necessity.
Please support this measure. If you want to help or learn more, visit www.calparks.org and click “Take Action.” Let’s go see that orchid next spring.
