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More than half of California's 279 state parks will see reduced hours, closed campgrounds, canceled school field trips and padlocked bathrooms several days a week under a wave of service reductions announced Tuesday by the state parks department. The larger, more noticeable changes that include changes to park hours of operation are scheduled to be implemented on Nov. 1.
The parks in Nevada County that are affected are Empire Mine, Malakoff Diggins, South Yuba River and Donner Memorial.
“Our budget cuts were our maintenance money and we have no money for seasonal help, so we determined our reductions based on that,” said District Superintendent Pam Armas.
At South Yuba, ranger patrols will be reduced, she said.
“We are going to be concentrating on patrolling the Highway 49 crossing and Bridgeport, but we will still patrol Purdon and Edwards crossings,” she said.
At Malakoff Diggins, the campground is already closed for the season, so there will be no significant reductions there.
“At Empire Mine, we were going to close museum but the Empire Mine Park Association has stepped up,” Armas said. “We are talking to them about funding the staff for the museum. There are no significant reductions because people are stepping up to the plate.”
The Donner museum will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays, she said. The campground is closed for the season in any case, although when it reopens in May, the park might keep one loop closed.
“There may be things like bathrooms will be closed,” Armas said. “We have little maintenance money, so in the event of something breaking, that could result in service reductions. Nothing has so far, knock on wood.”
The service reductions are a part of the $14.2 million, one-time budget cuts Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced in September to keep parks open with the least disruption to visitors.
The reductions in service that will be made to stay within budget during the rest of this fiscal year, through June 30, 2010.
“We told superintendents to apply cuts that made sense for their area, and they did that,” said state parks spokesman Roy Stearns.
The cuts in service could include reduced days, reduced hours or a shortened season; closing campgrounds or campground loops; closing some day use or school programs; closing some restrooms; reducing lifeguards; reducing cleaning or trash service; and eliminating the use of fire rings.
“In the off season, we can reduce services and keep parks open,” Stearns said. “At most of our campgrounds, there's fewer people there now than in the summer months, because school's back in session. If we have a park that has three loops on a campground, it makes sense to close one of them and save the money in electricity and maintenance — you still have plenty of room.”
To contact Staff Writer Liz Kellar, e-mail lkellar@theunion.com or call 477-4229.
The parks in Nevada County that are affected are Empire Mine, Malakoff Diggins, South Yuba River and Donner Memorial.
“Our budget cuts were our maintenance money and we have no money for seasonal help, so we determined our reductions based on that,” said District Superintendent Pam Armas.
At South Yuba, ranger patrols will be reduced, she said.
“We are going to be concentrating on patrolling the Highway 49 crossing and Bridgeport, but we will still patrol Purdon and Edwards crossings,” she said.
At Malakoff Diggins, the campground is already closed for the season, so there will be no significant reductions there.
“At Empire Mine, we were going to close museum but the Empire Mine Park Association has stepped up,” Armas said. “We are talking to them about funding the staff for the museum. There are no significant reductions because people are stepping up to the plate.”
The Donner museum will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays, she said. The campground is closed for the season in any case, although when it reopens in May, the park might keep one loop closed.
“There may be things like bathrooms will be closed,” Armas said. “We have little maintenance money, so in the event of something breaking, that could result in service reductions. Nothing has so far, knock on wood.”
The service reductions are a part of the $14.2 million, one-time budget cuts Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced in September to keep parks open with the least disruption to visitors.
The reductions in service that will be made to stay within budget during the rest of this fiscal year, through June 30, 2010.
“We told superintendents to apply cuts that made sense for their area, and they did that,” said state parks spokesman Roy Stearns.
The cuts in service could include reduced days, reduced hours or a shortened season; closing campgrounds or campground loops; closing some day use or school programs; closing some restrooms; reducing lifeguards; reducing cleaning or trash service; and eliminating the use of fire rings.
“In the off season, we can reduce services and keep parks open,” Stearns said. “At most of our campgrounds, there's fewer people there now than in the summer months, because school's back in session. If we have a park that has three loops on a campground, it makes sense to close one of them and save the money in electricity and maintenance — you still have plenty of room.”
To contact Staff Writer Liz Kellar, e-mail lkellar@theunion.com or call 477-4229.
