Adobe park saved from closure

<p>California's state parks were spared from closure Friday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose office said other ways to save money have been found.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>"We have been working with parks on how to make those cuts, $14.2 million, and mitigate the impact," said Aaron McLear, a spokesman in the governor's office. "There were talks about closings but no final list. Our focus was always about how to avoid doing it."</p><p>The new plan, announced Friday afternoon, will include saving $12.1 million by reducing maintenance and the purchase of vehicles and equipment and $2.1 million by cutting staff and reducing the days and hours of operation at most state parks.</p><p>"That is a good thing to keep all the parks open -- that was the number one goal," said Dave Gould, district superintendent. "It sounds like there will be some reductions, it sounds like they will take some positions away -- that will be a key, which positions will be eliminated."</p><p>There remain questions about the effect on state parks in Sonoma County, where government sources in Sacramento initially indicated Annadel, Petaluma Adobe and Fort Ross were on a closure list.</p><p>It still could mean a loss of $1 million for parks within the Diablo Vista parks district, Gould said.</p><p>"It means less money for roads, putting roofs on buildings, fixing plumbing," he said. "That is significant, but if we buy huge rolls of duct tape and baling wire, we may get through."</p><p>The details of the cuts have to be worked out, said Sheryl Watson, a parks spokeswoman in Sacramento.</p><p>"These cuts will be made system-wide," Watson said. "The district superintendents will be figuring out park by park what needs to be done, looking at attendance. It may mean closing a park three days a week, it may mean closing a bathroom or closing access to a certain part of the park. It many mean the bathroom is cleaned every other day instead of every day."</p><p>The threat of closures had caused a groundswell of support from individuals and groups, which were vowing to try to keep all Sonoma County parks open.</p><p>In May, Schwarzenegger proposed cutting $70 million from parks and warned that 220 of the 279 parks would close. During budget talks, the governor and state legislators settled on the smaller cut of $14.2 million, with reserves and loans from other state funds making up some of the difference. Even so, officials expected about 100 parks to be shut.</p><p>The closure list was expected to be released this week, even as opposition to closures was growing and a public hearing was held by Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, who heads the Assembly's Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife.</p><p>Huffman criticized the governor's announcement, saying the cuts still would be so deep that parks would be technically open but functionally closed.</p><p>"There are still more questions then answers," he said. "This is a governor who three times in the last three years has put wide-scale closures on the table only to pull back when the political realities have crept in."</p><p>He said the support promised by individuals and organizations still may be needed.</p><p>"All of us are waiting to see the details. Right now we have a press release," he said. "That is not enough, we need to see how they absorb these cuts."</p><p>In Sonoma County, arguments against closures included public safety and protecting the parks' resources.</p><p>Despite all the drama, Gould said he was buoyed by the outpouring of support.</p><p>"That is the silver lining in this ominous black cloud hanging over our heads. People like parks, and they are willing to step forward and help them continue," Gould said. "They understand the value of parks and our culture. What we do does matter."</p><p>You can reach Staff Writer Bob Norberg at 521-5206 or bob.norberg@</p><p>pressdemocrat.com.</p>