Cuts for North Coast's state parks finalized

<p>Some state parks will close for the winter, others will charge fees for the first time, popular Fort Ross and Jack London parks will close during midweek and fewer bathrooms will be available under state parks cuts outlined Tuesday.</p><p>“What is painful is reducing the services we generally supply to the public . . . these parks belong to the people,” said Linda Rath, superintendent of the state parks department's Russian River sector. “But we need to meet our budget and protect our resources at the same time.”</p><p>The cuts, which begin taking effect Sunday and will last through June 30, are in response to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget plan, which reduces funding for the state's 279 parks by $14.2 million and cuts funding for maintenance and equipment replacement by 50 percent.</p><p>The governor has promised park officials that in the next budget year, beginning July 1, they will get full funding.</p><p>“Hopefully, this is short-term, just for the next seven months. Hopefully, next year we will have everything open again,” Rath said.</p><p>Annadel State Park in Santa Rosa, a mountainous urban park with a dozen entrances that is a draw for hikers, runners, bikers and equestions, will remain open.</p><p>But Jack London and Petaluma Adobe state parks, the Sonoma Mission and Gen. Mariano Vallejo's home will close during midweek.</p><p>Fort Ross Historic Park will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday but will be closed midweek, except for school groups.</p><p>“We will continue with the environmental living program, it is self-supporting . . . we raised the fees enough to cover what it costs us for utilities and water,” Rath said. “That will continue, but the fort won't be open to the public.”</p><p>Rath said officials also plan to install “iron ranger” fee stations at Goat Rock and Shell Beach, charging $8, and at the front parking lot at Armstrong Grove, at $5. The fees could be expanded to other coast parks as well.</p><p>“We are moving forward on them right now. We are looking at any area we provide facilities, such as restrooms and picnic areas; we are looking at charging fees at those areas,” Rath said. “Once you pay the day-use fee, it is good for any park for that day.”</p><p>Rath's Russian River sector, which includes the Sonoma County coast parks and draws 5 million visitors a year, is cutting costs by $500,000.</p><p>The Diablo Vista District, which covers part of Sonoma County and draws 1.7 million visitors a year, is losing $330,000 from its operating budget, $140,000 from its maintenance budget and its $190,000 roads budget, said district Superintendent Dave Gould.</p><p>“The painful part is the constant erosion of what we try to do to maintain the parks, interpret the parks and protect the parks for the public,” Gould said. “I keep saying that we need to stock up on baling wire and duct tape because that is how we will get through to June 30.”</p><p>He said officials are trying to minimize the effect on the public.</p><p>“The public will come in, they can go hike, but it is more of the significant cutbacks on the maintenance programs, to where if we have trees down on trails, now we may not be able to get to it right away,” Gould said.</p><p>In Mendocino County, the restroom at the Ford House in Mendocino, which has become that town's public bathroom, will be closed beginning Sunday as part of $700,000 in cuts for the region, district Superintendent Marilyn Murphy said.</p><p>She said local groups are trying to rally fundraising to keep the bathroom open at a cost of $12,000.</p><p>Murphy said her district, which draws 3.2 million visitors a year, also is not filling nine vacancies, including four for rangers.</p><p>You can reach Staff Writer Bob Norberg at 521-5206 or e-mail bob.norberg@pressdemocrat.com.</p>