The Governor and state legislators slashed the State Department of Parks and Recreation's budget, and told State Parks to make up the difference with new and increased fees to the public. The plan is to install "iron rangers" (automatic fee collection devices) at numerous formerly free beaches up and down the California coast--including many undeveloped beaches, where the state provides few or no services--and to charge fees, starting at $5 to $6 just to park a car and walk of the beach. Our State Constitution grants us the right of coastal access. This State parks fee plan--with its potential fur unlimited fee increases--seriously endangers that right. The Free Beaches Act therefore eliminates day use fees (including parking fees) at ALL California state beaches.
Under current law, the State Parks Department has unfettered discretion to impose any size fee, at any state park or beach, at any time, and for any item (such as the fees for bicycles and dogs they tried at Bodega Bay), with no requirement for public hearings. In a radical departure from traditional California public policy on parks and beaches, the politicians are using this fee-setting power of State Parks as a sneaky form of taxation. This way, NO ONE is responsible for the size of the "tax". It is the closest thing to "taxation without representation" since the tea tax of 1776. The Free Beaches Act states that fees at non-coastal state parks cannot exceed the costs of maintaining each facility, and thereby prevents our parks from becoming "cash cows" for state government.
The Free Beaches Act covers the costs of these fee rollbacks, by a modest increase in the optional, personalized license plate fee. This fund (called the environmental license plate fund) is appropriate for this purpose, since it already may be used for maintenance and acquisition of enviromentallly sensitive areas (such as parks and beaches). Another advantage is that this license plate fee is optional--those who can afford it can help State Parks, and the poor will not be priced out of our public parks and beaches through fees. We want State Parks to have adequate funding, and to engage in true budget reform. There are more creative ways to raise revenue than charging fees. State Parks doesn't even recycle its trash! The initiative encourages reform, while providing some secure funding.
"Thisi initiative 'draws a line in the sand.' It says: 'no more--the public will not put up with the state charging money for a walk n the beach, or a swim in the ocean.'" Mendocino County Supervisor Norman de Vall
(Official ballot title: "Limitation on fees for state parks")
1. Eliminates day use fees (including parking fees) at ALL California state beaches.
2. Limits fees (including camping fees) at other state parks to the real costs of maintaining each facility.
3. Raises funds for the State Parks Department through a modest increase in the optional, personalized license plate registration fee (aka, the environmental license plate fee), of $5 for first time registration, and $10 for renewal.
Copyright Mendocino Environmental Center 2004
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