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Politics & Government

How to Save Chatsworth's Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park

Assembly Bill 42 would allow nonprofits to take over. It now moves to the Senate.

The state Assembly Thursday passed a bill which may provide a way to keep Chatsworth's open.

The state park is one of 70 on Gov. Jerry Brown's closure hit list. The closures would cut $22-million from the state's $26-billion budget deficit.

And the Land Use Committee of the Chatsworth Neighborhood Council Thursday voted to compose a letter to state officials opposing the governor’s actions.

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The Assembly legislation would allow nonprofit agencies to take over maintenance of the parks.

Assembly Bill 42, introduced by Jared Huffman, D-Marin, it is now being ushered through to the Senate. It is expected to be heard in Senate committees starting next month. It must get Senate approval by Sept. 9 and be signed by Gov. Brown by Oct. 9 in order to take effect on Jan. 1.

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If AB 42 becomes law, a nonprofit will need to sponsor each individual park in order to fight closure. AB 42 would authorize the state Department of Parks and Recreation to enter into agreements with qualified nonprofit organizations for the improvement, restoration, care, maintenance, administration or operation of the parks.

Chatsworth volunteers have already clocked more than 3,700 hours patrolling the 670-acre Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park.

In December 2009, when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger threatened to close the parks to help balance his budget, the Santa Susana Volunteers were formed. Now more than 60 volunteers scout the area looking for graffiti, homeless encampments and dumped trash.

Linda Van der Valk, Neighborhood Council land use chair, said she spoke with the state park ranger, and he said he didn’t know how they would keep the public out of a closed park.

“It would be difficult,” van der Valk said. “And for the horses, if they shut the gate on Larwin Street it will be hard to fit through.”

Hikers have been known to cut through fencing to access closed parks; however, the opening would have to been much larger if horses are involved.

“On one side you hear all of the reports about childhood obesity and on the other hand they are closing all of the parks. It doesn’t make sense,” van der Valk said.

Van der Valk also suggested Chatsworth residents and others write letters of opposition to the governor and senators.

Van der Valk is also concerned about vandalism at the park, which could close in 14 months.

Teena Takata, secretary of the committee and newly installed president of the nonprofit Santa Susana Mountain Park Association, said when the state closes parks it’s not uncommon for officials to consider the property surplus land and sell it off.

Association members have worked tirelessly to preserve the Santa Susana Mountains and the Simi Hills.

On the heels of the governor’s announcement last week to close 25 percent of the park system, the California State Parks Foundation moved forward with support for AB 42.

The Foundation, a 42-year-old nonprofit and park advocacy group, strongly opposes the closures.

AB 42 was introduced into the Legislature in February when Gov. Brown first announced he was thinking about closing state parks to help meet California's budget crisis.

Traci Verardo-Torres, vice president of government affairs for the Foundation, said under AB 42 any money raised by the nonprofits for state parks, including Chatsworth's Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park, stays in the park’s budget.

Recently the state budget was infused with an unexpected $6.6-billion influx of tax receipts, but cuts still loom.

Statewide, implementation of the park closure list would mean parks in 36 of California’s 58 counties will be shut, and almost 45 percent of the state’s entire State Historic Parks—destinations for students on field trips about California’s history and statehood—are slated to close, according to the Foundation Web site. The list includes closing of some of the most unique, historic, culturally important and iconic state parks in California.

Closures, which would begin after Labor Day, would endanger some of the most unique and enduring pieces of California and pre-California history. Highlights of the resources at risk include:

  • 11 parks that provide coastal access
  • 9 parks that showcase Native American history and other archeological assets
  • 8 parks that have natural ecosystems that include unique California redwoods
  • 22 parks, or 31 percent, that include North Coast counties of Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Humboldt and Del Norte
  • And the second largest state park in the California, Henry Coe.

The list of potential park closures includes:

  1. Anderson Marsh State Historic Park
  2. Annadel State Park
  3. Antelope Valley Indian Museum
  4. Austin Creek State Recreation Area
  5. Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park
  6. Benbow Lake State Recreation Area
  7. Benicia Capitol State Historic Park
  8. Benicia State Recreation Area
  9. Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park
  10. Bothe-Napa Valley State Park
  11. Brannan Island State Recreation Area
  12. California Mining & Mineral Museum
  13. Candlestick Point State Recreation Area
  14. Castle Crags State Park
  15. Castle Rock State Park
  16. China Camp State Park
  17. Colusa-Sacramento River State Recreation Area
  18. Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park
  19. Fort Humboldt State Historic Park
  20. Fort Tejon State Historic Park
  21. Garrapata State Park
  22. George J. Hatfield State Recreation Area
  23. Governor's Mansion State Historic Park
  24. Gray Whale Cove State Beach
  25. Greenwood State Beach
  26. Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park
  27. Hendy Woods State Park
  28. Henry W. Coe State Park
  29. Jack London State Historic Park
  30. Jug Handle State Natural Reserve
  31. Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park
  32. Limekiln State Park
  33. Los Encinos State Historic Park
  34. Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park
  35. Manchester State Park
  36. McConnell State Recreation Area
  37. McGrath State Beach
  38. Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve
  39. Morro Strand State Beach
  40. Moss Landing State Beach
  41. Olompali State Historic Park
  42. Palomar Mountain State Park
  43. Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park
  44. Picacho State Recreation Area
  45. Pio Pico State Historic Park
  46. Plumas-Eureka State Park
  47. Point Cabrillo Light Station
  48. Portola Redwoods State Park
  49. Providence Mountains State Recreation Area
  50. Railtown 1897 State Historic Park
  51. Russian Gulch State Park
  52. Saddleback Butte State Park
  53. Salton Sea State Recreation Area
  54. Samuel P. Taylor State Park
  55. San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park
  56. Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
  57. Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park
  58. Shasta State Historic Park
  59. South Yuba River State Park
  60. Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area
  61. Sugarloaf Ridge State Park
  62. Tomales Bay State Park
  63. Tule Elk State Natural Reserve
  64. Turlock Lake State Recreation Area
  65. Twin Lakes State Beach
  66. Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park
  67. Westport-Union Landing State Beach
  68. William B. Ide Adobe State Historic Park
  69. Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area
  70. Zmudowski State Beach
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