Letter to the Editor: Save a park, run for Annadel
By Matt Schiffer
Editor:
Annadel State Park has been a staple and beautiful asset to the Santa Rosa community for 41 years and now has a very uncertain future. As widely reported, the State of California can no longer maintain the park – the largest in Sonoma County – due to budget cuts. On July 1, the State will “close” Annadel State Park. Sonoma County Regional Parks is pursuing the possibility of managing Annadel on an interim basis, and working closely with the Parks Alliance for Sonoma County and other local nonprofit partners to raise the money to cover operating costs. The problem is that it costs more than $300,000 annually to manage and maintain Annadel and currently there is not a reliable funding source. Until steady income generators (i.e. parking fees, membership) are implemented, it will be up to the community to dig deep to supply the funds necessary to keep the park open.
Local businesses would be impacted by the shuttering of this important amenity, both directly and indirectly. Business owners, employees and customers alike can be found hiking, running, biking and horseback riding on its 35 miles of trails or enjoying the tranquility of Lake Ilsanjo. Employee recruitment and retention (not to mention health and well-being) are enhanced by the availability of the convenient outdoor recreation offered by the park; residents, and your employees, are drawn to Sonoma County for the quality of life. Finally, the park is an economic driver as studies have shown that every $1 invested in the state park system returns $2.35 to the state’s General Fund, largely in the form of economic activity in local economies. Local operation of the park would allow that money to remain in the Sonoma County economy.
Absent adequate funding and thoughtful management, Annadel’s nearly 5,100 rugged acres along the eastern side of Santa Rosa will quickly fall into disrepair, adversely impacting surrounding businesses and home owners. The conditions of the park will rapidly decline without the necessary maintenance and increased crime in the park and surrounding community could follow.
The Annadel Half Marathon is a 13.1-mile trail race within Annadel and Spring Lake Regional Park that was conceived to help fill the funding void. Started in 2010, the race has raised nearly $50,000 to date, with all proceeds going directly to Annadel. The 3rd Annual Annadel Half will take place on Saturday, April 14 and, with Kathy’s Race 5K, is expected to draw nearly 1,000 local athletes and their families. This year, due to the budget crisis, the Annadel Half Marathon planning team is doubling our monetary goal and encouraging the business community to join us.
Here are specific ways businesses can support Annadel State Park via the Annadel Half Marathon fundraiser:
- “Friend” us (Annadel Half Marathon) on Facebook to stay up-to-date on our fundraising activities and the upcoming race.
- Run the race individually or pull together a team of four to compete in the men’s, women’s and mixed team divisions. More details and a link to race registration can be found at www.annadelhalf.com.
- Donate a prize for the raffle to be held after the race.
- Volunteer to help the race run smoothly on April 14 – more information and sign up at www.annadelhalf.com.
- Make a tax deductible donation directly to the race’s beneficiary, The Parks Alliance for Sonoma County http://parksalliance.com/. Annadel Half will match every dollar donated to Annadel State Park, up to $20,000, between February 1, 2012 and July 1, 2012. Special recognition for large donors will be made on our website.
This race generates visibility for local businesses and non-profits that have become aligned with it. It is also the only opportunity to experience and fundraise for the park via a trail race event. For more information about the Annadel Half Marathon or Kathy’s Race 5K, please visit www.annadelhalf.com.
Annadel is a critical asset to the community for which we live AND work. Can you imagine Sonoma County without Annadel? It will happen without business support. Contact our sponsorship coordinator Halley Eppinger (Halley@annadelhalf.com) to discuss these participation opportunities. For more information about The Parks Alliance for Sonoma County and for the latest news on the status of Annadel and other Sonoma County parks, please visit http://parksalliance.com/.
Matt Schiffer
Annadel Half Planning Committee
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by Jeff Quackenbush, Business Journal Staff Reporter
Huffman Introduces Bill to Save State Parks
AB 1589 offers several strategies to prevent state parks from being closed
SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) today introduced legislation that offers several funding opportunities and other creative strategies to help prevent state parks from being closed.
“We have an opportunity with this legislation to not only prevent park closures, but to begin to reinvigorate our neglected California State Parks system,” said Assemblymember Huffman. “This bill is about charting a more sustainable approach to managing and financing our treasured state parks so that they will continue to be there for our economy and quality of life, and so that we can protect the valuable natural and cultural resources our parks contain.”
Assembly Bill 1589, also known as the California State Parks Stewardship Act of 2012, contains several proposals that address short and long term needs for California State Parks in order to achieve substantial budget savings without wide scale park closures.
Here are some key provisions of the new bill:
1) Encourages formation of a state compact that guarantees an ongoing level of state funding for operations and maintenance of state parks.
2) Creates a State Park Enterprise Fund to be used for construction and installation of modern revenue and fee collection equipment and technologies to increase park visitation and revenues.
3) Produces a California State Park environmental license plate which individual vehicle owners could purchase and have the fees go towards support of state parks.
4) Provides the option for taxpayers to voluntarily purchase an annual state park access pass when they file their state tax returns.
5) Requires the Department of Parks and Recreation to be more transparent on how it evaluates and selects specific parks for closure, and places a cap of 25 state park units on the number of park closures allowed from 2012 to 2016 without legislative approval.
“The recent parks closures disproportionately impact rural California, and nowhere is that more true than on the North Coast,” said Assemblymember Wesley Chesbro (D-North Coast), who is a joint author of AB 1589. “The economies of many of our small communities depend on state parks and the millions of visitors they draw every year. We must find a way to keep them open, safe and accessible.”
“Keeping state parks open is vital to our local and state economies,” said Caryl Hart, Director of Sonoma County Regional Parks. “While our communities are working hard at the local level to partner with the state to help keep the parks open, it is also imperative that the state identify new revenue opportunities and strategies to ensure the long term sustainability of our state parks.”
“Our local economy centers on visitor service and if we lose our only state park, Hendy Woods, every business in our community will be badly affected,” said Kathy Bailey, representing the Anderson Valley Chamber of Commerce. “AB 1589 recognizes that closing parks should be the last choice, not the first, when trying to balance the budget. We’re very happy that the authors want the State to formulate common sense approaches to management reform and revenue enhancement before taking the drastic step of shuttering a vital component of our community’s economy.”
AB 1589 will be considered by the Assembly at a policy committee hearing later this session. It is also joint-authored by Assemblymember Roger Dickinson (D-Sacramento).
by Sara Wisnia
Without grassroots efforts such as this, Annadel doesn’t stand a chance. Please stand up for what you love and support our local treasure in any way that you can!
by Marc Strozyk
Annadel is why I live in Santa Rosa. All of my friends here share a mutual interest in Annadel albeit mountain biking, trail running, hiking or riding their horses in Annadel. To close this wonderful park is to take away what many consider to make Santa Rosa special. I would have to agree wholeheartedly. I have empty pockets, but I will continue to volunteer and do whatever I can, to keep Annadel open. Please join me by volunteering, donating or just running the darn race.
Marc Strozyk – coach of the Annadel Half Marathon Training Group and member of the Annadel Half Marathon planning committee
by Avi Mo
I dont want to imagine Sonoma County without Annade! Save the park, support the marathon!