State parks shakeup: Scandal sinks plans for local tax measure

California State Parks held a workshop at the Church of One Tree
in Santa Rosa to talk about groups partnering with the state to operate
parks in February 2012. Parks Department Director Ruth Coleman
opened the meeting.
Jeff Kan Lee / PD File

By DEREK MOORE & BRETT WILKISON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Friday, July 20, 2012 at 12:25 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, July 20, 2012 at 1:50 p.m.

The stunning revelation Friday that the California Parks Department had a hidden surplus of nearly $54 million while dozens of state parks were threatened with closure brought angry condemnation from parks advocates and an abrupt end to a Sonoma County plan to raise more park revenue through a sales tax increase.

“It’s just completely the most devastating news that I can imagine,” said Caryl Hart, Sonoma County’s regional parks director.

Hart and other county officials on Friday abruptly halted plans to advance a ballot measure proposing a countywide sales tax increase to support local parks.

The decision was made only hours after State Parks Director Ruth Coleman resigned amid revelations that her agency had nearly $54 million in surplus money that possibly could have been used to keep 70 state parks off a closure list.

Almost all of those parks, including four in Sonoma County, got a reprieve after nonprofits, county governments and other organizations entered into operating agreements with the state to take over park operations on a temporary basis.

Advocates now are worried about public support for parks eroding in the wake of Friday’s developments. The news also threatens a nonprofit’s pending application to take over operations at Austin Creek State Recreation Area in Guerneville.

Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods was notified Thursday that its application must now go through the state Attorney General’s Office before it can be considered for final approval, according to Michele Luna, the group’s executive director.

She said Stewards already had received tentative approval to operate in the park and that the group was planning to purchase a used truck on Monday on the contingency that the money would be reimbursed from the state.

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