Article: Austin Creek and Armstrong Redwoods get a Reprieve
by Stephen D. Gross
WaccoBB.net
Thanks to the concerted efforts of the Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods formerly known as Stewards of Slavianka , Austin Creek State Recreation Area and Armstrong Woods State Park will remain open, but the Stewards could still use help.
Michelle Luna, executive director of the dedicated organization, recently announced that Stewards Board of Directors approved an Operating Agreement with California State Parks this week which was signed and sent to Sacramento for Director Ruth Coleman's signature after which it will go to the Department of General Services for final review and approval.
With Governor Jerry Brown signing a bill allocating funds in the amount of $56,000 awarded by the California State Parks Foundation, and the State reaching agreements with non-profits as well as local governments several of the parks earmarked for closure will be able to stay open.
Stewards will have the start-up funds needed to reopen Bull Frog Campground and manage volunteer programs, also using camping and day-use fees and donations to provide public assistance and trail maintenance. In the meantime, says Luna, Stewards also signed a Right of Entry Permit and will begin making preparations for operating the park as of July 1, 2012.
Since 1979, the State Park budget has decreased by 67%, with 37% of that reduction in the past six years. Coming at a time when park visitation is at an all-time high, parks remain one of the affordable places which people can still enjoy through these tough economic times. A tax measure which is on the November 2012 ballot will not restore funding for State parks and legislators are proposing budget amendments in an attempt to keep local parks open.
Community and business leaders and the Sonoma County Parks Alliance have been working hard toward keeping their five local State Parks on the closure list open for at least another year, and the community of Jenner has been donating to keep the Jenner Visitor Center and restrooms open since 2009.
Stewards also wants people to know that "they can earn free day-use passes for Russian River area State Parks by volunteering a minimum of 16 hours a year in one of the Volunteers in Parks programs supported by Stewards. 200 hours provides a statewide pass. There are also affordable State Park passes for Californians who are low-income, disabled, seniors and veterans of war. For instance, any person 62 years of age or older with income limitations specified on the application form; or any person receiving aid under the applicable aid codes in the CalWORKS Program is eligible to receive the Golden Bear Pass for only $5.00 a year. Stewards will be working with State Parks to implement an affordable pass for! State Parks within Sonoma County".
A new advisory committee, Friends of Sonoma Coast has been formed to provide representation of those concerned about environmental issues as well as keeping parks open and accessible.
Additionally, Stewards is asking for "ideas for programs or special events that would benefit the park". Two are planned for July as well as an annual Old Grove Festival slated for Autumn.
Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods is an outgrowth of a program begun in 1985 when long-time activist and "public conscience" Dian Hardy and other like-minded people from Jenner discovered that the harbor seals at Goat Rock State Beach were in greater danger from curious beach visitors and unleashed dogs than from the pollution of a recent sewage spill into the Russian River.
In response to those concerns, they organized and set up four-hour shifts on the beach at the river mouth where they asked visitors to abide by the Marine Mammal Protection Act and stay at least 50 feet from the harbor seals. Thus began one of the first Stewards supported programs, Seal Watch. Seal Watch became a much heralded and highly successful program and eventually gave birth to Stewards of Slavianka (or Little Russian Girl), and is now known by its current name, Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods. 27 years later Hardy, now a Sebastopol resident, continues to make periodic forays out to the River's mouth to check on the well being of the pinnepeds whose parents she worked so hard to protect.
Meanwhile, Michelle Luna and the Stewards' Board, with Austin Creek State Recreation Area listed as one of the 65 of 70 State Parks on the closure list, convened two meetings with State Park staff in early June to which the public was invited in order to solicit ideas and suggestions as to how people could work together in order to keep State Parks open and accessible. Service reductions at coastal parks was also a concern and a proposal to implement higher fees (up to $8) to park at beach access points along the coast was met with highly vocal opposition by those who felt the fees were unfair to people with limited incomes and visitors who had planned on a short visit.
Visited by two million people annually, many felt the coast's upkeep and maintenance was dependent on the proposed fee increases. Luna makes it clear that Stewards' constituents are split on this issue with some people being adamantly opposed and others believing it's a realistic step considering fees have been in place in other coastal areas of the State as well as in regional parks.
I would love to hear the views of those who read this article regarding the value of proposed fee increases. The jury is still out and public opinion counts for a lot.
Born in NYC, early achiever, worked the Boardwalk, Department Store Exec, mind-altering exposure to terrific music, incomparable art, endless rivers of opinions, points of view, the World of Drugs. Morphed in SF in the late 60's,, U.S.P.O. graveyard shift, Human Be-ins, Diggers & Panhandle, Haight Clinic Vol, incarceration, exoneration, rapture and exhilaration leading to immigration to the West County. Photos, Gloria, pooches, chickens, goats and geese, a paradisiacal ' crate' on the river, moonlit meadows, sea breezes, trips to Europe, Alaska, Santa Fe, NYC, work as a photojournalist - saw pix and words published in wide variety of publications - jazz fests, local media, sundry forums for my opinions, ideas and dreams. Praise from Supreme Court justices, respected statesman, revered writers -ego massaged but wallet remained skinny. Alan Freed, the Apollo, realized dream with "The Mystery Train" , my personal, air-conditioned, vista domed luxury spa with room for everyone going on weekly for six years. I still write - satire, memoirs, diatribes, soliloquies, short stories, shaggy doggerel, nasty critiques, take pictures, indulge my fantasies , Guerneville correspondent for Press Democrat, I feel blessed, watched over by angels, 30+ years with my beloved Gloria now gone from this Earth, continue to enjoy hanging with Vinny Schwartz and Chloe, my two poodles, I love compassionate, considerate, warm hearted people of integrity, disdain bullies and shallow people who know better but make poor choices. Adore my community - incredibly generous, mostly sweet, caring people, consider myself one of the luckiest people ever to have clung to this ball of water and mud.
Re: Article: Austin Creek and Armstrong Redwoods get a Reprieve
Given today's news, that $54 million has been discovered in the State Parks budget, the maybe changes in some of these plans. Perhaps Stephen or Michele will keep us posted. :waccosun:
Re: Article: Austin Creek and Armstrong Redwoods get a Reprieve
https://img194.imageshack.us/img194/...1206081330.png
Management of Austin Creek SRA by Stewards put on hold
Saturday, July 21st, 2012 | Posted by Stephen Gross | no responses
The unexpected discovery that California’s Parks department had an undisclosed $54 million prompted Sonoma County to summarily terminate a plan to levy a quarter-cent sales tax to help raise monies for 70 state parks which had faced closure.
Director of state parks for the last nine years, Ruth Coleman, resigned after it was revealed that the parks, including four in Sonoma County, could have avoided being compelled to make deals with Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods as well as other non-profits, county governments and organizations, to take over park operations on July 1. Stewards, having received tentative approval, had been gearing up to take over operations at Austin Creek State Recreation Area and Armstrong Woods, and now must wait for final approval from the State Attorney General’s office.
Governor Jerry Brown has ordered investigations into “significant budgetary irregularities” involving the Park Agency’s finances, and Senator Noreen Evans and Caryl Hart who is chairman of the California Parks and Rec Commission spoke about the need for greater oversight of the state parks department’s operations.
The plan to charge $8 for parking at beaches along the Sonoma and Mendocino coasts (aboutwhich there was much division) has, as Fifth District Supervisor Efren Carrillo suggested, “been put on the back burner”.
Following is a letter from Michele Luna, who is Executive Director of Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods:
“Disappointing News”
Hello Fellow Stewards,
Stewards is very disappointed to hear the news coming from Sacramento today that there has been more then $50 million in funds being hidden by California State Parks’ staff. As a result, Director Ruth Coleman has resigned and the Chief Deputy Director was fired. It was reported in the Press Democrat that her resignation letter states that she did not know about the excess funds, but she takes full responsibility as the head of the department. I think it is important to remember that our local park staff are not responsible and they need our support as they carry on and do their best to uphold the mission of the Department during this difficult time.
This devastating news reinforces the need for new accountable models of operating State Parks. The partnership that Stewards has been working on so hard during the past year is still necessary for keeping Austin Creek SRA open. Once things settle down, there may be some new funding to help us keep the park open but this will only be one-time money. It does not address the $1.3 billon deferred maintenance backlog nor the long-term costs associated with keeping parks open.
There is no reason to believe that we won’t have a finalized agreement to operate Austin Creek in the next few weeks. There has been a delay with it now going to the Attorney General’s office before it goes to the Department of General Services. We are operating with an Early Entry Permit and will continue to move forward. We are receiving some assurances from local legislators that we have their support, which we greatly appreciate.
I want to assure all of our members, donors and volunteers that Stewards upholds a high level of accountability and transparency. We just underwent the highest level audit that can be done for a nonprofit organization and the audit report did not include any issues of concern. There are some procedural changes that we are making as a result of growing as an organization and managing larger amounts of money, but we can account for every dollar we receive and spend in support of our mission to promote, restore and protect your state parks.
We will carry on and work just as hard to make sure our parks are taken care of in partnership with local park staff.
Re: Article: Austin Creek and Armstrong Redwoods get a Reprieve
:waccosun: Thank you Stewards for working to protect our coast and watersheds!
Colleen Fernald
Candidate for PEACE!
Sebastopol City Council
