The State Parks & Wildlife Conservation Trust Fund Act of 2010

1. The State Parks & Wildlife Conservation Trust Fund Act of 2010 Bay Area Open Space Council March 18, 2010

2. Help Save Our State Parks!

3. How Did We Get Here?

4. Feeling the Effects • $1.2 Billion deferred maintenance backlog • De facto freeze on acquisitions through Public Works Board • Park closure proposals in 2008, 2009 • General Fund elimination proposals in 2009, 2010

5. Putting Solutions On the Table • Since 2005, CSPF has looked at tools for fiscal sustainability for state parks • Endowment • Objective criteria for General Fund allocations • New public funding revenue streams • Increased public-private partnerships & philanthropy

6. Criteria for Solutions • Consistency with Park Values • Sustainability • Political Feasibility • Adequate Scale • Access • Supplanting

7. Our Solution • State Park Access Pass • Attempted through legislative budget process in 2008, 2009 • Filed the State Parks & Wildlife Conservation Trust Fund Act of 2010 on Nov. 3, 2009 • Received Title & Summary December 29, 2009

8. SPWCTF • Institutes $18 surcharge on vehicles • Raises ~$500 million annually • Creates new State Parks & Wildlife Conservation Trust Fund • Free day-use access for Californians • Frees up $130M General Fund for other budget priorities

9. Funding Breakdown: State Parks • 85% to DPR for “operation, planning, management,development” of state parks • 5% to local entities managing state park units for backfilling fee losses, grant funds for additional M&O costs • 4% to operate, manage, restore urban river parkways with recreational benefits and access to open space/wildlife areas for underserved urban communities

10. Funding Breakdown: Other Conservation • 7%: Dept of Fish and Game for wildlife refuges & reserves • 4%: Ocean Protection Council for marine wildlife conservation • 2%: state conservancies for park/ wildlife habitat • 2%: Wildlife Conservation Board for grants to local agencies for wildlife conservation

11. Accountability Provisions • Trust Fund $$ used only for state park and wildlife conservation purposes in the initiative • No loans to state General Fund • Annual audit by State Auditor • Citizen’s Oversight Committee to be established to review the audit, issue annual implementation reports

12. Current Endorsers • Over 170 endorsing organizations & entities • State & regional conservation organizations • Park-supporting associations • Businesses & business groups • Local governments & elected officials

13. Key Endorsers • CA Lodging Industry Association • CA Parks Hospitality Association • CA Travel Industry Association • Sonoma County Chamber of Commerce • Patagonia • Republicans for Environmental Protection, California Chapter • City of Sonoma • Santa Cruz County

14. Next Steps • Now through mid-April: Signature-gathering effort • Summer: officially qualify for the November 2010 ballot • Summer-early Fall: grassroots field campaign in effect • Fall 2010: field campaign and GOTV!

15. Ways to Help • Endorse the initiative – visit www.yesforstateparks.com • Help collect signatures – contact CSPF at advocacy@calparks.org to volunteer • Include news about the initiative on web, social media, in newsletters, emails, etc. • Get organized & ready for a field campaign in late summer/early fall!

16. Bridging to Excellence • State Park Excellence Project – joint project of CSPF and STRL • GOAL: Public engagement in a statewide vision for excellence in CA’s state parks • Web survey live through March 31 http://www.calparks.org/takeaction/parkexcellence/ • Stakeholders’ Roundtable in Summer • Final Report: Late Summer 2010

17. Contact Information Traci Verardo-Torres, VP, Gov’t Affairs traci@calparks.org 916-442-2119 www.calparks.org Initiative Web Site: www.yesforstateparks.com