Central Coast Natural History Association (CCNHA) will be holding a "Town Hall" meeting on the proposed closure of Morro Strand State Beach at the Museum of Natural History at Morro Bay State Park at 6 pm on June 7, 2011. CCNHA is seeking input from other community groups, volunteers and interested citizens.
Morro Strand State Beach has been targeted as one of the 70 State Parks slated for permanent closure by summer 2012. These 70 parks represent 25% of the State Park system. Morro Strand alone sees on average 44,000 campers per year. State Park users spend on average $58 per day in the surrounding communities – this means an estimated loss of $255,200 to Morro Bay and the surrounding towns. In addition to the economic impact, critical snowy plover habitat will be left unmanaged and unprotected.
The State Parks budget cut of $22 million in the next two years is cited as the reason behind the proposed closures. The Town Hall will address the question of why are parks, which comprise .003% of the state budget and are revenue generators, are slated not only for closure, but permanent closure.
This is the first time in the 106 year history of parks that a proposal for permanent closure has been mandated. "A closed park is a dead park," Ruth Coleman, Director of California State Parks said when the park closures were announced at the annual California League of Park Associations Conference.
"CCNHA is committed to keeping Morro Strand State Beach open," says Mary Golden, Executive Director. "We have been working for three years to fight cuts to the State Park system, and to find stable funding for State Parks. We have a proud 35 year history of funding and supporting educational programs, and a new role in the past 3 years of advocating for State Parks."
CCNHA is one of 85 cooperating associations statewide working with State Parks to promote education and interpretative programs as well to advocate on behalf of State Parks. CCNHA has participated in Save Our State Parks (SOS) campaigns, Prop 21 and the newly launched campaign, "Don’t Let Our State Parks Become Memory." CCNHA provides financial and program support for Pismo State Beach, Montana de Oro State Park, Morro Bay State Park, including the Museum of Natural History, Estero Bluffs State Park, Harmony Headlands State Park – as well as Morro Strand State Beach.
