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Despite the voters’ rejection of Proposition 21—-a tax that would have provided a source of funding for Califonia parks—The City Project, a non-profit organization based out of California, continues to work on plans towards equal access to parks and recreation, for underserved communities in California.
Members of the City Project believe that parks would create thousands of job opportunities, and reduce the health burdens of those that lack easy access to parks. According to this blog post, The City Project is working on an equity plan to distribute park benefits.
Proposition 21 (2010) would have provided $500 million per year for California’s 278 state parks through an $18 fee on vehicles. On November 2, 2010, voters voted against this measure, and as a result dozens of parks across the state faced closure.
Related news
70 State Parks in California Face Closure Due to Budget Cuts
After Proposition 21 failed in 2010, approximately 25% of California’s state parks were endanger of closure.
Partnerships With Non-profit Organizations May Save Some of California’s Parks
After budget cuts leading to park closures were announced, donors and non-profit organizations worked to keep parks open. Proposition 21 would have created a secure pool of funds to maintain parks and recreation facilities. However, because this measure did not pass, park advocates hope for a similar policy to be developed in the near future.
Because of a $15.7 billion deficit, California parks faced a $22 million in budget cut, which would have led to the closure of 70 state parks. According to this article from the Huffington post, advocates believe that public funding of parks is a better solution to keeping parks open in California, rather than having private organizations manage these efforts.
Resources
Letter to Legislators: Keep Park Funding in State Parks
This letter urges California legislators to keep the $20 million revenues generated by parks in the State Park and Recreation Fund (SPRF), rather than reallocating these funds to be used for other purposes.
Pros and Cons of Proposition 21
An overview of Proposition 21–with election results, pros and cons, media resources, and a list of organizations who endorsed Proposition 21.
By The Numbers
33
percent
of Latinos live within walking distance (<1 mile) of a park
