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News California State parks supporters paddle the distance
Advocates Paddle in Opposition to 241 Toll Road and Other Park Threats
by Serge Dedina
06/09/2008:// San Diego- Today, surfers, lifeguards and ocean and park advocates paddled from Scripps Pier to Torrey Pines State Beach in support of the State Parks Access Pass and against the proposed 241 Toll Road. The activity is part of a larger project -- The Paddle for State Parks -- designed to raise public awareness of the threats to our California’s state parks.
“The message is that if we don’t stand up today to defend our state parks from budget cuts and development threats, tomorrow we might wake up to find them closed or paved over,” said Hans Fernan, an Encinitas lifeguard, and the event’s organizer. Fernan and fellow paddlers are paddling an average of 12 miles daily and plan on covering the entire San Diego County Coastline in 6 days. The paddle began at Border Field State Park on Tuesday and will conclude in San Onofre State Park on Sunday morning. The end of the Paddle for State Parks will coincide with the start of the 2008 Boost Mobile Pro contest at Lower Trestles, a world-class surf spot in San Onofre State Park.
Both underfunding and proposed development projects threaten state parks. Earlier this year, the Governor proposed closing 48 state parks (20% of the entire system) and reducing lifeguard staffing on 16 of the state’s most popular beaches. Development projects threaten 2 of the state’s most popular state parks which both happen to be in San Diego County. If built, the Toll Road would destroy 60% of San Onofre State Park and the Sunrise Powerlink would forever change Anza Borrego State Park. Border Field State Park also has chronic beach closure events due to cross-border pollution from Tijuana, and according to the County Department of Environmental Health, registers an average of 200 closure days every year.
“We’re incredibly lucky that we timed the paddle when we did, since the beach at Border Field was closed the next day due to sewage contaminated water,” added Fernan.
“Most Californians believe that our state parks are permanent- that they will exist forever for future generations to enjoy. However, as budget cuts and development projects show, this is not the case,” said Ben McCue of WiLDCOAST, a local San Diego nonprofit that protects and preserves coastal ecosystems and environmental health, and the paddle’s sponsor.
Paddlers agreed that state elected officials should focus on legislation that will protect parks from future development projects and support the State Access Pass proposal as a sustainable solution that will protect our state parks from underfunding. Under the proposal, Californians will pay a $10 surcharge on their annual vehicle license fees, which will raise approximately $282 million for the state park system. In return for paying the fee, vehicles with valid California license plates will be provided free daily entrance to California state parks, which means free parking in day use parking lots at state parks and beaches. Current day use fees are typically $6 to $8 per day, and $10 at popular Southern California beaches.
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