Oh wow, This is big. This proposal will close ALL of our parks & beaches. It's being voted on THIS WEEK?!

We ride, run, walk, train, picnic, swim in and just simply enjoy knowing that these protected places exist for their own purposes as homes to their unique plants, animals and habitats. I think everyone should be aware that this is happening, and this is happening now, and only we can stop it and keep these places existing.

So please, please read the short letter below from Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and then pass it on quickly. Please encourage everyone you can think of to do the same. We already know we can pull together when we want to. So let's do this, Let's make it big, and if you can take all of the steps below, thank you so much more. If we can do that, we will keep these places safe as they a


Dear Friends,

The governor has proposed closing 220 of 279 State Parks and Beaches in California, including each and every one in Santa Cruz County!

Big Basin Redwoods State Park (SP), Castle Rock State Park, Castro Adobe State Historic Park (SHP), Coast Dairies State Park, Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Lighthouse Field State Beach (SB), Manresa SB, Manresa Uplands SP, Natural Bridges SB, New Brighton SB, Palm SB, Rio Del Mar SB, Santa Cruz Mission SHP, Seabright SB, Seacliff SB, Sunset SB,The Forest of Nisene Marks, Twin Lakes SB, Wilder Ranch SP

This is not a drill. All the intelligence out of Sacramento says this is a serious proposal. We must unleash a tsunami of opposition to defeat this proposal within the next week!

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
1. COME TO THE RALLY - Monday, June 1, 5:30 PM, at Natural Bridges State Beach, in the parking lot before the entrance station. Rally participants will be able to use a mobile computing station, supported by a beach-area wi-fi hotspot, to send messages to Governor Schwarzenegger and legislators. We hope for good media coverage, so please come and bring your friends and family. Express your love for the parks by bringing signs, wearing your favorite park t-shirt or docent-wear.

2. SEND A MESSAGE TO THE GOVERNOR & LEGISLATURE - Visit www.ThatsMyPark.org, click on "Take Action" and follow the steps to automatically fax the Governor and your Legislators.

3. COME WITH US TO SACRAMENTO - Let your voice be heard at the ONLY PUBLIC HEARING on this proposal before the Legislative Budget Conference Committee. Tuesday, June 2, 9:30 AM, in the State Capitol, Room 4203. We have hired a bus, so please save your spot by calling 429-1840, ext 103, or Peg@ThatsMyPark.org if you'd like to join us.

4. GET INVOLVED & GET THE WORD OUT - Go to www.ThatsMyPark.org to stay involved in the campaign, contribute and become a Fan of Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks on Facebook. And please help get the word out to your networks about this campaign to Save Our State Parks & Beaches.

We are deeply alarmed and distressed with his draconian proposal to shut down every state park and beach in Santa Cruz County. This plan is the greatest threat to California park system in its history and amounts to a direct dismantling of a system that has taken more than 150 years to build. Santa Cruz County’s parks and beaches are top destinations not only for locals, but also for visitors from across the nation and around the world. In fact, Big Basin was the first state park in California. And Natural Bridges, home of the monarch butterflies, was recently named by AOL Travel as one of the top ten beaches in America. In the depths of the Great Depression, voters approved the bonds that were used for the purchase of Natural Bridges, as well as New Brighton and Sunset State Beaches. As we suffer through the worst economy since the 1930s, now is the time to come together in defense of our state parks!

The entire statewide closure list is pasted in below for your information.

Thanks for your help. Together we can defeat this draconian, short-sighted plan!

Bonny

Bonny Hawley, Executive Director
Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks
144 School Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(Located in the Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park)
Phone: (831) 429-1840
Fax: (831) 429-6748
Email: bonny@thatsmypark.org
Website: www.thatsmypark.org