Cogdill Concerned About Which State Parks Will Close
Sacramento, CA — State Senator Dave Cogdill has sent a letter to California State Parks Director Ruth Coleman urging her agency to consider the local economic impact when deciding which state parks will be closed down.
Cogdill writes, "As you consider the closure of 100 parks this year, I hope you will weigh the devastating economic consequences of closing parks in areas, like my district, where the jobless rate is already higher than the state average."
Later in the letter, Cogdill says, "In fact, the California State Railroad Museum Foundation estimates that $15 million will be lost from Tuolumne County’s economy alone if Railtown 1897 State Historic Park were to close.
When you account for the state tax dollars generated by the Railtown 1897, the estimated $300,000 in general fund savings by shuttering the park becomes penny wise but pound foolish."
The state has not announced when the closure list will be released.
Written by bjhansen@mlode.com.
