My CP is, in a number of ways, affected by Federal policies, given the current economic situation the country's in and the financial cutbacks our government has had to make on certain organizations or entities. State park closures are occurring due to the California state government's shortage of money to fund the parks, the staff, and the equipment needed to maintain the region's natural habitats. One can argue that politicans are looking at the bigger picture of saving the states (California in this case) from total economic collapse and that anything not receiving enough money, must shut down to save our economy. However, at the local level, people's views of shutting down state parks vary based on their perceptions of what should be saved in this economic deficit.
From a local perspective, I think it is widely shared across the state that everyday people have had great experiences from camping, hiking, or picnicing within these beautiful parks. People living close to California's state parks can attest that visiting these landmarks is a great way for families or campers to get away from their daily lives and embrace California's natural beauty. Most people understand that these parks are greatly siginficant, given that they represent California's ecological history and it's cultural changes, from the earliest Native American tribes to the people who brought the state into the Union. It's a characteristic of California that some people don't want to vanish, even in the midst of an economic upset.
In terms of accountability, the closest connection I could find for my CP was the Santa Cruz District. They have jurisdiction to work with my CP since Santa Cruz owns the Portola Redwoods State Park. The district most definitely has to comply with the cutbacks the California state government has to enact, but Santa Cruz, as well as my CP, are working hard to save their parks, with the help of many volunteers. Whether they'll achieve enough money to maintain the conditions of some of California's state parks falls on the shoulders of the local people.
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