State Parks Belong to Us All

Like so many of our allies in the environmental community, all of us at CLCV were shocked and deeply saddened at the news that staff at the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) had hidden $54 million for as long as twelve years.  

Our parks belong to all of us, and this represents an extreme violation of the public’s trust.  All Californians have the right to be angry and we are owed a full explanation of how this happened.

I support Governor Jerry Brown’s call for state Attorney General Kamala Harris to investigate the situation and his request that the state Department of Finance conduct a comprehensive audit of the DPR. He has also asked California Natural Resources Agency Secretary John Laird to review DPR management.

We are glad that Secretary Laird, a longtime environmental champion, has not only promised to get to the bottom of this situation but also that he has said he wants to work with the state legislature to evaluate how the discovered funds can be used to mitigate park closures.

Together with so many of you we have worked alongside nonprofit groups, elected officials and other individuals who have worked tirelessly to keep their local parks open. We remain a committed partner and advocate for our state parks. They are the crown jewel of California and they must remain open and accessible to all Californians.

- Sarah Rose, CEO, CLCV