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Henry W. Coe State Park Saving Henry W. Coe State Park
In February of 2011, six people came together to form the Coe Park Preservation Fund (CPPF). The driving force was our absolute certainty that Henry W. Coe State Park would be on the closure list. Bob Patrie, a long-time supporter of Coe Park and co-founder of the Pine Ridge Association in 1975 communicated the urgency. He put it simply, “Our chances of saving the park are slim—perhaps 3%–but we simply must at least try to raise enough funds to keep the park open and accessible to the public.” The six of us immediately started the process needed to form a non-profit organization, the Coe Park Preservation Fund. Our intention was to raise sufficient funds to pay the salaries and benefits for two rangers, a maintenance person, and two seasonal aides. We would then request that all fees collected at Coe Park would be returned to Coe Park to cover operating expenses. That was our first goal. A second goal, providing we were successful with the first, was to raise sufficient funds for an endowment that could keep us insulated from the vicissitudes of the state budget. In short order, we obtained an employee identification number (EIN), and developed articles of incorporation and bylaws to satisfy state and federal requirements. We then submitted an application for 501(c)3 status, currently pending. In the mean time, we have the Pine Ridge Association (PRA) as our fiduciary so that donations to us are tax-deductible under their 501(c)3 status. We felt strongly that we should be an organization separate from the PRA for a couple of reasons. First, because our mission was highly specific; to raise funds to cover the park staff mentioned above, which is quite different from the mission of the PRA, which is closely defined by the contract that all cooperating associations sign. Second, because we would need the flexibility to act rapidly and in changing circumstances—a capacity that the Pine Ridge Association lacked. We produced a web site right away (www.coeparkfund.org) and a brochure intended specifically for potential corporate donors. With our local sector superintendent Eddie Guaracha and with the full backing of Mat Fuzie, superintendent of the Monterey District, we developed a draft memorandum of understanding. Just as soon as the closures were officially announced, we obtained some publicity and started raising funds. Although Coe Park has relatively low visitation, it has many passionate defenders (as do many other parks) and donations began coming in. Including some funds to be transferred to the CPPF from the PRA. We now had over $200,000 in hand or pledged, when suddenly had an extraordinary surprise. Dan McCranie, a CPPF board member and treasurer, together with some corporate colleagues of his, pledged to cover the amount needed for park staff salaries for three years. We then fine-tuned the draft MOU and submitted it to Mat Fuzie. He approved it in principle, came back to us with suggested modifications, and passed it on to his superiors in Sacramento. We are currently awaiting the final MOU but since Superintendent Fuzie approved our letting the media know what we were doing and what progress we had made, we feel comfortable that we have been successful. State Parks tells us that we are the very first organization to come in with a plan, funds, and a draft MOU, and will be the first to reverse a dismal closure decision. We earnestly hope that what we have succeeded in doing so far will provide inspiration for others to go the same route. Thanks to Bob Patrie’s insightful and forceful insistence and the generosity of Dan McCranie and his corporate colleagues, and with severe odds against us, we are where we are right now. Success draws success and we have had a dramatic increase in donations since the official announcement. We earnestly hope that our success will have a strong positive impact on other such efforts. Valley of the Moon Natural History Association
The Valley of the Moon Natural History Association (VMNHA) Coop Association is committed to keeping all three of our affected parks open, Annadel State Park, Sugarloaf Ridge State Park and Jack London State Historic Park, but we are most actively involved with Jack London, still formulating an operations proposal using no particular template, and hoping that collaboration with other Sonoma County Parks Alliance partners will help save Sugarloaf and Annadel. VMNHA has started board restructuring, strategic planning and a plan to hire paid staff is underway.
The following are the results of the VMNHA survey compiled by Al Stumpf:
Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods (Stewards) has been looking at the feasibility of operating Austin Creek State Recreation Area, a 6,000 acre wilderness park with a small campground and 3 backcountry camping spots. The area is open to hiking and equestrians seasonally and biking on service roads. We submitted our letter of intent to our local district staff and were told that a template would follow providing us with the information that we need to submit. In the meantime, we have drafted a minimal proposal that includes expanding our volunteer efforts to include volunteer patrols on designated trails, continuing stewardship efforts and how we hope to partner with State Parks to keep the park open and potentially operate the campground facilities.
The Joss House is the oldest continuously used Daoist temple in California, created by the Chinese miners in Weaverville in the 1800s. The first building burned down and was then replaced by the present building in the 1870s, and has been in active continuous use as a spiritual and cultural site ever since. This important piece of our California past and living cultural present has been threatened with closure sometime in the next year. The local association, recognizing the need to take action has taken up the gauntlet and has dived ahead seeking to find a way to keep Joss House open and safe. (One of the consequences of a closure would be a removal to an underground storage facility of all the historic alter parts and items, the still functioning religious items and other cultural-historical materials that have a special significance in our present troubled world as reminders of our higher and better aspects as human beings and members of the greater California community). Also, the building would not be maintained and would undoubtedly never survive. The association has joined with the local historical society, County government, citizens and out-of-the-area visitors who have a deep appreciation for the significance of the Joss House. Literature describing the Joss House, its history, significance, and use is being prepared for republication. A Facebook page has been created to let people know about the plight of Joss House and to evidence its beauty. A newsletter is in the making and volunteer legal counsel and fund raising assistance has been identified and secured. Most importantly, the association at its most recent meeting has approved requesting that the State Parks look into entering into a contingent fund-based agreement. The association will seek to raise and then donate into the specified fund solely for use in keeping the Joss House unit open pursuant to a Memorandum Understanding with State Parks and conceivably with other parties as co-signatories. While there is no guarantee of success, at least there is a strong sense of hope and the feelings of helplessness are replaced with the reality of doing something about the threatened closure instead of just sitting by and watching it happen. Come and visit and let us know how other associations are dealing with the closures. Friends of Pio Pico
The Friends of Pio Pico are currently working in collaboration with the City of Whittier, other local cities, and the County of Los Angeles on a proposed Joint Powers Authority. This proposed JPA would take over the adminstration of Pio Pico State Historic Park through an Operating Agreement with DPR. The JPA would function by leveraging existing resources of the entities involved. The Friends of Pio Pico would continue to support the educational and cultural programs at the park by bringing in grant and private funds and managing the educational programs and volunteers. Plans are still in their early stages, but as more information becomes available on the exact configuration of the JPA and the roles that each entity is going to play in the administration of the park, we will share them with our CALPA partners.
Malibu Creek State Park Campfire Center Revival
The Campfire Center in Malibu Creek State Park was installed in 1984 as part of a state-funded campground building project. The Campfire Center gets extensive use during the summer when programs are presented on Saturday nights. The Malibu Creek Docents both present programs and provide the funding for others. This summer we had programs on the flora and fauna in the park, movie and TV filming history, reptiles, astronomy, the Chumash people, tide pools on our local beaches, and on litter.
Bothe Napa and Bale Gris Mill In August 2011, the Napa Valley State Parks Association (NVSPA) submitted a proposal to operate the Bale Grist Mill under a concession contract with the Department. At the same time, Napa County Regional Parks and Open Space District submitted a proposal to operate Bothe (which includes camp The Department has responded to our proposal with some questions and we replied. We are hopeful
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