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y p p Ha Trails to Yo u
State park closure date is next week— but there are grounds for hope in Marin... by Dani Burlison
Remnants of the once-thriving shrimping operation at China Camp, shown here mid-20th century, is part of the history at stake in the state parks crisis.
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eyond the cyclists ascending trails and past the small parking lots dotted alongside North San Pedro Road in San Rafael lies a significant slice of Marin’s history. Along the muddy rim of the San Pablo Bay is China Camp—where the breeze is mild and shallow waves ripple quietly under the old village pier. The small, rustic store— which holds framed black-and-white photographs and an old cigarette machine—offers sandwiches, drinks and ice cream on weekends. Visitors can catch a glimpse of its oncethriving past from the presence of weathered fishing boats or by a short walk through the China Camp shrimpery museum. Aside from the well-worn mountain bike trails, the
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school buses filled with local fourth-graders on field trips and the wildlife enthusiasts on guided trail hikes, China Camp State Park has something more to offer. Something that the community is determined to save. Since the state park system was established in 1902, California’s state parks have provided recreation, education and respite for nearly 60 million visitors each year. Many have grown up visiting these parks with their schools, families and friends and have presumed that the great coastal, mountain or desert escapes would always be accessible. These ecologically diverse and historic places have become trusted retreats for many wishing to recharge or simply share personal childhood memories with new generations.
Few even considered that these gems would ever close their gates. Not until recently, at least. Residents of the Golden State were stunned in 2008 when, for budgetary reasons, former Gov. Schwarzenegger proposed the closure of 48 of California’s 278 state parks and then increased the number to 220 the following year—from the north coast’s Del Norte State Redwoods to Southern California’s Salton Sea. Though his decision to keep the parks open with reduced services in 2010 elicited a sigh of relief for many park supporters, a new budget under Gov. Brown calls for the closure of 70 of the least financially viable parks in order to pinch $22 million worth of pennies within
California’s worsening debt crisis. And Marin’s picturesque lands were not spared: Samuel P. Taylor, Olompali, China Camp and Tomales Bay state parks made the fateful list. Deadline for closure: July 1, 2012. But if there ever was a community that wasn’t going to take its parks–closures lying down–it’s the one below the Sleeping Lady. Say what you will about Marin—we love our parks. Two years ago, when the statewide initiative to fund state parks through an $18 vehicle license fee went down in flames— Marin wasn’t to blame. County voters led the charge for Prop. 21 with 62 percent approval—a full 20 percent above the state average.