URGENT ACTION REQUEST: State Parks Web-a-Thon

06/18/09

Our state parks need you this Saturday, June 20!

As thousands of visitors from across the state and around the world arrive to enjoy Santa Cruz County’s pristine state parks and beaches, volunteers are needed to help them email messages to Governor Schwarzenegger and legislators to keep our state parks and beaches open. With a budget vote likely before the end of June, the next few days may be our last chance to be heard by legislators from every area of the state.

Join us at 1pm this Saturday, on the pier at Seacliff State Beach, where former Assemblymember (and State Parks Access Pass architect) John Laird will provide an update on the parks closure crisis, discuss possible solutions and inspire our corps of volunteers to fan out across Santa Cruz County’s state parks and beaches to connect with visitors.

We'll talk with visitors, gather their contact information and contact legislators on their behalf using our mobile Wi-Fi hotspot at Seacliff State Beach. This is our moment to tell the governor and legislators across the state to reject a shutdown of our parks and approve the State Park Access Pass. The state, the nation and even the world are watching.

Thousands of you have joined our Facebook fan site, followed us on Twitter, sent messages to your legislators and the governor, attended our rally and visited the parks. Our voices are being heard. Now we need to take our message to the rest of the state—and beyond.

Here’s what you can do:

1. Join Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks THIS SATURDAY for our State Parks Web-a-Thon. Help visitors contact their legislators and the governor. Volunteers will spread out across the county to our local state parks, state beaches and various other Santa Cruz County locations to gather supporters’ contact information on webforms. The completed webforms will be delivered from 1-4:30pm to our Seacliff State Beach Wi-Fi hotspot, where we will contact legislators and the governor via email on supporters’ behalf. Volunteers have 2 options:

--Join us at 1pm at our booth at Seacliff State Beach to get clipboards, hardcopy Web-a-thon forms, buttons and more.

--Download the Web-a-thon form (http://www.thatsmypark.org/news_pdf/Webathon%20Form.pdf), select the state park, state beach or other high-traffic location of your choosing, and return the completed forms to our booth at Seacliff State Beach between 1-4:30pm Saturday or by fax at 831-429-6748.

The person who gathers the most supporters will win a limited edition fine art print by renowned artist Michael Schwab (http://www.thatsmypark.org/artPrints.php). A BBQ reception for volunteers will begin at 4:30pm at Seacliff State Beach. If you can join us, please RSVP to peg@thatsmypark.org.

2. Ask your friends and family who live in other parts of California to contact their legislators and the governor by sending them this link: http://ga3.org/campaign/budget_spap09.

Our small county is home to 19 state parks and beaches, all of which are slated for closure. We have more parks and beaches per capita than any area of the state, with state beaches covering a full 50% of our coastline. While our state parks are treasured by local residents, they are top destinations for our friends and family members from around the state. With this Save Our State Parks Web-a-thon, we have an urgent opportunity to help supportive friends and family members get the message to their legislators across California.

Why now? Here’s the latest on action in Sacramento: The State Legislature’s Budget Conference Committee voted earlier this week to eliminate funding for California’s state park system. They also voted in favor of the State Park Access Pass, which would add $15 to the California vehicle license fee for non-commercial vehicles in order to provide Californians with free day-use access to state parks, and provide desperately needed funding for our state parks. For less than the cost of two day-use passes, we can fully fund our state park system. Saving our parks is by no means assured! The Conference Committee’s vote requires 2/3 approval in both houses, plus Governor Schwarzenegger’s signature. The vote to decide the fate of our parks could take place this coming week. Please act now to keep our parks and beaches open!