The Public Works Board approved a controversial proposal that could lead to private companies operating in 11 California state parks.
Critics fear the action could allow these parks to be taken over by commercial interests or undermine nonprofits that are planning to submit their own bids to run the parks.
The parks targeted include Sugarloaf Ridge State Park east of Kenwood and Austin Creek State Recreation Area in Guerneville. The state plans to bundle these two parks with nine others in an attempt to make them more financially attractive to bidders, reports the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
Despite earlier statements to the contrary, state parks officials said they will not seek to turn over the operations of entire parks to concessionaires.
“We’re not willing to say that we don’t have the authority to enter into an RFP (request for proposal) with a concessionaire to run an entire park. Are we doing it? No,” James Luscutoff, chief of the Concessions, Reservations, and Fees Division for state parks said after last week’s hearing at the state Capitol.
The two members of the state’s Public Works Board who were present for Wednesday’s hearing unanimously supported giving the state the authority to seek bids from concessionaires.
Russian Gulch State Park in Mendocino wll be bundled with five Central Valley parks for the purposes of seeking bids from concessionaires. (Source: inn-california.com)
Among the possible concessions are operating campgrounds, restaurants, and day-use facilities, said state officials.
Parks representatives also said they are hoping to generate what they called hybrid proposals that would combine private concessionaires and non-profit groups as a way to keep parks open.
Some critics of the state plan have said that non-profit groups would not be able to manage parks if denied the revenue that comes from campgrounds and other fee-based services.
According to Santa Rosa Press Democrat, the state oversight board also approved giving the state the authority to enter into an agreement with Sonoma County to temporarily operate Annadel State Park in Santa Rosa.
The action comes a day after county supervisors unanimously authorized Regional Parks Director Caryl Hart to open negotiations with the state about taking over operations of the popular 5,000-acre park.
State parks officials are facing a July 1 deadline when 67 state parks close statewide as a cost-savings measure. They describe their efforts with the concessionaires as just another option to keep these parks open. They also note that the state currently has about 200 concessionaire contracts statewide.
But concerns were heightened last week when a spokesman said state parks could consider giving these private and potentially for-profit entities the right to run entire parks.
Michael Harris, the acting chief deputy director of state parks, described that a “miscommunication.”
“There has been an unfortunate amount of misunderstanding and well-meaning concern on this subject. To the extent state parks is responsible for that, I apologize,” he said to the public works board.
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park is located east of Kenwood. (Credit: Ted Judah/http://calparks.wordpress.com)
The state will bundle Sugarloaf with five Central Valley parks for the purposes of seeking bids from concessionaires. Austin Creek will be bundled with Russian Gulch State Park in Mendocino, Hendy Woods State Park in Boonville, Westport Union Landing State Beach in Fort Bragg, and Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area in Leggett.
The state estimates that each group has combined annual revenues that exceed $500,000, reports the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
Officials on Wednesday announced that a series of workshops will be held across the state in coming weeks for “all parties interested in forming partnerships for operating a state park.” That includes a February 23 workshop in Fort Bragg and a February 24 session in Santa Rosa.
Worth Pondering…
Growing up in northern California has had a big influence on my love and respect for the outdoors. When I lived in Oakland, we would think nothing of driving to Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz one day and then driving to the foothills of the Sierras the next day.
—Tom Hanks