A bill to rescue California’s world-renowned state parks jointly authored by Assemblymember Wesley Chesbro (D-North Coast) and Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) cleared its first hurdle today, garnering unanimous bipartisan support from the Assembly’s Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee.

Chesbro and Huffman presented the bill, AB 1589, at a hearing of the committee Tuesday.

“The California State Parks Stewardship Act of 2012 is ground-breaking legislation that will reform how California funds and manages its state parks,” Chesbro said. “There is no more important resource to the North Coast than its state parks. They are essential to the economies of local communities throughout the First Assembly District. AB 1589 will create lasting security for the California State Parks system and it will save the state money in the long-term.”

Key provisions of AB 1589 include:

• Encourages formation of a state compact that guarantees an ongoing level of state funding for operations and maintenance of state parks.
• Creates a State Park Enterprise Fund to be used for construction and installation of modern revenue and fee collection equipment and technologies to increase park visitation and revenues.
• Produces a California State Park environmental license plate that individual vehicle owners could purchase and have the fees go towards support of state parks.
• Provides the option for taxpayers to voluntarily purchase an annual state park access pass when they file their state tax returns.
• Requires the Department of Parks and Recreation to be more transparent on how it evaluates and selects specific parks for closure, and places a cap of 25 state park units on the number of park closures allowed from 2012 to 2016 without legislative approval.

“The enthusiastic bipartisan support AB 1589 received in today’s committee hearing is very encouraging,” Chesbro said. “We can’t allow our state parks to go feral and leave them vulnerable to vandalism, illegal marijuana grows and homeless encampments.”

AB 1589 is also jointly authored by Assemblymembers Roger Dickinson, Mike Gatto and Kevin Jeffries.

The bill now goes to the Assembly’s Committee on Revenue and Taxation.