"Our environment is our economy" - Not exactly

From San Mateo County, another view of adding more "open space" and parkland.  Not enough money to fund. 

Conversation on the trail

Article from Half Moon Bay Review/Charles Russo, 11/16/11:  "More land than money saps county parks".  County parks will be taking on stewardship of more land in the coming years. The system is on the hook to pay about $2 million in 2013 to open a bike and pedestrian trail on Devil's Slide after the highway tunnels open up. That project is expected to also require hiring a new ranger and more maintenance, costing about $700,000 more each year.
 
Officials are indicating the 15,680-acre parks system is overburdened with too much land to cover and might have to close parks unless more money can be made available. They are requesting the Board of Supervisors provide as much as $2.1 million to keep the parks operating at "minimal" levels.

Delivered last week to the county Environmental Quality Committee, the news could spell trouble for the county's landmark parklands on the Coastside, including Pillar Point Bluffs, Quarry Park and Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. In their report, Public Works officials say the $8.2 million parks system this year acquired responsibility for more properties and trails even as it was simultaneously losing staffing and funding. They system faces immense challenges, said Neil Merrilees, a Coastside resident and Parks and Recreation commissioner. "There's just a couple rangers that go around and manage everything," he said. "It's a tremendous amount to cover."

For this fiscal year, the county Board of Supervisors eliminated the parks department's top director and merged the system into Public Works as a way to save money. The parks' budget was reduced by more than $500,000. Those cuts came soon after the county acquired the 140-acre Pillar Point Bluffs near Princeton.

Reeling from a lack of resources, San Mateo County earlier this year closed a youth camp at Memorial Park near La Honda and Flood Park on the Bayside. Supervisor Dave Pine indicated at a meeting last week that he would try to allocate more money to reopen those parks. County parks will be taking on stewardship of more land in the coming years. The system is on the hook to pay about $2 million in 2013 to open a bike and pedestrian trail on Devil's Slide after the highway tunnels open up. That project is expected to also require hiring a new ranger and more maintenance, costing about $700,000 more each year."

Additional reference: Montara Mountain pictures.

Posted by Kathy Meeh