What's the deal with the California State Library Parks Pass program?

So what exactly is going on with a popular California state parks pilot program that is designed to increase access for a broad and diverse public to nature, amid other cuts statewide?

Rachel Norton, a leading advocate for the program as executive director of the California State Parks Foundation, at first heard that funding for two out of three pieces of the pilot had been eliminated in Gov. Gavin Newsom's proposed $291 billion budget for 2024-25. She anxiously scanned the entire parks portion of the hefty budget when it was released, and saw, to her dismay, that it includes almost $20 million in cuts to the state parks recreation fund.

She also saw no new dollars for either the library parks piece, which allows patrons to check out a pass for two weeks that gives them free admission and daily parking at state parks, or one for 4th graders and their families that grants them an annual pass for free admission and parking. A third piece, the Golden Bear passes for low-income people, appeared to have survived.

"Overall though, a bad year for parks," she said.

Norton said she spoke with the director and deputy director of the California Department of Parks and Recreation, and they confirmed that sadly, no renewed funding had been included anywhere in the mammoth budget for the library or 4th graders programs.

But that turned out to be inaccurate.

Funding for 4th graders is included after all

After she spread the word and news outlets wrote about the proposed cuts, Norton got a surprise. Funds for the 4th grader passes had actually been found from a different revenue stream, and the program is in fact in the proposed overall budget. That was confirmed by H.D. Palmer, California's deputy director of finance, who told The Desert Sun in an email exactly what is proposed for each piece of the expiring parks pilot program:

• $2.1 million in ongoing Proposition 98 funding is proposed to provide funding to a county Office of Education to contract with the Department of Parks and Recreation, which will then continue to provide fourth graders enrolled in public schools access to California State Parks through the Adventure Pass.

• Half a million dollars in funding that was temporarily provided to the Department of Social Services for outreach services to eligible low income and other recipients of the Golden Bear Pass Program is not proposed to be extended. But the Golden Bear Pass Program will continue to be implemented by the Department of Parks and Recreation using existing resources.

• The State Library Parks Pass is not proposed to be funded beyond 2023-24.

Palmer said an expected $38 billion decline in overall revenues was the reason the library parks pass was not up for more funding. It is the priciest piece of the program — an annual pass normally costs $195, and with 33,000 of them issued after long waits developed for them at branches across the state, that adds up to $6.4 million annually, said Norton.

Over three years, the State Library Parks Pass program initially received $3 million in 2021-22 and an additional $13.5 million in the 2022-23 fiscal year, for a total of $16.5 million, a state parks spokesman said. The funds helped cover park ranger, maintenance, overhead and other costs. The snazzy green library parks passes will be available through the end of the year.

A state parks official declined to answer some questions, but confirmed future funding for the 4th graders passes, and praised the entire effort.

"The California State Library Parks Pass program was a pilot program that the Newsom Administration and State Parks are very proud of," said department spokesman Jorge Moreno in an email. "The State of California champions the right of all Californians to have access to recreational opportunities and enjoy the cultural, historic, and natural resources found across the state, and this work will continue through a range of programs and activities that will continue to expand all Californians’ access to parks, open space, nature and cultural amenities—e.g., California State Park Adventure and Golden Bear passes."

He added, "Under this Administration, roughly $1 billion has been invested in promoting parks access to date and the Administration is extremely proud of this record as work to balance the budget continues."

And Norton, who originally pushed for $9 million for the whole program, isn't giving up. She'll continue to push for funding for the library parks passes over the next several months, as the budget is finalized.

“It is incomprehensible that, after all the hard work to create and start administering these programs, and documented success in achieving a key policy goal of the Newsom Administration, these programs would lose funding,” she said. “California State Parks Foundation and grassroots advocates from around the state will be urging the Legislature to restore this funding as the budget process moves forward.”

For more information on all state parks passes, visit www.parks.ca.gov.

Janet Wilson is senior environment reporter for The Desert Sun and co-authors USA Today Climate Point. She can be reached at jwilson@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: California State Park Adventure and Golden Bear passes to continue