Mono Lk access to be restricted

[Drew Wiley]

Due to the state budget crisis it appears that the very popular Tufa Reserve area of
Mono Lk might become closed to the public. This is technically a state parks property
that generates no maintenance funds of its own. There are other ways to access the
lake shore, but this area is probably the best known to tourists and photographers.

[Vaughn]

And it becomes not only a situation of no access, but also of reduced protection...

[Ivan J. Eberle]

It always seems like "If you don't buy this record we're going to shoot this dog" to me. State Parks is ALWAYS the first thing trotted out for the chopping block-- precisely because closing parks proves so universally unpopular it puts everyone in compromise mode.

Maybe it's time for a ballot measure that decouples funding for parks from the general fund (taking away the club of threatened closures), or one that requires the Secretary of State to show the net fiscal impacts of such closures, including the hit to the tourism industry.

Or better still, an initiative wherein state legislators get paid only after park rangers are paid!

[Eric James]

...but also of reduced protection...

Exactly - not just at the Reserve, but at South Tufa and Black Point etc from increased traffic in unsupervised areas.

[vinny]

close parks, build prisons.

[Jeffrey Sipress]

California is so screwed up. This is just one sad example. I love the diversity of nature in this state, but hate everything else about it.

[John Kasaian]

Tourism is a big income generator, not only for the parks, but the surrounding communities.
Uh-oh, I'm about to go political so I'd better just shut up.

[dsphotog]

close parks, build prisons.
And fill them with politicians!

[Pete Watkins]

"And fill them with politicians" and News Corporation executives.
Pete.

[Peter Mounier]

Can we throw the banking execs. in with them?

Peter

[dsphotog]

Just think how much more could be saved by closing the capitol in Sacramento.

[Drew Wiley]

Numerous attempts have been made to raise special funding to keep parks open,
but each of these has been opposed by the usual anti-revenue idiologues (misspelling deliberate). So it will be apparently be up to volunteer organizations.
Vandalism is a real concern. Kids armed with spray paint graffitti can do tremendous damage in short order. Law enforcement is underfunded too, and certainly
hasn't been able to stop vandalism anywhere else. ATV's ripping things up are an
even bigger danger. Mono Lk is also a significant draw to tourists supporting the
little town of Lee Vining. If public awareness of the ecological importance of the
Lake wanes, there is always the possibility that the LA Water Dept will try resorting
to its old water diversion habits and put the ecosystem in danger again.