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Dear Governor Schwarzenegger,
In your address to Californians, your proposals to balance the budget by eliminating or closing the State Parks System of California is one of the worst things you can do to the people of California. If you are in need of drastic budget cuts, you can eliminate other wastes rather than attack the people's parks across the state of California.
I have used the park over my 72 years for education for Girl Scouts, 4-H and in my later years for California Garden Clubs Inc. As the past director of the Mendo-Lake District for California Garden Clubs Inc., I chose for my director project the implementation of help from the six clubs in Mendocino and Lake counties. Each club from Willits, Fort Bragg, Potter Valley, Ukiah, Lakeport and the North Lake garden clubs have adopted a park by attending and asking what is needed and where the garden clubs could help. This project yielded very good results. Fort Bragg posted safety signs along the ocean where there had been past accidents. The Clear Lake Trowel and Trellis Garden Club continues to support the Clear Lake State Park.
Our garden clubs use these parks for our summer picnics. We also use the parks during the year for walks to identify native plants. We study the bird population in the parks.
On a personal note, Don and I own a motor home and have traveled the entire state visiting all the parks. Because gas prices are such a serious expense to us retired persons who live on a fixed income, the local state parks become our play yards for recreation and rest and education. We can no longer afford travel across the United States because of the economic situation.
Because the schools utilize the parks for so many reasons like the study of history, plant identification, bird study and many other resources, through the use of the rangers who educate these children, this will curtail the programs that are used to educate children. The outings planned in the parks are of vital importance in the growth of children.
Two major events take place each year in Lake County state parks. They are the annual Anderson Marsh Historic State Park Jazz Festival scheduled for the fall and the Heron Festival at Clear Lake State Park where a Wildflower Brunch takes place in April.
The sponsors for these events are the Redbud Audubon chapter and the Clear Lake State Park Interpretive Association. The California Garden Clubs Inc., namely, Clear Lake Trowel and Trellis Garden Club and North Lake Garden Club, utilize the parks for their June picnics.
If the State of California would stop rewarding the illegals with housing, medical care, education and food, I believe that the State of California would find enough money to balance the budget. It is my opinion that to use the money of the taxpayers of California for funding illegal immigrants' costs is a crime.
I plead with you not to take away the funding of the State Park System which belongs to the people of California.
I respectfully request that you withdraw your proposal to close California State Parks.
Sharon L. Thorne lives in Nice.
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