BILL ANALYSIS Ó ----------------------------------------------------------------- |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SCR 79| |Office of Senate Floor Analyses | | |(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | | |327-4478 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- THIRD READING Bill No: SCR 79 Author: McGuire (D), et al. Amended: 7/16/15 Vote: 21 SENATE NATURAL RES. & WATER COMMITTEE: 9-0, 7/14/15 AYES: Pavley, Stone, Allen, Hertzberg, Hueso, Jackson, Monning, Vidak, Wolk SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: Senate Rule 28.8 SUBJECT: Trione Annadel State Park SOURCE: Author DIGEST: This resolution requests that the Department of Parks and Recreation rename Annadel State Park as Trione Annadel State Park. ANALYSIS: Existing law establishes the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and the State Parks and Recreation Commission (Commission) to establish general policies for the guidance of the administration, protection and development of the state park system. This resolution requests that the DPR rename Annadel State Park as Trione Annadel State Park. Background SCR 79 Page 2 Henry Trione was a Sonoma County resident who was instrumental in the creation of the 5,000 acre Annadel State Park through his investment in the land that became the park and that preserved it from development. He contributed additional funding to help keep the park open when the DPR was contemplating park closures around 2012. His dedication to this and other parks in Sonoma County was recognized by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and the City of Santa Rosa which support renaming Annadel State Park into Trione Annadel State Park. The DPR's Guidelines. Citing its statutory authority, the DPR has developed Donor & Sponsorship Recognition Guidelines (Guidelines) which may be accessed here: http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/23071/files/finaldonorguidelinesrev ise9_07b.pdf These Guidelines, most recently updated in 2007, seek to provide a standard systematic policy on providing recognition to those individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to state parks. Numerous state parks and elements with them, such as trails, are named in honor of or recognize these distinguished individuals and organizations. The Guidelines acknowledge and seek, over time, to limit inconsistency in naming and recognition practices between park units. The Guidelines specifically acknowledge that the Legislature, the State Parks Director and the Commission have the authority to name a park unit, sub-unit or facility in honor of a person with a "distinguished or unique relationship with the State Park System." A unit may be named by the Commission "in honor or a person living or deceased, or a group, organization, or other entity which has rendered services of statewide significance to the State Park System." The Guidelines note, however, that deliberate efforts have been made not to name park units after individuals as state parklands "are public places owned by all of the people of California." If physical on-site recognition is appropriate then "temporary/transient forms of recognition are preferred," and existing recognition inconsistent with the Guidelines should be SCR 79 Page 3 phased out as possible. The Guidelines specifically mention that where a donor is "integrally related to the park or the existence of the park" that the donor's contributions should be integrated into interpretive programs, or other non-permanent recognition with limited exception. Comments Re-naming parks can be controversial. In April 2003, the Commission acted upon an outstanding legislative request to add the name of former-Assemblyman Ed Z'berg to Sugar Pine Point State Park. Mr. Z'berg had a distinguished legislative career and was instrumental in efforts to preserve and protect Lake Tahoe and the surrounding areas. During the meeting, several spoke in opposition to the name change citing multiple concerns. These included comments that state parks represent a shared natural resource of all Californians, a Z'berg Natural Preserve within the park already existed and others. The Commission voted against the name change. Later that year, trailer bill language forced the name change to Ed Z'berg-Sugar Pine Point State Park (see Public Resources Code §5015.6). But naming and re-naming for individuals happens. Many state parks and parklands are named for individuals or families. Examples include Henry W. Coe State Park, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Andrew Molera State Park, Zmudowski State Beach, and Samuel P. Taylor State Park. Many of these parks are named in honor of "historic" individuals who pioneered parkland conservation in the 19th and early 20th centuries and whose names became virtually synonymous with the locations that subsequently became parkland. More recently, legislation re-naming Baldwin Hills State Recreation Area the Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area passed in 1988 (SB 643, Watson, Chapter 451, Statutes of 1988). At the time, Mr. Hahn was in his 36th year as a Los Angeles County Supervisor. This was prior to the development of the current Guidelines. Additionally, in September 2004, the Commission at a regular meeting, unanimously passed a resolution to establish the Byron D. Sher Grove in Mill Creek State Park in honor of the former SCR 79 Page 4 Senator. This action followed passage of SCR 91 (Figueroa, Resolution Chapter 184, Statutes of 2004) to rename the San Lorenzo River Redwoods Grove, located in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, after former Senator Sher. The Commission also voted in October 2012 to rename Eastshore State Park as McLaughlin Eastshore State Park in honor of Sylvia McLaughlin, the co-founder of Save the Bay. This action followed passage of ACR 55 (Skinner, Resolution Chapter 80, Statutes of 2011) which recommended it. FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.:NoLocal: No SUPPORT: (Verified8/17/15) California State Parks Foundation City of Santa Rosa Congressman Jared Huffman Congressman Mike Thompson Sonoma County Board of Supervisors OPPOSITION: (Verified8/17/15) None received ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT: According to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, this resolution would honor the memory of Henry Trione who died in February, 2015, at age 94. Trione was a former board chairman of the California State Parks Foundation, and received an honorary state park ranger award from the California State Parks Rangers Association. He created and preserved the Luther Burbank Center (now the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts) in Santa Rosa and the Empire College of Law. The City of Santa Rosa stated that Trione left a huge legacy across Sonoma County, and the north coast region. The city indicates that Trione had the foresight to acquire 5,000 acres of magnificent property that is in the middle of an urban area which makes it accessible to thousands of guests each year. The letter also observes that despite his many accomplishments, SCR 79 Page 5 there is nothing that memorializes his name, and the city believes that this resolution is an appropriate way to pay homage. The California State Parks Foundation is also in support for many of the reasons indicated by the two local governments. It points out that Trione's support of state parks extended to Fort Ross State Historic Park, Bale Grist Mill in Napa County, Ed Z'Berg Sugar Pine State Park at Lake Tahoe, and the restoration of Jack London's cottage at Jack London State Historic Park. Prepared by:William Craven / N.R. & W. / (916) 651-4116 8/19/15 20:51:34 **** END ****