BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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Date of Hearing: August 27, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON WATER, PARKS, AND WILDLIFE
Marc Levine, Chair
SCR
79 (McGuire) - As Amended July 16, 2015
SENATE VOTE:
SUBJECT: Trione Annadel State Park.
SUMMARY: Requests the State Park and Recreation Commission
(Commission), working with the Department of Parks & Recreation
(DPR), to rename Annadel State Park as Trione Annadel State
Park.
Specifically, this bill:
1)States legislative findings regarding the history of Annadel
State Park, and the significant contributions of the late
Henry Trione, a long-time resident of Sonoma County, to the
creation and support of Annadel State Park.
2)Resolves that the Legislature requests that the Commission,
working with DPR, rename Annadel State Park as Trione Annadel
State Park and, upon receipt of donations from nonstate
sources sufficient to cover the cost, install new signs
reflecting the name change.
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EXISTING LAW:
1)Authorizes the Commission to classify and reclassify units of
the state park system following a public hearing, and to
approve general plans for classified units prepared by DPR.
2)Authorizes DPR to establish rules and regulations for
administration of properties in the state park system.
3)DPR has developed guidelines, which are not laws or
regulations, regarding proposed methods for recognizing and
honoring individuals who have made significant contributions
to parks (see further discussion below under comments).
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs.
COMMENTS: This bill expresses the Legislature's request that
the State Park and Recreation Commission rename Annadel State
Park as Trione Annadel State Park to recognize Henry Trione and
his contributions to state parks, while retaining Annadel in the
park's historic name.
1)Author's Statement: The author has introduced this bill to
honor the late Henry Trione, a long term resident of Sonoma
County before his death in February of this year at the age of
94. Mr. Trione was a founding member of the Annadel Park
Foundation and it's first President, and is credited with
leading the community effort that resulted in creation of the
park in 1971. The author and supporters of this bill
indicate that Annadel State Park would not have been created
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without the efforts of Henry Trione, who not only brought the
community together to raise the funds for purchase of the
land, but also made significant personal donations of his own
that ultimately established the park. In addition to his
contributions to Annadel State Park, Henry Trione made many
other significant contributions to the region, including
contributions to the arts and social service programs. Most
recently, when Annadel State Park was slated for closure in
2012, Henry Trione contributed $100,000 to help keep the park
open for a year under a management agreement between Sonoma
County and DPR. The author emphasizes that this bill urges
that the Trione name be added to the Annadel State Park title
in order to recognize Henry Trione and his contributions,
while retaining Annadel in the park's historic name. Both the
Santa Rosa City Council and the Sonoma County Board of
Supervisors have also voted unanimously to urge that the park
be renamed the Trione Annadel State Park. The Trione family
has agreed to cover all costs associated with the name change,
including signage.
2)Background:
a) Annadel State Park is a 5,000 acre park located in Sonoma
County in the historic Valley of the Moon, an area popularized
by author Jack London. It became a state park in 1971 and is
located in the midst of a major urbanized area, making it
accessible to thousands of visitors year round. The park
consists of rolling hills, oak woodlands, a 26 acre lake,
seasonal streams, meadows and trails. It is used by hikers,
equestrians, and fishers, and provides habitat for numerous
birds and other wildlife.
b) Henry Trione initially contributed $1 million to preserve the
land that became Annadel State Park. In addition to his
financial contributions, Mr. Trione was instrumental in
protecting the land from development and spearheaded the
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community effort that led to establishment of this large open
space park in the midst of a major metropolitan area. Among
his many accomplishments, Mr. Trione's obituary also indicates
that he was one of the founders of Empire College in Santa
Rosa, and was the founder of the Luther Burbank Center (now
the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts). As a trustee for the
Navy Memorial Foundation, Mr. Trione, who served in the Navy
supply corps during WWII, was instrumental in establishing the
Lone Sailor Memorial at the north end of the Golden Gate
Bridge. Mr. Trione was also one of the founding fathers of
the California State Parks Foundation, serving several terms
as its Board Chair, and received an honorary state park ranger
award from the California State Park Rangers Association, and
an honorary regional parks ranger award from Sonoma County.
c) DPR's guidelines on recognition of donors (which can be found
at
www.parks.ca.gov/pages/23071/files/finaldonorguidelinesrevise9_
07b.pdf ) state that commemoration of individuals or donors
through the naming of facilities or structures should be
carefully considered. The guidelines provide that after an
individual has been deceased for five years, the Director may
consider naming a non-historic or new park facility,
structure, or room within a structure, in honor of a deceased
individual if they had a clear and long-lasting association
with, and provided extraordinary support to, the site, unit
and/or the state park system. With regard to the naming of
an entire state park unit, the guidelines state that
"California State Parks and the State Park and Recreation
Commission have made deliberate efforts not to name park units
after individuals. Furthermore, only the State Park and
Recreation Commission or the State Legislature through
approved legislation may name a park after a contributor."
(footnote 9, page 10).
Appendix C to the guidelines contains DPR's internal policy on
naming of park units (last amended on May 4, 1994) which
states in relevant part:
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"3. State Park System Unit Names In most cases, a unit
should bear the name to which it has been accustomed due to
location, association, history, natural features, or general
usage. Changing the name of a classified unit is strongly
discouraged. A unit may be named by the Commission in honor
of 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 policy further provides that upon receiving a recommendation
for the classification and naming of a state park unit, the
State Park and Recreation Commission shall hold a public
hearing to consider the recommendation.
While it is clear that DPR's guidelines and internal policies
generally disfavor the renaming of state park units, they also
acknowledge that the Commission and the Legislature have the
authority to rename state park units. Moreover, a number of
existing state park units have been named and renamed after
individuals who made extraordinary contributions to state
parks.
3)Prior and Related Legislation: ACR 55 (Skinner), Resolution
Chapter 80 of 2011, requested DPR to rename the Eastshore
State Park as the McLaughlin Eastshore State Park in honor of
Sylvia McLaughlin, and to erect signs reflecting the name
change if nonstate funds sufficient to cover the costs were
provided. The name of the park was changed as requested, and
the new name is now reflected on DPR's website.
SCR 91 (Figueroa), Resolution Chapter 184 of 2004, requested
that DPR rename the San Lorenzo River Redwoods the Byron Sher
Redwoods. Following passage of the resolution, the Commission
unanimously passed a resolution establishing the Byron Sher
Grove in Mill Creek State Park in honor of the Senator.
SB 643 (Watson), Chapter 451, Statutes of 1988, renamed the
Baldwin Hills State Recreation Area as the Kenneth Hahn State
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Recreation Area. Mr. Hahn at the time was a long standing Los
Angeles County Supervisor.
The Senate policy committee analysis of this bill also notes
that there are a number of other state parks that have been
named in honor of individuals, many of whom were pioneers of
park conservation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Examples cited include Samuel P. Taylor State Park, Pfeiffer
Big Sur State Park, Andrew Molera State Park, Zmudowski State
Park, and Henry W. Coe State Park. The Senate analysis also
relates an instance in 2003 when the Legislature requested
that the name of former-Assemblyman Ed Z'berg be added to the
name of Sugar Pine Point State Park. After the Commission
voted against the name change, a budget trailer bill was
passed by the Legislature later that same year that changed
the name of the park to the Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point State
Park.
4)Support Arguments: Supporters note that Henry Trione left a
huge legacy across Sonoma County and the north coast region,
and that naming the park in his honor is an appropriate way to
acknowledge his significant contributions. They indicate that
the creation and preservation of Annadel State Park was one of
his greatest achievements, and would not have happened without
his involvement. Supporters further note that in addition to
Annadel State Park, Henry Trione's support extended to Fort
Ross State Historic Park, the Bale Grist Mill State Historic
Park 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 Park.
5)Opposition Arguments: None received.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
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Support
California State Parks Foundation
City of Santa Rosa
County of Sonoma
Congressman Jared Huffman
Congressman Mike Thompson
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by:Diane Colborn / W., P., & W. / (916)
319-2096
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