BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SCR 79
Page 1
(Without Reference to File)
SENATE THIRD READING
SCR
79 (McGuire)
As Amended July 16, 2015
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE: 38-0
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|Committee |Votes|Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
|Water |12-0 |Levine, Bigelow, | |
| | |Dahle, Dodd, Beth | |
| | |Gaines, Harper, | |
| | |Lopez, Mathis, | |
| | |Medina, Rendon, | |
| | |Salas, Williams | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
|Appropriations |16-0 |Gomez, Bigelow, | |
| | |Bloom, Bonta, | |
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| | |Calderon, Chang, | |
| | |Daly, Gallagher, | |
| | |Eduardo Garcia, | |
| | |Holden, Jones, Quirk, | |
| | |Rendon, Wagner, | |
| | |Weber, Wood | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
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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.
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. DPR has developed
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guidelines, which are not laws or regulations, regarding proposed
methods for recognizing and honoring individuals who have made
significant contributions to parks.
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee,
increased DPR staff costs of approximately $40,000 to hold a
Commission meeting to consider the name change. The resolution
specifies that non-state donations or other private funding will cover
sign installation and other costs resulting from the name change.
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.
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 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
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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.
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.
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 community effort that led to
establishment of this large open space park in the midst of a major
metropolitan area. Mr. Trione is credited with putting together the
complicated $5 million financial package to purchase the land, and
obtained an option to buy the property from the builder who had
proposed a 6,000 lot development on the site. He was assisted in his
efforts by Joe Long, founder of Longs Drugs, and William Penn Mott,
Jr., then director of the Department of Parks & Recreation. 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.
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DPR's guidelines on recognition of donors 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.
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 that 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.
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Prior related legislation includes ACR 55 (Skinner), Resolution
Chapter 80, Statutes of 2011, which 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 Web site. SCR 91 (Figueroa), Resolution Chapter
184, Statutes 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
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.
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
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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. There
is no known opposition to this bill.
Analysis Prepared by: Diane
Colborn / W., P., & W. / (916) 319-2096 FN: 0002406