BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2150
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Date of Hearing: March 25, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON WATER, PARKS AND WILDLIFE
Anthony Rendon, Chair
AB 2150 (Rendon) - As Introduced: February 20, 2014
SUBJECT : State Parks
SUMMARY : Requires the Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR)
to develop an updated priority list of deferred maintenance
projects, and requires that a new division of Community
Initiatives and Park Access be created within DPR by July 1,
2015. Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires DPR to identify and develop a priority list of state
park deferred maintenance projects for which verifiable
project cost estimates have been completed, and requires DPR
to apply specified priority factors in identifying projects
for inclusion on the list.
2)Extends the current moratorium on state park closures and
related provisions to June 30, 2015.
3)Requires DPR in expending certain revenue generation funds to
give first priority to implementation of an integrated
statewide enterprise system that would modernize DPR's fee
collection, reservations, sales, and data collection systems,
including an integrated, automated communications network.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Establishes the California State Park system and vests DPR
with control of the state park system and responsibility for
administering, protecting, developing and interpreting state
parks for the use and enjoyment of the public. Requires DPR
to protect the state park system from damage and to preserve
the peace therein.
2)Authorizes DPR to collect fees, rents and other returns for
the use of state parks with amounts to be determined by DPR.
3)Creates the State Parks Revenue Incentives Subaccount within
the State Park and Recreation Fund and provides that funds in
the subaccount are continuously appropriated to DPR until June
30, 2014 to create incentives for revenue generating projects
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in state parks. Provides that DPR shall use 50% of the funds
deposited into the subaccount to fund capital costs of
construction and installation of new revenue and fee
collection equipment and technologies and other physical
upgrades to existing facilities, and for other costs of
restoring, rehabilitating, and improving the state park system
and its natural, historical and visitor-serving resources that
enhance visitation and create opportunities to increase
revenues.
4)Creates the State Park Enterprise Fund as a working capital
fund, and makes revenues in the fund available to the
department upon appropriation for encumbrance and expenditure
until June 30, 2014.
5)Prohibits DPR from closing or proposing to close a state park
in the 2012-13 or 2013-14 fiscal year.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : This bill makes a number of statutory changes to
help address challenges facing California's state parks system.
In order to enhance access and relevancy of state parks to
underserved communities, this bill calls for establishment of a
new division of Community Initiatives and Park Access within
DPR. This bill also requires DPR to develop, from its huge
backlog of deferred maintenance projects, an updated priority
list of the most urgent, vetted projects, based on specified
priority criteria, and requires DPR to prioritize integration
and modernization of DPR's fee and data collection systems.
Finally, this bill extends the sunset date on the existing
moratorium on state park closures and on the State Park
Enterprise Fund.
The California State Park system includes 280 state park units
that preserve some of the best and most diverse natural,
cultural and recreational resources of the state for the benefit
of the people of California and future generations. DPR
articulates the mission of California State Parks as "to provide
for the health, inspiration, and education of the people of
California by helping to preserve the State's extraordinary
biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and
cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality
outdoor recreation."
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In recent years the state parks system has faced significant
challenges in accomplishing this mission due to a number of
factors. An independent commission, known as The Parks Forward
Commission, was appointed in 2013 to conduct a year-long process
designed to address the financial, operational, and cultural
challenges facing State Parks to ensure the system's long-term
viability. A draft report with recommendations for a long-term
plan is expected to come out in April of this year, with a final
report anticipated by early fall of 2014.
One of the first studies commissioned by Parks Forward examined
DPR's deferred maintenance list backlog, which currently totals
between $1 and $2 billion. The study, which was performed by
FTI Consulting and released in December 2013, found significant
reliability issues with the database, and recommended DPR
develop an entirely new prioritized list of deferred maintenance
projects, based on consistent application of priority criteria,
and using services of outside engineering firms to confirm
accurate cost estimates. DPR has been working on updating the
list, and both DPR and the State Parks & Recreation Commission
have developed recommended criteria for prioritizing deferred
maintenance projects. The priority criteria specified in this
bill reflect the criteria developed by DPR and the Commission,
and also add a criterion for projects that would enhance access
to underserved communities.
The FTI report, as well as other reports by the Legislative
Analyst's Office (LAO) and others, also identified the need for
modernization of DPR's fee and data collection systems. DPR
recognizes this need and has been working on development of a
proposal for implementation of a statewide integrated system
that would modernize fee collection, reservations, sales and
data collection processes system-wide. Until such a system is
implemented, DPR's ability to generate and collect revenues and
to develop a data-driven policy on fees is hampered.
Significant segments of California's population, particularly in
urban areas but also in many disadvantaged rural areas, lack
equitable access to parks and open space. Lack of access to
parks and other outdoor recreational opportunities has been
identified as a significant factor in rising rates of obesity,
diabetes, and other health problems, especially for children and
youth in higher density, low income communities.
While DPR has had a number of outreach programs in the past
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designed to enhance park access to underserved communities, the
author notes that due to the limited resources made available
for these purposes, and the scope of the need, the state has not
been able to achieve the scale necessary to reach significant
percentages of California's underserved population. It is also
noted that accomplishing these goals will require strategic
partnerships and collaborations with others, but that as the
lead agency responsible for management of California's state
park system, DPR can play a leadership role in establishing and
implementing the vision and programmatic coordination necessary.
While the goal of making state parks relevant and accessible to
underserved communities is achievable, the author and supporters
note that doing so will require that this goal be elevated
within DPR as a more central and fundamental core part of its
mission and organizational structure.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
California State Parks Foundation
Trust for Public Lands
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Diane Colborn / W., P. & W. / (916)
319-2096