U.S. Takeover of 3 State Redwood Parks Studied

California’s majestic redwood parks may be ceded to the federal government under a cost-cutting proposal being studied by state Parks and Recreation Department officials, the officials said Wednesday.

The three parks--Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park and Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park in Del Norte County and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park in Humboldt County--are the centerpiece of the state park system and home to 2,000-year-old redwoods, among the oldest living things on Earth. The 110,000-acre Redwood National Park, which boasts the region’s tallest redwoods, is contiguous to the three state parks.

In addition to deliberating the fate of the redwoods, a state Parks and Recreation Department task force is reviewing a proposal to close as many as 50 of the state’s 300 parks. Park officials would not disclose which state parks are threatened, explaining that information could damage the morale of park rangers and other employees, as well as create undue public concern.

The review was ordered by state Parks and Recreation Director Henry R. Agonia after the Wilson Adminstration sent a directive to state agencies asking them to identify budget cuts ranging from 5% to 20%. The state is facing a staggering $2-billion deficit in this year’s $55.7-billion budget.

The department hopes to cut as much as $30.1 million from its $175-million budget. The decision on how to make those cuts is expected in January.

“Because of the tight budgetary constraints on the department, a number of transfers and park closures (are being) contemplated,” state Resources Agency spokesman Andy McLeod said.

The prospect of transferring California’s redwood parks to the National Park Service drew praise and criticism from environmentalists and park rangers Wednesday as word spread.

“I’m strongly against it,” state parks Supt. Bill Beap said in a telephone interview from Eureka. “These are the prime jewels of the state park system. We’ve been managing them for 70 years.” Beap’s Klamath district includes the three redwood parks.

Giving up the premier redwood parks would set a precedent that could put all state parks in jeopardy, Beap said, adding that he also feared the National Park Service would “commercialize” the redwood parks. He cited Yosemite and Yellowstone national parks as examples of over-commercialization.

But the proposal was welcomed by the Sierra Club officials, who called it “a splendid idea.” Edgar Wayburn, the club’s vice president for conservation, said consolidating the adjoining state and federal redwood acreage would eliminate bureaucratic fragmentation and improve operating efficiency.

A National Park Service memo obtained Wednesday concluded that “management of adjacent parklands by two agencies is redundant, confusing, and costly.”

For the public, the merger would eliminate conflicting rules and a $5 daily entrance fee.

In a letter to Gov. Pete Wilson, Wayburn predicted that transferring the redwoods to the federal government would save the state about $1 million a year in operating costs, mainly through salary savings.

But Beap said the savings would be closer to $300,000 because the state receives $616,000 annually in park fees.

Parks and recreation chief Agonia said it was premature to predict what the state will do with the redwood areas. He said any decision would take into account not only what was most efficient, but what would best serve the public and protect the environment. Agonia said it is possible the state could retain control of the redwoods.

Two different options for the three redwood parks are being considered.

One would transfer ownership of the parks to the National Park Service. A second--considered more likely--would keep ownership of the parks with the state but transfer their administration to the National Park Service.

The National Park Service is keeping a low profile as the study progresses. National park officials said, however, they would welcome the chance to take over this national treasure.

The various cost-cutting proposals are being studied by a 13-member task force headed by William Penn Mott, who formerly headed both the state and national park systems.

When Mott was national parks director from 1985 to 1988, he supported transferring the state’s redwood parks to the federal government. Congressional legislation in 1968 that created Redwood National Park also envisioned the eventual transfer of the state parks to the National Park Service.

In 1978, the state actually signed an agreement to transfer the land, but the National Park Service declined to go along with it at the last moment. At the time, national park officials said they had enough parkland to administer.