For State Parks, a Road to Ruin

* In their eagerness to support the proposed Foothill South toll road, several Orange County municipalities recently took actions opposing SB-116. In San Clemente, our City Council voted 3 to 2 to oppose this bill, which protects state parks from encroachment of major roads and highways, except when deemed necessary. Because the proposed toll road bisects San Onofre State Park, it would undergo increased scrutiny at the state level.

There are 20 separate proposals to build roads through state parks in every part of the state. Each proposal is backed by justification based on local needs. But collectively, these proposals represent a looming disaster for the California state parks system.

San Clemente council members Scott Diehl, Jim Dahl and Susan Ritschel cited their desire for “local control” over the planning process. Ironically, their action illustrates why state parks should forever be managed by the state. As with neighboring cities, our council demonstrates that without systemwide controls, our parks would fall like dominoes to the provincial interests of every nearby community.

It is no mystery why the California state parks system is under assault. With population growth and urban sprawl, transportation agencies see state parks as tempting, open real estate available for needs of local infrastructure.

In fact, the continued growth and crowding of our state actually increases the benefits of these open-space relief valves. As its value to California increases, we should treasure our state parks system instead of trying to slice and dice it.

Friday marked the 100th birthday of California’s first state park, born of leaders who envisioned preserving and passing our California heritage from one generation to the next. How do today’s leaders celebrate this centennial?

As in neighboring cities, three San Clemente “leaders” spoke with their votes to hasten the dismantling of our state parks system, selling it out for a local toll road. I can only hope our state leaders demonstrate greater vision.

BILL HART

San Clemente