State budget cutbacks put 220 out of 279 parks on list.

One of the newest state parks to open in LA, the Los Angeles State Historic Park adjacent to Chinatown in Downtown LA as well as nearby Rio de Los Angeles State Park are in danger of being closed due to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s latest budget cuts in response to voters turning back his ballot initiatives in the May 19th election. The initiatives were intended to address California’s economic crisis. Voters rejected five of the six initiatives.

According the the CA Parks Dept. site, “To help meet the state’s budget deficit, there is a budget proposal to eliminate the General Fund support of California State Parks.”

Other parks in LA County on the list for possible closure are Will Rogers State Park in Pacific Palisades, Malibu Creek State Park in Calabasas, Leo Carrillo State Park, Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach, Malibu Lagoon State Beach, Point Mugu (all four in Malibu,) Pio Pico in Whittier, Los Encinos State Historic Park in Encino, Verdugo Mountains in Glendale, Topanga State Park in Topanga and Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park on the LA County/Ventura County border.

Photo of Los Angeles State Historic Park by Robert Garcia/The City Project

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