Free California State Park Pass program is being defunded
The California State Library Parks Program is at risk of disappearing due to funding for the program not being included in a revision of the California Assembly Budget Plan. The program allows any California State resident with a library card to check out a free vehicle day-use pass for more than 200 participating state parks in California. Since its launch in 2021, the program has expanded from 5,000 passes up to 33,0000 because of the strong demand.
Day use fees at California State parks range anywhere from $10 to $20, and the program was created to help reduce barriers for families and communities to get outside and access the physical and mental benefits of exploring our public lands.
A California State Parks Foundation survey shows that nearly 70% of participants reported household incomes below $60,000, more than 63% identified as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color, and that same 63% said cost was the primary reason they had not previously visited a state park.
Our local libraries here in the hi-desert participate in the program, and the Mount San Jacinto State Park near Idyllwild is one of the closest participating state parks to our area. It’s also a great place for desert dwellers to visit during the heat of the summer, as the shadier timber forest of the San Jacinto Mountain range offers an entirely different environment than our surrounding Mojave Desert.
The California Assembly Budget Plan rejected funding for the Library Parks Pass, but residents who think they should reconsider can let their voice be heard.
Previously reported: