Discussion and debate occurred this afternoon in Sacramento on the budget proposal to close 80% of California’s State Parks. Several ideas were explored, including linking vehicle license fee revenue to parks operation.

Further information was requested by the Budget Conference Committee. As a result, the matter, and the future of the parks, remains open. We’ll post additional details when they are available.

A study just released by California State University, Sacramento shows that State Park visitors spend about $4.32 billion annually during their park visits. Out-of-state visitors account for about 12% of total park visits (no doubt higher in Mono County) and spend (more…)

Congratulations to our friends at the Eastern Sierra Academy in Bridgeport! They ranked #132 among the nation’s top 1,500 public high schools in Newsweek magazine’s annual review, just out today.

The Academy has made the top schools list every year since 2002, when the ranking first came out.

We had time to meet many of this year’s students during (more…)

We’re sure that keeping state parks open makes fundamental economic sense for both local business and state revenue. But what about the state budget? How can the budget be balanced?

Here’s a way you can make a go at it yourself: try out the L. A. Times “California budget balancer.” The interactive page lets you try out different program cuts and revenue sources and tallies up the results.

Los Angeles Times California budget balancer

A beautiful macro shot of a prickly poppy. Photo courtesy of David Gubernick.

Learn to take creative and beautiful close-up images, further develop your artistic vision, and enhance your photographic skills in the warm and supportive learning environment of this workshop for beginning to advanced amateur photographers.

The Art of Wildflower Macrophotography
July 17–19
Instructor: David Gubernick

Instructor David Gubernick combines extensive technical knowledge with an encouraging teaching style. There are only three weeks left to sign up! Sign up now to reserve a spot before it is too late!

The National Park Service is taking a different approach to managing parks in these tough economic times: offering free entry days.

In contrast to the Governor’s economy-damaging proposal to shut down California state parks, the feds are looking at parks as economic recovery tools. Free entry days, planned (more…)

With only two weeks left until the summer solstice, wintry weather brought cold temperatures, rain, and snow to the Mono Basin this weekend. On Friday morning Tioga Pass was closed briefly and Sonora Pass had chain controls.

WEATHER
We’ve had over two weeks of thunderstorms and more are expected next week. Our rain gauge in Lee Vining caught at least a trace of rain on ten of the last 14 days, adding up to almost an inch of rain. This morning heavy snow (more…)

Greg and Rose teaching the group the best way to plant each seedling.

This morning 13 Committee staff and Mono Lake volunteers planted 100 Jeffrey Pine seedlings near Rush Creek. After many days of overcast weather, it was a beautiful sunny morning and good to be outdoors. The recent rainy weather made digging holes for the new trees easy—the toughest job was (more…)

The list of California State Parks slated for closure in the Governor’s budget proposal is 220 parks long. Here it is:

The Los Angeles Times has published a thoughtful editorial on why closing California’s State Parks could cost more than keeping them open.

Closing California’s state parks: too costly?
The state will still have to care for the wilderness areas, and one fire caused by illegal activity could more than wipe out any savings.