Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

Mono Lake closure to save $111,278? Actually, it’s even less.

Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

As the San Francisco Chronicle is reporting, the state’s plan to close the State Park at Mono Lake saves very few dollars.

In fact, based on information the Mono Lake Committee has obtained from the Department of Parks and Recreation under a public records act request, it’s even less than the $111,278 cost assigned to operating the park.

Two points worth noting:

First, the operating cost of $111,278 is apparently based on full staffing, which we haven’t had here for several years. In the current “reduced service” mode, in which the Mono Lake ranger spends 90% of his time at nearby Bodie State Historic Park, costs are much lower.

Second, the state’s plan after closing 70 parks including Mono Lake is to keep them in “caretaker” status, which requires occasional patrols by rangers. In the state’s documents this is estimated to cost $25,000 annually at Mono Lake.

So … take the $111,278 and knock off the $25,000 and you drop the net savings of closure down to $86,278.

Consider that the Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve could continue to stay open in “reduced service” mode, and you’ve got that net savings number down to about zero. And closing a park for $0 savings just doesn’t add up.

3 Comments

  1. why do those people slash their own salaries first by50%, then I might listen to them. Cutting budget to our state parks which bring in vistors & reveune is not a good idea.

  2. It seems they have also failed to take into consideration the local economy, which brings in sales taxes. Cutting budgets is difficult, I wish they would start with big ticket items and waste rather than beginning with programs that better the quality of life of so many. If they would donate a small portion of the money they spend to get elected to state parks and recreation, there would be plenty to keep CA parks going. Instead, they spend disgusting amounts of money to get elected and then make a big mess. Long Live Mono Lake and all who recreate in this superlative area!