Bill Text: CA ACR96 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: The 150th anniversary of the California State Park
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 57-22)
Status: (Passed) 2014-09-09 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Res. Chapter 153, Statutes of 2014. [ACR96 Detail]
Download: California-2013-ACR96-Chaptered.html
BILL NUMBER: ACR 96 CHAPTERED BILL TEXT RESOLUTION CHAPTER 153 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 9, 2014 ADOPTED IN SENATE AUGUST 19, 2014 ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 1, 2014 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 30, 2014 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 12, 2014 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Olsen (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Rendon) (Coauthors: Assembly Members Buchanan, Donnelly, Hagman, Hall, Melendez, Quirk-Silva, Rodriguez, Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Bigelow, Bloom, Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Brown, Ian Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chávez, Chesbro, Conway, Cooley, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Dickinson, Eggman, Fong, Fox, Frazier, Beth Gaines, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gray, Grove, Harkey, Roger Hernández, Holden, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Linder, Logue, Lowenthal, Maienschein, Mansoor, Medina, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Nestande, Pan, Patterson, Perea, John A. Pérez, V. Manuel Pérez, Quirk, Ridley-Thomas, Salas, Skinner, Stone, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Wieckowski, Wilk, Williams, and Yamada) (Coauthors: Senators Gaines and Jackson) FEBRUARY 12, 2014 Relative to the 150th anniversary of the California State Park System. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST ACR 96, Olsen. The 150th anniversary of the California State Park System. This measure would recognize the 150th anniversary of the California State Park System and would urge all Californians to join in celebrating this important anniversary of our state park system. WHEREAS, The first state park was conceived in California in 1862. Captain Israel Ward Raymond and California's United States Senator John Conness wanted to have natural land areas at Yosemite set aside purely for the purpose of preservation and public enjoyment. At Raymond's request, Senator Conness introduced a bill that quickly passed though both Congressional houses. President Abraham Lincoln signed The Yosemite Grant Act on June 30, 1864, which granted the Yosemite Valley, and the Mariposa Big Tree Grove to the State of California. Governor Frederick Low accepted the grant in September of that year; and WHEREAS, The first state historic monument was a statute of James Marshall erected in 1890 near his gold discovery site in Coloma, and other historic sites have since been preserved, including Fort Ross, Sonoma Mission, Pio Pico's home, and Sutter's Fort; and WHEREAS, In recent years, the state park system has expanded to include off-highway vehicle parks and underwater parks; and WHEREAS, California state parks maintain not only the natural beauty of the state, but provide valuable spaces for recreation, escape, history, and a special place for contemplation; and WHEREAS, The Department of Parks and Recreation currently manages 280 park units, which contain the finest and most diverse collection of natural, cultural, and recreational resources to be found within California. These treasures are as diverse as California and include: (1) the last stands of primeval redwood forests and vast expanses of fragile desert; (2) the lofty Sierra Nevada and the broad sandy beaches of our southern coast; and (3) the opulence of Hearst Castle and the vestiges of colonial Russia; and WHEREAS, California's state parks contain the largest and most diverse natural and cultural heritage holdings of any state agency in the nation. State park units include underwater preserves, reserves, and parks; redwood, rhododendron, and wildlife reserves; state beaches, recreation areas, wilderness areas, and reservoirs; state historic parks, historic homes, Spanish era adobe buildings, including museums, visitor centers, cultural reserves, and preserves; as well as lighthouses, ghost towns, waterslides, conference centers, and off-highway vehicle parks. These parks protect and preserve an unparalleled collection of culturally and environmentally sensitive structures and habitats, threatened plant and animal species, ancient Native American sites, historic structures and artifacts, and demonstrate the best of California's natural and cultural history; and WHEREAS, The California state park system is responsible for almost one-third of California's scenic coastline, which includes nearly 300 parks, beaches, trails, wildlife areas, open spaces, off-highway vehicle areas, and historic sites. It consists of approximately 1.59 million acres, including over 339 miles of coastline, 974 miles of lake, reservoir and river frontage, approximately 15,000 campsites and alternative camping facilities, and 4,456 miles of nonmotorized trails; and WHEREAS, Since 1864, grassroots activism and legislation have made it possible for all Californians to take pride and ownership of their unique and diverse landscapes. Parks maintain not only the natural beauty of California, but provide recreation, escape, history, and a special place for contemplation and reflection; and WHEREAS, The California state park system continues as a national and world leader in conservation and today, and into the future, our state parks preserve land, biosystems, and historic sites for public use; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature recognizes the 150th anniversary of the California state park system and urges all Californians to join in celebrating this important anniversary of our state park system; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.