FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
San Jose, CA – On June 6th,
voters will have the opportunity to continue funding of regional parks in Santa
Clara County. Passage of Measure B, or the Park Charter Amendment, will ensure
a stable funding source for the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation
Department until June 2021.
The Park Charter Amendment is NOT a new or additional tax. Measure B simply dedicates a small portion of
existing property tax revenue for the management and expansion of County
Parks. The fund equates to less than 1%
of the County’s total budget and includes a mandate to acquire more parkland
and develop new park facilities.
“Since establishment in 1972 by a
vote of the people, the Park Charter Amendment has been overwhelmingly
supported by subsequent voters each time it has been place on the ballot,” said
Pat Dando, President of the San Jose Silicon Valley
Chamber of Commerce and Honorary Co-Chair of “Yes On Parks!”. “Most recently, the Park Charter Amendment
was renewed in 1996 by an astounding 80% of voters. Without raising taxes, Measure B will provide
critical funding for a regional park system that is deeply valued by our
community,” Dando said.
Measure B will assure that County
residents continue to enjoy the benefits of an outstanding park system with a
rich legacy of preserving areas of natural beauty and cultural history,
protecting water quality, and providing a tremendous variety of recreational
opportunities.
Today, the Santa Clara County Park system consists of 28 urban
and hillside parks including the ever-popular Vasona
Lake, Hellyer, Ed Levin, Rancho San Antonio, Almaden Quicksilver, Mt. Madonna, Anderson Reservoir and
the newly enlarged Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch. This 45,000-acre park system includes over
260 miles of regional trails and 10 reservoirs – offering traditional water-
and land-based recreational activities such as walking, picnicking, boating,
fishing, camping, bicycling and horse riding.
County Parks also offers unique activities such as off-road
motorcycling, sport shooting practice, archery, golf, flycasting,
hang gliding and bicycle racing.
Under the direction of the Board of Supervisors, the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation
Department is responsible for the management of the Park Charter. Celebrating its 50th year in service,
County Parks recently completed a comprehensive Strategic Plan. The plan,
developed through an extensive public outreach process, reflects the long-term
community vision for County Parks. As
part of that vision, the Park Charter must be maintained as an essential foundation
to assure the health and vibrancy of the County Park system.
The Park Charter has provided many valuable programs to the
community including:
·
An Active Acquisition Program - during the last 10 years, 6,500 acres of new parkland has been added to your County Park system,
including 3,600 acres (and 14 new miles of multi-use trails) opened in May 2005
at the Coyote Bear-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park.
·
A Comprehensive Natural Resource Management Program - dedicated
to the protection, preservation and restoration of the County Park system’s
unique and varied natural areas.
·
Three Interpretive Centers – all
opened in the past decade to inspire and educate our school children and the
general public on the County’s rich cultural and natural history: Chitactac-Adams Heritage County Park, the Mining Museum at Almaden Quicksilver, and the Bernal Ranch at Santa Teresa.
·
A Dynamic Volunteer Program - over 1,400 volunteers donate almost
35,000 hours annually to help efficiently manage park resources, and receive meaningful
opportunities for personal growth and community connections.
·
Many Valuable Partnerships with Community Organizations - including, the
American Youth Hostel, Girl Scouts of America, Los Gatos Rowing Club, Via
Services (Camp Costanoan), Wildlife Rescue of Silicon
Valley, and Youth Science Institute, and.
·
Leadership in Planning and Building the County’s Regional Trail Network
- including the Los Gatos Creek Trail, Coyote Creek Trail, Penitencia Creek Trail, Bay Area Ridge Trail, Bay Trail and
Juan Bautista deAnza National Historic Trail.
·
Popular Recreational Activities –
appealing programs accessible to all cultural, ethnic, age and economic groups
at a reasonable cost.
Measure B has already received
official endorsements from the following individuals and organizations (click here for list).
Click here to download
a Word-version for printing.
LLA 4/17/06