Senator Dave Cox, whose district includes 19 state parks including those near Lake Tahoe, Mammoth Lakes and historic parks like the Marshall Gold Discovery Park, issued the following statement on the Governor’s plan to keep California’s 267 parks open:

“California’s state parks are an integral part of many local economies. Thousands of small businesses partner with the state to provide recreational services to vacationing families. Keeping the state parks open means keeping more Californians employed.

“Having personally toured many of the 19 state parks and their historic monuments in the First Senate District, this is great news for families and school children.

“With students back in school, many will now be able to take field trips to visit state parks to learn about the history of California.

“After months of letter writing and phone calls, the many dedicated volunteers who contacted their lawmakers and the Governor should be commended for their perseverance and countless hours of hard work.

“The Governor and his Administration -- particularly Ms. Ruth Coleman, Director of Parks and Recreation, and Ms. Ana Matosantos, Chief Deputy Director of Finance, should be applauded for their dedication and creative thinking that will result in keeping our state parks open.”