McGrath State Beach - Community Rallies to Save it From Closure
The story below was submitted by a reader. Captions to the photos at bottom. The first three paragraphs here are the opinion of PRI:
It's a shame the State of California cannot care for its valuable resources. And what's more valuable than the natural beauty that attracts so many to California? Particularly the coastline?
The good news is there is a backup plan - the County of Ventura can take over management of McGrath State Beach should the state fail in its duties.
There's a bigger story here, of course - how poorly our state government is run, starting with the Legislature. But let's let the McGrath State Beach community tell their story. Please visit their Facebook page, get involved, and vote in the Coca-Cola contest. Their story:
Can Coca-Cola Save McGrath State Beach?
Come this September, 300,000 beach campers per year will be looking for a new place to camp. The popular McGrath State Beach draws visitors from all over the country but it’s one of 70 state parks scheduled to close due to the California state budget crisis. The park officially closes next month on September 6.
McGrath is one of only three beaches with camping in Ventura County. This popular beach campground also features a natural preserve with a wheelchair-accessible nature trail, educational programs for children and it’s a prime bird-watching location.
Coca-Cola is running a contest, “America’s Favorite Park,” in which the top contestant stands to win a $100,000 park grant for first place. Second place wins $50,000 and third place wins $25,000.
McGrath State Beach is one of the top 10 contenders. Currently it is “the 7th place America’s Favorite State Park.”
A community of McGrath campers has taken matters into their own hands in hopes of raising the funds needed to make the repairs to keep McGrath open. We’ve created a Facebook Page called “Save McGrath State Beach” with more than 700 fans. Please visit www.facebook.com/savemcgrathstatebeach, become a fan and get involved.
We have also taken an active role in voting for McGrath in the Coca-Cola contest in hopes of reaching first place. Many campers have also made private donations. Although we applaud the recent announcement by Ventura County regarding taking over the park should State Parks have no choice but to close it, we realize no official deal has been signed so we are proceeding as usual with our efforts. Really no matter who runs the park they could use the money to fix it.
Our group is trying to reach every resident in Ventura County asking them to vote continuously for 10 to 20 minutes each day. If our outreach campaign is successful McGrath stands a very good chance in winning the contest.
The first place America’s Favorite Park title could provide a significant amount of the funds needed to keep McGrath open. Many State parks across the nation are participating in this contest in hopes of obtaining funding to enhance and repair their parks. McGrath currently is the only California park in the top 10 favorite parks.
The Coca-Cola sponsored contest runs until September 6, 2011 which coincidently is the same day McGrath State Beach will close. Votes for McGrath State beach can be cast online at www.livepositively.com. Look for “vote for your favorite park” and search for McGrath State Beach. There is no limit to the number of times you can vote. More information about this effort can be found on the Save McGrath State Beach Facebook page at www.facebook.com/savemcgrathstatebeach.
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Photo 1 Caption: The campground loop closest to the beach, seen from the beach trail through the dunes. McGrath has 2 miles of coastal dune habitat, something that is rarely found in the southernmost part of our state. At least two species of endangered birds live and nest in these dunes, the Western Snowy Plover and the California Least Tern. Just one more thing that makes McGrath special!
Photo 2 Caption: McGrath State Beach has about the only wheelchair-accessible nature trail. The trail is 0.15-miles long, most of which is a nice flat boardwalk through the streamside woodland habitat along the Santa Clara River. The entire nature trail passes through eight distinct ecosystems in less than a half mile. This area has been designated as a natural preserve within the park.
Photo 3 Caption: A flock of California Brown Pelicans flying by McGrath State Beach.
