California Governor Jerry Brown's administration is proposing to close a quarter of all state parks because of budget cuts approved by the state Legislature.
California State Parks Director Ruth Coleman released the list of parks Friday.
She says California can no longer afford to operate 278 state parks. Of those, 70 will close under her plan.
"We regret closing any park," said Coleman. "But with the proposed budget reductions over the next two years, we can no longer afford to operate all parks within the system."
The cuts are a result of a bill Gov. Brown signed into law last month trimming $11 million from the parks budget in the fiscal year that begins July 1, and $22 million the next fiscal year.
Among those scheduled to close are the he Salton Sea State Recreation Area, Governor's and Leland Stanford mansions in Sacramento, the Antelope Valley Indian Museum, and the Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park.
Two state parks in North San Diego County were included today on a list of 70 locations around California slated for closure because of budget cuts.
Palomar Mountain State Park and San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park could be shut down in July 2012, according to state parks officials.
The nearly 1,900-acre site on Palomar Mountain includes camping, picnicking, hiking and fishing, along with long-distance views of the Pacific Ocean.
The San Pasqual location east of Escondido commemorates the bloody 1846 clash in the Mexican-American War between the forces of generals Stephen Kearny and Andres Pico.
"When the governor first proposed the cut to state parks, we warned that the closures would be devastating, and clearly they will be," said Elizabeth Goldstein, president of the California State Parks Foundation. "At a time when local communities are struggling to be part of the state's recovery, this proposal shuts the door to a vital part of our economy. Closing these parks is going in the wrong direction."
