A California State Parks program that provides low-income residents free state park access was saved from the state budget chopping block, according to the California State Parks Foundation. The California State Library Parks Pass is a state-funded program that allows library cardholders to borrow park passes from their local library, providing them free access to over 200 participating state parks, the foundation said Friday. Passes are returned to the library by a set date, just like a borrowed book. The program is managed by the California State Library in conjunction with California State Parks.
The California State Parks Foundation, a nonprofit that supports the state’s park system through lobbying, fundraising, volunteering, and programming, says that the program has loaned 38,000 passes through 1,100 public libraries across the state to over 8,000 Californians since its launch in 2021. A 2023 foundation survey reports that 63% of the program participants cited cost as the primary barrier for visiting state parks. Day-use fees at state parks average $5 to $35 per vehicle. At face value, the pass would cost around $195 to purchase. Of the survey respondents, nearly 70% reported household incomes below $60,000 and over 63% identify as people of color. The survey also reported that 90% of participants planned to visit parks more than seven times a year thanks to the pass. The program was going to end Dec. 31 if the state Legislature did not continue to fund it, the foundation said. It was at risk of being discontinued as the state Legislature sought to reduce a $12 billion budget deficit.
