Federated Tribes
April 16, 2008
Contact
The State Parks Project
Closure of State Parks is an Opportunity for
Tribal Communities
Dear Tribal Member:
As you may already know, the Governor of California, in
his proposed budget for 2008-2009, plans to close some 48 state parks as
a measure to decrease the budget deficit.
The prospect of closing a large number of State parks
could represent a unique opportunity for Indian Tribes. Let me review what
we have in mind and ask those who are interested in pursuing this idea
to contact us by e-mail or phone, below. We will call this "The State
Parks Project".
In the closing of these parks, it could be construed that
the State is abandoning its property; and the first-right-of-refusal for
abandoned government property should go to Indian tribes - if not the ownership,
then certainly the care of the properties. If closed, these precious park
lands will fall into decay and be abused by vagrant populations; and that
will lead inevitably to pressure to sell them off to real estate speculators.
Further, because there are sacred sites and ancestral remains in many of
these locations, Indians have an inherent interest in protecting the lands
from degradation. There could be funds within the Indian communities to
keep the parks open and maintained, and this could also provide employment
opportunities for tribal members in terms of managing the parks. Most analysts
believe that with a slight change in the economics of these parks, they
can financially either break-even or make a profit, if managed properly.
This scenario can be extended much beyond these basic points; but you get
the idea; and to test the concept, some incremental actions are required.
Briefly, here is what we propose. An ad hoc federation
of representatives from California Indian tribes would be assembled quickly,
and they would request a meeting with the Governor to discuss how tribes
might assist in keeping the parks open and maintained. We would probably
need about 5 tribes to participate initially, and others could join if
the project gains interest. A press release would be issued to engender
public interest. If nothing were to come of this initial effort, then at
least some favorable publicity for Indian tribes would have been obtained.
Also, it would be an occasion to make contact with the Governor under friendly
circumstances and that could be useful to participating tribes in their
other negotiations. If some mutual interest were to be established between
the Governor and the tribes, then this ad hoc group could be more
formally constituted and many other tribes incorporated into the effort.
Obviously, time is tight on this issue; and I suggest
that, if this seems like something in which your tribe might be interested,
then contact us by phone or by e-mail, using the Contact link or the form, below. Simply confirm your interest, provide
your contact information, and we will follow-up.
For some background information, see the Map
of the Parks which we have constructed. Each park has a link to Google
maps, so you can see more exactly what is at stake. Also, see the Governor's Budget (pages 108 - 109) where the
cut in park budgets is discussed, and see the comments from a public interest group.
Best wishes, and peace upon you.
Chadd Everone
Federated Tribes, 2140 Shattuck Ave. #602, Berkeley,
California, 94704
Tele: 510-486-1314 / Internet: www.federatedtribes.com / E-mail:
administration@federatedtribes.com