Erik D. Jones’s Blog

Legislators have been licking their chops for years to get their hands on one of the only state agencies that is completely self-funded, the Department of Boating and Waterways.  Just in the past year, California’s state governor has tried to terminate the department and roll it and its budget surplus into the Department of Parks and Recreation.  The justification for this has always been that it would be a cost savings measure, but the DBW is completely self-funded from fuel taxes and other fees paid by boaters.  DBW provides education about safe boating, grants and loans for marina improvements and development and environmental awareness and protection of the states fresh and saltwater rivers, lakes, bays and oceans that exist within the jurisdiction of California.

In other great news, the Department of Parks and Recreation’s $70 million dollar budget cut that would have closed over 230 state parks including San Francisco Bay’s Angel Island was reduced to just $8 million.  While some parks will need to close, the majority of those on the chopping block will remain open, including Angel Island.  At the last minute, legislators were able to find $62 million dollars to put back into the Department.