COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Department Of Parks

DATE:

August 30, 2007

BOARD MEETING DATE:

September 11, 2007

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

David G. Holland, Director, Department of Parks

SUBJECT:

Request for a One-Time Waiver of the $5.00 Vehicular Entry Fee to San Mateo County Parks for the 14^th Annual National Public Lands Day on September 29, 2007

RECOMMENDATION:

Adopt a resolution authorizing a one-time waiver of the $5.00 vehicular entry fee to Coyote Point Recreation Area and Flood, Huddart, Junipero Serra, Memorial, Sam McDonald, San Bruno Mountain, San Pedro Valley, and Wunderlich County Parks for the 14^th Annual National Public Lands Day on September 29, 2007.

VISION ALIGNMENT:

Commitment: Preserve and provide people access to our natural environment.

Goals 14 and 15: Important natural resources are preserved and enhanced through environmental stewardship. Residents have nearby access to green space, such as parks and recreational opportunities.

This request to waive the $5.00 vehicular entry fee to San Mateo County Parks for the 14^th Annual National Public Lands Day contributes to goal 14 as it will be used to promote volunteerism in the parks. This request contributes to goal 15 in that the waiver will be used to promote public use of County Parks.

BACKGROUND:

In 1994, three federal agencies sponsored the first National Public Lands Day and attracted 700 volunteers to three public land sites. Last year, 100,000 volunteers participated in volunteer activities across the country. This year the goal is to have 110,000 volunteers participate. It has been noted that National Public Lands Day continues the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps, an army of 3 million Americans, who in the 1930s countered the devastation of the Dust Bowl and the American chestnut blight by planting more than 3 billion trees, building bridges and state parks, and fighting forest fires. It has been estimated that every 100,000 volunteers who participate in National Public Lands Day represent an additional $1.8 million worth of labor for American lands.

DISCUSSION:

The Parks Department would like to support the 14^th Annual National Public Lands Day by promoting volunteerism, and public use of the parks through this one-time $5.00 vehicular entry fee waiver. The intent is to both develop future park volunteers and encourage visitation to County Parks so that more people become aware of these natural resources and avail themselves of this experience in the future.

FISCAL IMPACT:

In 2006, the Department’s vehicular entry fee revenue for September 30 was approximately $6,267. We expect similar revenue this year so a waiver of the vehicular entry fees on Saturday, September 29, 2007, National Public Lands Day, would result in approximately $6,300 of revenue loss. The loss of revenue for one day is offset by the opportunity to introduce new people to our parks who will return in the future, recruit future volunteers and the volunteer projects that will be accomplished on that day.