On the fittingly auspicious day of Friday the 13^th, California State Parks officially announced that 70 of the Golden State's 278 parks will shut down due to budget cuts at the state level.

From Palomar Mountain State Park in San Diego to Del Norte Coast Redwood State Park near Oregon’s state line, that’s a 25 percent reduction of California's park collective.

With Los Encinos State Park a mere 25 minutes away from Pacific Palisades and at least three other parks only an hour or so—such as Mcgrath State Beach in Oxnard, Fort Tejon up the I-5 north in Lebec, or Pio Pico in Whittier, which celebrated its 210^th birthday May 6—the loss can be felt right here at home.

Hard economic times bring hard choices, but unfortunately the best things in life, since they aren’t free, are the first to go. What should be free, nature, is actually a precious and priceless commodity whose price tag has caused it to become a target. It is no secret to many hikers that the park system was in financial trouble years before the recent recession. Although the long-anticipated closure isn’t a surprise, it is still a shock to those who revere California’s natural beauty.

A couple of days ago, State Sen. Fran Pavley issued a statement in response to the disappointing news, echoing a sentiment shared by many outdoor enthusiasts:

“It’s a shame that we have to close any of our state parks. California’s state parks preserve vast open spaces, safeguard historic and cultural places, and provide family recreational opportunities," she said. "They are treasures that are enjoyed by millions of Californians and deserve our protection and investment. But this is a stark reality of the state’s financial crisis. California simply cannot afford to operate every state park."

The value of state parks stretches beyond the thousands of miles that make them and the nature lovers who embrace them and their plentiful trees. State parks are a source of beauty for artists, supply wonder and education for children, and are a bastion of serenity for overworked and stressed city folk.

That’s why it was so disappointing that a woulda-shoulda-coulda tactic that could have helped, Proposition 21, was voted down by a margin of 57.3 percent to 42.7 percent. The proposition would have increased vehicle registration fees by $18 and raise about $500 million for the chronically beleaguered state park system.

While people hold on stubbornly to the very driving machines that help to pollute our natural environment, they are unwilling to pay a small stipend to help support maintaining natural areas for all to enjoy.

It is true that in hard economic times, tough choices must be made. But priorities must also be assessed. All who are afraid of increased taxes (and also those who were willing to part with a little income for a good cause) can now expect a decrease in quality of life, a decrease of more than 200 jobs and the beginning of a trend with an unknown end.

The ones who suffer most aren’t just the hikers, bikers and campers. It is the next generation whose world view has just been stifled, whose experiences have limited and whose imagination just got a little a less room to roam.

Hopefully the next round of elections will incite more thoughtfulness on the part of Californians who live in a state of beauty revered worldwide, but lack the will to realize one of their most important assets—our state parks.