I’ve heard of California falling of the US at the San Andreas Fault Line, but this is a new one.
Billionaire venture capitalist Tim Draper is proposing that California be split up into six different states. Mashable reports that after a proposal spear-headed by Draper received 1.3 million signatures, the “Six States Campaign” was born.
The proposal explains that splitting up California would help with current statewide problems in education, water issues, traffic congestion, business environment and government. The initiative, now housed in website form, would have to be approved by two-thirds of California’s 38 million population and passed by Congress in order to go into effect.
It is unlikely it will pass, but I am concerned about the National Parks! What would happen to them?
As the plan stands there will be six new states: Jefferson (including Humboldt county), Northern California, Silicon Valley, Central California, Western California (including Los Angeles), and South California (including LA suburbs, Disneyland and San Diego).
By my calculations, “Central California” would keep the biggest parks, which include Yosemite, Death Valley, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon. This “state” would also house Devils Postpile National Monument, Manzanar National Historic Site and Mono Lake.
The state of “Jefferson” is next in line, with Lassan Volcanic National Park, Lava Beds National Monument, Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area and Redwood National Park.
“Silicon Valley” has its share of smaller national lands areas, which include the Muir Woods National Monument, the John Muir National Historic Site, the Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site and Pinnacles National Park.
“South California” also keeps some beautiful national lands: the Mojave National Preserve, Joshua Tree National Park and Cabrillo National Monument.
“North California” will keep Point Reyes National Seashore and Lake Tahoe. “South California” will enjoy the Santa Monica National Recreation Area and Channel Islands National Park.
This plan seems to split up the parks in their entirety, but leaves the question as to how they would be managed. Should this pass, the new states would have a lot of work to do!
For more information on the plan, outside of the public lands realm, watch below:
Environmental Explorations 