Why Support
CSPRA?
by Past President Jill Dampier
Why is the California State Park Ranger Association (CSPRA)
an organization worth supporting? This is the question I asked
when I first heard about CSPRA.
I was a member of an employee association and union already.
Why should I give my hard earned money to a professional association
that does not deal with labor relations? After working for California
State Parks for a few years, I was able to answer my own question.
I became a member of CSPRA because it is the only organization
composed of past and present employees and benefactors who identify
and respond to issues affecting the health of the California
State Parks. This includes advancing the highest principles of
public service, and supporting, protecting and defending the
integrity of the state park system for present and future generations.
As employees of the California State Parks, we are responsible
for making sure our "company" is viable well into the
next generation. CSPRA is the vehicle in which we can move to
insure that California State Parks continues to be regarded as
one of the best park systems in the United States.
How does CSPRA accomplish this mission?
First, it promotes professional training through its yearly
conference and through training scholarships available to members.
CSPRA understands and promotes training as a means of sharpening
ones knowledge and abilities, providing motivation and inspiration
and to provide a medium of exchange of professional thought and
networking.
Secondly, CSPRA is committed to tracking legislative issues
affecting our parks and to fighting for what is best for the
parks. There are many issues that our department's legislative
office is not able to fight for or against due to political reasons.
CSPRA can and will if the issue involves the well being and the
future of California's State Parks. The intrinsic value of parks
to the quality of life has been muffled over the years by increasing
demands for schools, water, pollution controls, etc. Therefore,
CSPRA re-educates our Legislators about the tangible and intangible
benefits our parks have on the state as well as to its thousands
of visitors.
Our department benefits from the work CSPRA does in the Legislature
that ultimately helps you and me. CSPRA has also been, is, and
will be an association of park professionals. From Office Assistants
to Park Maintenance Workers to Rangers to District Superintendents,
all employees of this department are park professionals. As employees
of California State Parks, we share a common interest in providing
high quality service to our constituents. Job titles may differ,
but we all share common bond and are proud to be employees of
California State Parks. This is why our department is so unique
and why it is so important to work together to preserve the honor
of our parks and profession. In 1891, our legislature started
to set aside some of California's prime real estate to be state
parks. They foresaw the need for preserving representative samples
of California's diverse cultural and natural history so that
the citizens of California and the world could learn about their
heritage and about the earth on which we depend. As park professionals
it is our duty to perpetuate our forefathers' vision.
We are responsible for advancing the highest principles of
public service and to support, protect, and defend the integrity
of the state park system for present and future generations.
Join CSPRA in its mission to preserve our outstanding park system
for generations to come.
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