Brother, Can You Save a Park?

Cash-strapped California parks are searching for private money to cope with the state's sweeping budget cuts, the Los Angeles Times reports. Up to 100 of California's 279 state parks and beaches could be forced to close after Labor Day. Just 13 of them make enough money to survive without state funds, and officials hope to find corporate sponsorship deals that won't destroy the parks' character.

"Maybe we can find agreements that don't alter, commercialize or degrade our state park system," said a parks department spokesman. "If Budweiser came forward with money for Malibu Beach State Park, we wouldn't change the name to Budweiser Beach. But why not put up a banner saying, 'This park is kept open by Budweiser?'"
(More state budgets stories.)