After the recent news of Governor Schwarzenegger’s plan to close 220 of California’s state parks due to the massive budget deficit, the National Park Service is threatening to take over six of those parks if they do in fact close.

The six parks in discussion (Angel Island, Mount Diablo Summit, lighthouse and land at Point Sur State Historic Park, and the three beaches of Fort Ord, Point Mugu State Park, and Border Field) were originally federal land donated to the state under the Federal Lands to Parks Program. In the deed to the state, the land must remain open to the public for recreational use. In the event that this is not possible, the land will revert to federal ownership.

In addition to the take over of the lands, if California closes its state parks, it may also lose valuable funding from the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. Since 1965, the fund has given the state of California over $285 million, and the loss of these funds would affect 67 state parks.

To read more about the issue, check out the New York Times article here.