If we close them, will they come?

It’s also unknown right know whether the parks will even close.

What is known is that the redwoods are the lifeblood of the local tourism industry. Those giant trees are why most people visit the area, and then spend their money at shops and restaurants.

So, if state parks are closed, will people still come to Del Norte?

According to Redwood State Parks data, there were 966,000 visitors to local state parks last year, and more than 200,000 of those people stayed overnight.

For every dollar the state spends on parks, visitor spending sends $2.35 back into the general fund, said Rick Nolan, chief of interpretation for Redwood National and State Parks.

“The result is more money is generated,” Nolan said. “From that standpoint, parks are economic generators.”

Strong is concerned that out-of-towners won’t even bother coming to Del Norte if the parks are closed.

“No matter how much we promote or market the area, people are going to read that the parks are closed and be discouraged from coming,” he said.

Del Norte County Supervisor David Finigan said that closing state parks would “obviously impact the local economy.” But any cuts from the state are going to hurt, he added.

Maybe there’s a conservator out there, Finigan said, that the county could partner with to keep the parks open, such as the Save the Redwoods League or the California Wildlife Conservation Board.

If the local state parks were closed indefinitely, Strong said the region would have to promote what is still accessible here, such as private campgrounds.

Bill Renfroe, the executive director for the Tri-Agency Economic Development Authority, said that if the state parks were closed, local leaders would have to figure out a way to get around the setback.

“We will have to be even more innovative and creative,” he said. “If that’s the way it is, we will have to work with it.”

There would still be some access to redwoods, other places to stay and other things to do in Del Norte, Renfroe said.

“I don’t think they’re not going to come here,” he said of tourists. “We have to say, ‘OK, we need to change our plan.’

“Here’s where we play up hotels and campgrounds with hookups to accommodate those people affected by the parks closure.”

Strong said he was anticipating seeing more tourists around Del Norte County this summer than last year, when skyrocketing gas prices kept many Americans at home.

But gas still isn’t cheap and with fewer dollars in most people’s pockets, the Visitor’s Bureau is promoting Del Norte to the wider region as a nearby vacation spot, Strong said.

Nolan said most people are probably not taking long-distance trips due to gas prices and the recession.

“This summer is a mystery based on the economy,” Nolan said, adding that the number of park visitors will probably be similar to last summer.

However, if American aren’t traveling, Europeans might be.

Last year, a good deal of Europeans  passed through the area. So many, in fact, that the Visitor’s Bureau had the Web site, www.exploredelnorte.com, translated into German, Strong said.

To further tap into the foreign market, Strong said, representatives from the North Coast Tourism Council (which the Visitors Bureau is a member of) is taking information about Del Norte to international tourism conventions.

“We’re targeting more and more outside of the U.S.,” he said.

Nolan said that Europeans have been filling up the Redwood National and State Parks visitor centers this spring.

But it’s hard to tell if they will continue to plan to trips if they hear California’s parks might close.

Finigan thinks it may be too soon to start thinking of ways to circumvent the impact the closure of local state parks would have on the economy. A lot of ideas are being tossed around in Sacramento and not all will stick, he said.

“If we tried to chart a course, we would be spinning our wheels,” he said. “We know what the worst is. Somewhere in between is what will happen.”