The news jolted park enthusiasts when it was announced in May: the state’s budget crisis could prompt the closure of more than 200 state parks, and Chino Hills State Park on Orange County’s northern edge was on the list.

But Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office is saying this week that the real number will be “far fewer” than 100 parks, although no one is offering a number yet, or a list of parks that will be closed down. State Parks is trying to meet a savings target of $14 million.

“We’re still not sure what the number of parks is going to be,” said governor’s office spokesman Jeff Macedo. “We’re just hoping they can find that savings in other places besides having to close down parks.”

He said there will likely be some park closures.

State Parks spokesman Roy Stearns called it “fantastic news.” On Wednesday, state parks and state budget officials held their first meeting to try to figure out how to hit the savings target, and which parks would be closed or otherwise affected.

The agencies are looking at a variety of options besides total closure, said H.D. Palmer, spokesman for the state Department of Finance.

Some parks could be closed seasonally, for example; discretionary spending could be deferred in others, or only parts of some parks could be closed rather than the entire park.

Chino Hills Park superintendent John Rowe said he did not know whether his park was still on the list of possible closures.

The original estimate that up to 220 parks could be closed — an estimate tied to the possible elimination of the parks department’s general fund — was whittled down to 100 after other ways were found to close a $24 billion budget gap in July, Palmer said.

Now the number will likely be even lower, he said.

Chino Hills spans about 14,000 acres, part of it in northern Orange County. It was the only county park on the original list of possible closures.

(Register photo of biker in Chino Hills State Park by Bruce Chambers.)

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