Armstrong Woods supporters gather

State park advocates eager to signal their opposition to closing Armstrong Woods as part of a larger state budget fix are holding a town hall meeting Thursday night to galvanize support for the park.

The meeting at the Guerneville Veterans Memorial Building is part of a larger campaign to prevent state lawmakers from closing Armstrong Redwoods State Preserve and adjacent Austin Creek State Recreation Area as proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Hosted by the Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods, the 7 p.m. meeting in Guerneville is to include representatives of all of the region’s state legislators and the California State Parks Foundation, which is leading the charge to save the parks.

The event will feature updates on the state budget and an opportunity to provide input to state lawmakers, organizers said.

In all, Schwarzenegger has proposed closing 48 state parks, beaches and facilities to shave $17 million over the next 16 months off a projected $16 billion state deficit.

Michele Luna, executive director of the Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods, said input from the public indicated turnout for Thursday’s meeting would be high.

“I know a lot of people care about this issue,” Luna said.

About 1 million people annually make the trek to Armstrong Woods and Austin Creek, according to state parks statistics.

The redwood preserve is the second largest on the list of 48 proposed for closure, most of which have fewer than 100,000 yearly visitors.

Town hall meeting sponsors include the Stewards, Sonoma County Supervisor Mike Reilly, the Russian River Chamber of Commerce and other organizations and individuals.

The meeting runs from 7 to 9 p.m. at the vets building at First and Church streets.