China Camp, Mount Tamalpais, Olompali and other Marin state parks could get a boost this November if voters OK an additional $18 on their annual vehicle license fee for the sagging park system.

The Marin Conservation League and Sierra Club Marin Group are among the organizations supporting an effort to gather signatures in the county to qualify a ballot measure that would create a permanent funding source for the state park system.

The system has been ravaged in recent years as the state balanced its budget, often slicing dollars from the park system and cutting hours and programs in the process.

"We have between 80 and 100 volunteers in Marin who have gone out to the Safeways, Cotsco and the farmers markets to gather signatures," said Ann Thomas of Corte Madera, the North Coast regional coordinator for the initiative effort. "It has gone well so far. We are well past the halfway point. People like parks better than politicians."

The effort does have detractors. Dennis Fishwick, of the Marin United Taxpayers Association, sees it simply as a new tax in different clothing.

"It's a way to transfer a tax from one group to another, but the bottom line is that it's money coming out of the taxpayers' pocket," Fishwick said. "We all support parks, but this is not the way to address the problem. The state is a financial disaster right now. It has to get its house in order, then deal with parks."

Sixty California state parks - including China Camp, Mount Tamalpais,

Olompali, Angel Island, Samuel P. Taylor and Tomales Bay - had operations reduced this year and more budget cuts are expected for next year.

"We began collecting signatures on Jan. 9 and hope to wrap it up in early April," Thomas said. "The statewide goal is 710,000 signatures."

The measure proposes the $18 hike in vehicle license fees to create a new, nearly $500 million pot of money for the park system to run on, and will include funding for staff and maintenance.

Proponents say the measure would give parks their own financial footing and protect the coveted beaches, forests and historic monuments from the whims of the Legislature, which has reduced money for parks to balance the state budget.

Under the proposed measure, entrance to state parks would be free.

The measure, dubbed the State Parks and Wildlife Conservation Trust Fund Act of 2010, would direct 85 percent of the vehicle license fee revenu to the state parks system. The income is expected to more than double what the system currently receives from the state's general fund and day-use fees. The remainder of the new revenue would go to other state conservation efforts.

"It's a huge campaign for the Sierra Club and we are hopeful about it," said Elena Belsky, head of the Sierra Club Marin Group.

MediaNews wire services contributed to this report.

Contact Mark Prado via e-mail at mprado@marinij.com