Another stunning achievement for the Golden State -- years of neglect have landed the state parks system on a list of the nation's most endangered historic places.

That's the word from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which is placing the system on its list at a news conference today. Check out a video prepared by the History Channel here.

The state parks now have a backlog of deferred and delayed maintenance that totals $1.2 billion. No wonder Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wanted to close so many of them as part of the annual budget farrago in Sacramento -- better to shut the parks down than expose our inability to take care of them.

It's all part of a pattern in California. We are determined to soil our own nests, and pretend to like it.