9/11/2009 10:28:00 AM Future of State Parks system on line today
By Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services
PHOENIX -- Facing a $1.5 million shortfall, state parks officials are recommending curtailed hours at several sites and higher fees to go to those when they are open.
Proposals set for consideration today by the state Parks Board also include eliminating up to 30 full-time positions statewide out of its staff of more than 330. And Parks Director Renee Bahl said cities and counties who depend on the parks for economic development and tourism will have to provide some financial support to keep them open.
About the only bit of good news is that the plan is to keep open virtually all the parks now being operated by the state, at least part of the time. The exception would be Oracle, where the park would be closed to the general public but open by reservation only to school groups and for special events and staffed by volunteers.
The moves come as the budget adopted by the Legislature leaves the agency's $19.3 million adopted operating budget about $1.5 million shy of what is needed.
Some of that could be made up by charging higher fees for those who use the parks -- much higher in some cases.
For example, Bahl is proposing hiking admission fees at Alamo Lake, Homolovi Ruins, Lost Dutchman, Lyman Lake and Roper Lake state parks by 60 percent, from $5 to $8.
Fees also would rise to $8 at Catalina, Dead Horse Ranch, Fool Hollow Lake, Oracle and Picacho Peak parks. But the change is relatively smaller, as users already are paying $6 a head.
Going to some of the other parks, though, would cost more.
At Slide Rock, one of the more popular sites, entrance would double, to $20 during the peak use period from the Friday before Memorial Day through Labor Day. The rest of the year it will cost $10, up from the $8 off-peak fee.
And going to Lake Havasu and Cattail Cove parks would set visitors back by $15 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, up from $10.
Other proposed changes would eliminate seasonal reduced rates at some parks, hike the fees for those who arrive on bicycle or foot and charge more for overnight camping.
Overall, agency staffers figure they could net more than $700,000, even with a possible decrease in visitors due to higher park fees.
No action would take place, however, before public hearings on the changes. Bahl is proposing to take the issue on the road, with meetings in Lake Havasu City, Cottonwood, Safford, Catalina, Benson and Phoenix before the Parks Board gets to make a decision in November.
The other factor is that curtailed hours, necessary to make up the balance, also will reduce parks use.
Aside from closing Oracle to general public use, the proposal would have Slide Rock open only five days a week from November through January. Homolovi Ruins also will go on a five-day-a-week schedule and close its campgrounds entirely.
The status of the Yuma Quartermaster Depot may depend on whether the city is willing to sign a lease for the property to operate it, at its own expense.
That idea of cost sharing to keep parks open is not unique. Bahl said the city of Payson has committed to providing partial funding for a park ranger specialist to assist during the busy summer season.
The situation could have been worse: One of the provisions in the part of the budget signed earlier this month by Gov. Jan Brewer allows the Parks Board to divert funds from several funds set up for special purposes to instead use as operating cash.
