Northern Arizona University

Legislative cost-cutting threatens Arizona parks (Tucson Citizen guest opinion)

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[Source: Bill Meek, Arizona State Parks Foundation] — Arizona’s state parks system is crumbling, and the Legislature is threatening to apply a sledgehammer to the problem.  Our 30 state park sites preserve some scenic gems, such as Catalina near Tucson, the world-famous Kartchner Caverns near Benson, and Red Rock State Park in Sedona.  State parks also protect historic treasures such as Homolovi Ruins near Winslow and the Yuma Territorial Prison.  And a bevy of wildly popular water-oriented parks are at lakes and rivers across the state.  Arizona’s state parks welcomed 2.3 million visitors last year.

In exchange for meager state funding, the parks generate about $126 million annually in tourist revenue for their neighboring counties and municipalities, shows a 2002 study by Northern Arizona University.  The Legislature appropriates only $8.2 million to the Parks department from the general fund.  [Note: To read the full article, click here.]

Don’t shortchange State Parks (Arizona Daily Star guest opinion)

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[Source: Bill Roe, Arizona State Parks Foundation] — Across the state, communities from Tucson to Flagstaff, Parker to Pinetop, and dozens of places in between derive millions of dollars annually from activities associated with Arizona State Parks.  Yet to look at the state Legislature’s latest budget-cutting plans, you would think the economic, recreational, scenic, and historic values of State Parks count for naught.

For the second time in five years, the Legislature is poised to take State Parks funds in an ill-conceived bid to balance the state budget on the back of an agency that actually helps make money for the state.  Making the point, an economic study done for State Parks by Northern Arizona University in 2002 showed that the state’s 27 parks and conservation areas generated more than $126 million for local economies in that year.  But this seems lost on Legislators who fail to appreciate the business-like workings of the State Parks Department.  [Note: To read the full article, click here.]