[Source: Casey Newton, Arizona Republic] — The State Parks Board on Friday voted to shut down three of the 11 state parks up for closure due to state budget cuts — Jerome State Historic Park, Tonto Natural Bridge State Park, and McFarland State Historic Park in Florence. The board also plans to cut grants, lay off about 20 employees, and furlough about 10 more.
The state Parks Department is grappling with nearly $35 million that was cut from the agency’s budget in fiscal 2009, including $27 million in cuts approved by legislators and Gov. Jan Brewer late last month. The funding was taken as part of a budget deal that closed a $1.6 billion state shortfall for fiscal 2009. Now, potentially even larger cuts loom for 2010. The department has already laid off about 60 seasonal and other workers.
Tonto Natural Bridge State Park, near Payson, and Jerome State Historic Park in Jerome have lodges and other buildings in dire disrepair, and are awaiting capital renovations. The Parks Department manages 27 state parks that account for 2.3 million annual visitors.