[Source: Daily Courier, Joanna Doddler Nellans, 1-17-2010] — Some state parks in Yavapai County are set to close after the Arizona State Parks Board took drastic budget cutting measures Friday. The Parks Board gave at least one state park in Yavapai County, Fort Verde, a temporary reprieve.
The Arizona Legislature has cut 61 percent of the State Parks budget since July in its ongoing effort to balance the state budget. State Parks officials say their parks pump $266 million into rural Arizona economies by attracting 2.3 million visitors annually and producing 3,000 leisure jobs. That includes $36.6 million for Yavapai County’s economy and 494 jobs here, according to a State Parks study.
Yavapai County Supervisor Chip Davis hopes to prevent the closure of at least one state park in this county, and even reopen another park that has been closed for months. [Note: To read the full article, click here.]