Arizona Heritage Alliance

State parks need funding solution or they will die

by

[Source: Arizona Republic Editorial, 11-18-2009] – Our state park system is withering and dying. That isn’t a hysterical overstatement. It’s a simple statement of fact. Gov. Jan Brewer’s Task Force on Sustainable State Parks examined this diverse collection of special places in Arizona, ranging from the splendors of Kartchner Caverns to the beaches of Lake Havasu. The conclusion: The system is “in imminent danger of complete collapse as a result of financial starvation during most of this decade.”

The state is not putting any money from the General Fund into Arizona State Parks. And it’s diverting other money that should go into the 30 parks, including revenue they generate. Capital needs have been shamefully neglected for years. Historic buildings, such as the Douglas Mansion in Jerome, are crumbling. Water systems are disintegrating. Docks are falling apart. There isn’t enough operating money. Some parks are shuttered, and others have reduced their hours. Arizona is in danger of becoming the only state in the union without a state parks system [to read the full editorial click here].

New lot to give Phoenix’s South Mountain hikers more parking

by

[Source: Cathryn Creno, Arizona Republic 11-10-2009] – The number of parking spaces at the Telegraph Pass entrance to South Mountain Park  will more than double – to 83 spaces – by the end of this month. Both hikers and residents who live near Telegraph Pass, just off of Desert Foothills Parkway and 6th Street in the Ahwatukee Foothills, have long complained that the lot’s current 39 spaces don’t come close to handing the flood of daily visitors to the park.

Hikers have complained about having to circle the lot until spaces come open. Residents gripe that their streets sometimes fill up with cars belonging to hikers who get tired of waiting for parking spaces [to read the full article click here].

State Parks task force recommends $15 surcharge at MVD

by

Source: Chrystall Kanyuck, Arizona Capitol Times.com 11-5-2009] –

A task force appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer recommends adding $14 or $15 to annual vehicle registrations to help sustain Arizona State Parks. The recommendation from the Task Force on Sustainable State Parks Funding includes the ability for vehicle owners to opt out of the fee. However, all drivers with Arizona license plates would receive free admission to state parks. 

The proposed fee echoes a recommendation in a report last month by Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy. Paul Senseman, a spokesman for the governor’s office, said the recommendation is worthy of public discussion. 

“There have been cuts for many years, and the parks are in critical need of funding,” he said. 

With the state addressing a budget crisis, Arizona State Parks has seen its operating budget cut to $19 million in the fiscal year that began in July from $26 million the previous year. Entrance fees, which helped fund capital improvements, are now used to cover operating costs [to read the full article click here].