Arizona State Budget

The Game & Fish Heritage Fund: What its loss will mean to Arizona

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On January 15, 2010, the Governor’s office released a budget plan that proposes to permanently eliminate the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s voter-approved $10 million Heritage Fund and redirect all Arizona State Lottery revenue to the state’s general fund.  That proposal has been sent for consideration by the Legislature.

Adoption of this proposal could have significant impacts on Arizona’s land use and growth that will be vital for the state’s economic recovery, as well as affecting outdoor recreationists and the future well-being of the state’s wildlife.

Arizona Game and Fish is a business-model agency that receives no Arizona tax dollars.  The department acknowledges the difficulties the state faces in addressing the budget situation, but it is critical that the customers who pay the bills in this “user pay, user benefit” model are informed and educated on the potential statewide effects that could result from a permanent elimination of Heritage funding.  Those effects potentially include constraints on land use that could affect our state’s economic recovery.

The 45-minute video below is from an informational public presentation and webcast given by the department on Feb. 2 at its Phoenix office.  The presentation covers the history of the Heritage Fund, what it’s used for, how it benefits Arizona, and the impacts to Arizona citizens if the fund is lost.

Downtown Phoenix rally urges lawmakers to keep state parks open

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[Source: ABC.news.com, Tara Twietmeyer, 2-2-2010] — The lawn at the State Capitol was packed with demonstrators Monday holding signs that read, “Closed parks? Shame on you!”  In the midst of major budget cuts nearly 200 people gathered to try and persuade the states lawmakers to find money to keep state parks open.  “We understand the Legislature has a tough budget to deal with, but there’s no reason for them to do what they did to parks,” Sandy Bahr, Sierra Club Arizona Chapter said.

Last month, after new budget cuts from the Legislature, the Arizona State Board voted to close 13 state parks by the end of June.  Eight others are either already closed, were transferred to outside control or are being kept open through an outside funding source.

Monday, demonstrators said closing even more parks would bring more money problems to rural areas which rely on tourism. They are proposing a bill that would charge Arizonans an annual fee when they register their vehicle, which would allow them into parks for free [Note: To read the full article, click here.] Photos (c) Tye R. Farrell

Sierra Club: Tell lawmakers to save Arizona State Parks

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[Source: Tucson Weekly, Jim Nintzel, 1-29-2010] — The latest bulletin from Sierra Club lobbyist Sandy Bahr:  Hi everyone!  Don’t forget Environmental Day — Rally for Parks at the Capitol on Monday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  We will have a brief program on the House Lawn.  Speakers will focus on parks and environmental programs and let us know how we can help turn the tide.

Please contact your legislators and tell them you support State Parks!  Ask them to:

  • Discontinue the transfer of monies from the Heritage Fund to the State Forester.
  • Eliminate all of the Fund Reductions and Transfers and Excess Balance Transfers from December 2009 — totaling about $8.6 million.
  • Allow Parks to keep all enhancement dollars (park fees) for operations, including those being collected currently.
  • Reject proposals for Fiscal Year 2011 that would divert all of the Heritage Fund dollars to the General Fund or any proposals to permanently divert all of the lottery revenues to the General Fund. This affects Game and Fish habitat and endangered species programs too.
  • Support a program that would allow Arizona residents with an Arizona license plate to visit all Arizona parks without paying an entrance fee. This can be accommodated by implementation of a $9 fee on Arizona vehicle licenses that will generate about $39 million, which will allow parks to maintain and operate the system.
  • Stop all Fund Reductions and Transfers and Excess Balance Transfers — keep fee funds for their intended purposes.
  • Expand partnerships with local governments and volunteer entities to keep parks operating and maintained.
  • Recognize parks and open space as integral to our quality of life, our economy, and to the future of our state and generations yet to come.

To email your legislators or find their direct phone numbers, click on Legislators or paste http://www.azleg.gov/MemberRoster.asp into your browser.  If you’re outside the Phoenix area, you can call your legislators’ offices toll free at 1-800-352-8404.  In the Phoenix area call (602) 926-3559 (Senate) or (602) 926-4221 (House) and ask them to connect you with your legislators.

Apache Junction weighs annexation of Lost Dutchman Park

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[Source: Arizona Republic, Jim Walsh, 1-27-2010] — Apache Junction officials are so worried about economic fallout from the planned closure of Lost Dutchman State Park that they are considering annexing the iconic landmark.  Apache Junction economic development director Steve Filipowicz said city officials are studying whether annexation would be feasible and whether it would make sense financially.  Annexing the park could keep it open and preserve the estimated $4 million in economic impact the park provides from tourism.

At minimum, annexation would serve as a justification for city police officers to patrol the park to discourage vandalism, Filipowicz said.  The move comes as cities, towns, counties and community groups from Flagstaff to Tubac are contemplating measures that would have been unthinkable only a few short years ago as they struggle to preserve some of Arizona’s natural and historic treasures in the face of deep budget cuts.  Reacting to the Legislature’s decision in December to cut $8.6 million from the state parks budget, the Arizona State Parks Board voted earlier this month to take the unprecedented step of closing 21 of the 30 parks in the state system.  [Note: To read the full article, click here.]