Heritage Fund

State should begin its 2nd century by preserving series of landmarks, former Phoenix mayor says: Arizona Heritage Alliance is looking for ways to restore AZ Heritage Fund

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[Source: Bonnie Bariola, Florence Reminder] –The Arizona Heritage Alliance is a nonprofit organization that was formed in 1992 for the purpose of working to prevent the Arizona State Legislature from taking or eliminating the Heritage Fund. Unfortunately during difficult economic times, in 2009 the Legislature took away the Arizona State Parks portion of the fund and in 2010 completely eliminated the language from the Arizona Revised Statutes. Fortunately the Arizona Game and Fish Commission’s $10 million portion of the Heritage Fund remains intact.

The Alliance continues to meet, with its goal now being to get the Arizona State Parks portion of the Heritage Fund restored. At its June 25th meeting, the board members discussed several methods for funding a Heritage Fund as well as possible methods for restoration of the fund.

2nd Century Initiative

Former Phoenix Mayor John Driggs was guest speaker at the meeting presenting a project he is spearheading. Former Mayor Driggs chaired the Arizona Centennial Committee and in this capacity determined the state capitol and other state buildings should be rehabilitated as a showcase for not only Arizona but the entire United States.

He is promoting the Arizona Second Century Initiative that would be the rehabilitation of the Government Mall extending from the State Capitol to Hunt’s Tomb in Papago Park. In addition to the Arizona State Capitol and Hunts Tomb it would include the El Zaribah Shrine Building, Carnegie Library, Tovrea Castle and Grounds, National Guard Arsenal, the Arizona History Museum, the Sandra Day O’Connor house, and the Eisendrath House.

Driggs suggests the following “Arizona’s second century initiative would be ‘Building Harmony’ by applying community values recalled by our landmarks in shaping plans for the future.” He further says “Arizona would launch its second century by preparing several iconic venues to reflect the state’s cultural heritage. Respectfully rehabilitated landmark buildings will provide a lasting legacy for Arizona’s second century.”

He suggests the first phase of this project should be the complete rehabilitation of the El Zaribah Shrine Building. He would like to find private donors for this purpose and is hoping such donors will come forward. Once complete this building would provide a multipurpose assembly facility serving as a public forum and special events venue for state and local government.

Plans for the Carnegie Library would be to provide space for a special civics education center to promote civil dialogue and civic action. This new use could complement the existing uses in the library and correlate to the goals of the O’Connor House which is located in Papago Park.

It is his dream that Tovrea Castle and Gardens, owned by the city of Phoenix, could become the first Arizona State Park to be located in Maricopa County. It would be a joint venture with the city of Phoenix as owner with the Arizona State Parks system becoming a partner. Opened to the public in 2012, reservations for tours have far exceeded expectations and are booked months in advance.  The Tovrea Carraro Society provides thousands of volunteer hours by docents leading the tours and handling all aspects of the daily operations of the castle.

Located in Papago Park, the O’Connor House, home of the first woman to serve as a United States Supreme Court Justice, was moved from its original site in Paradise Valley to Tempe. It is now known as “The O’Connor House and Center for Civic Discourse” and provides a venue “for people and organizations to come together and resolve conflicts or disagreements peacefully.”

Hunt’s Tomb contains the remains of Arizona’s first governor, his wife and five other family members. Elected in 1912 when Arizona became a state, he ended his seventh term in 1933. After a visit to Egypt, he and his wife became fascinated with its pyramids which resulted in him seeking permission from the legislature to build a pyramid tomb.   Permission was granted and the tomb was built in its current site.

So what does all this have to do with the Arizona Heritage Alliance? If the Alliance can be successful in getting the Heritage Fund Grant Program reinstated, it would provide seed monies for the rehabilitation of many of these historic buildings. If Heritage Fund Grants were available, it would be easier to obtain private donations to complete the rehabilitation of these valuable historic buildings and resources.

Heritage Fund creates jobs in rural areas: Arizona Heritage Alliance makes presentation to the Natural Resources Review Council

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[Source: Bonnie Bariola, Florence Reminder] – The purpose of the Arizona Natural Resources Review Council (NRRC) is to protect state interests related to wildlife, land, water, and natural resources by actively engaging and countering federal encroachment on state authorities tasked with managing Arizona’s natural resources. It was established by Executive Order by Governor Jan Brewer on January 14, 2013.

The Executive Order stated the Council was to develop land and natural resource management strategies for Arizona and coordinate with state natural resource agencies and their existing management plans. Members of the Council include the directors of the following state departments: Game and Fish, Land, Environmental Quality, Water Resources, State Forester, Geological Survey, State Parks, and Agriculture. The chair is designated by the Governor and is currently Larry Voyles, director of the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

The Council was directed to prepare a comprehensive report and plan for the Governor for long-term land and natural resource management. The report should include and address multiple use and sustained yield approaches, public access issues, and sustainable economic development. In addition, the Council is to develop a coordinated and centralized Geographic Information System database model that identifies current and future management priorities for designated land and natural resource areas.

An additional request is for the Council to identify and prioritize legal, legislative, and incentive-based needs that protect and maintain state interests related to wildlife, land, water, and other natural resources. The governor also directed the Council to provide her with recommendations on a statewide approach to mitigation and conservation banking that includes state government, local governments, and the private sector in order to meet long-term natural resource conservation objectives.

The chair of the Council appointed a subcommittee to research and prepare results for each of the above directives. Prior to the Call to the Public at which time the Arizona Heritage Alliance was to make their presentation, each subcommittee chair gave a report on the status of their particular directive. It was amazing how much research the subcommittees have accomplished in six months. Chairman Voyles stated he wanted them to continue being aggressive with their research so they could have a final report to the governor as soon as possible.

Heritage Fund

The Heritage Fund presentation was made by Beth Woodin, the Arizona Heritage Alliance board president and Russ Jones, board member and former state representative. In 1990 the citizens of Arizona approved Proposition 200 with 62 percent support for the formation of the Heritage Fund in an amount of up to $20 million from the Arizona lottery with $10 million to be administered by Arizona State Parks and $10 million to be administered by the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

The distribution of the Arizona State Parks portion was:

·        35% – Local, Regional, and State parks

·        17% – Historic Preservation

·        17% – Acquisition and Development

·        17% – Natural Areas Acquisition

·        04% – Natural Areas Operation and Maintenance

·        05% – Environmental Education

·        05% – Trails

These monies supported: critical and endangered species and habitat, environmental education, historic preservation, non-motorized trails, and parks and recreation acquisition and improvements.

The Arizona Game and Fish monies were not touched by the Legislature and are used to:  

  • Conserve wildlife and maintain its habitat in areas surrounding cities;
  • Carry out wildlife research, surveys, and management of habitat for sensitive species;
  • Ensure access to public lands for outdoor recreation, sometimes by creating roads or trails;
  • Develop and maintain wildlife habitat projects at schools or adjacent areas for wildlife education;
  • Enhance or develop conservation/environmental school education programs;
  • Acquire habitat.

    The Arizona State Parks monies were used for:

  • Historic Preservation projects;
  • Hiking trails;
  • Picnic ramadas and park landscaping;
  • Ballfield lighting and improvements;
  • Playground equipment;
  •  Acquisitions and capital needs.

Heritage Fund for parks eliminated

In 2009 the Legislature swept the state parks portion of the Heritage Fund resulting in Arizona State Parks rescinding $6 million in Heritage Fund grants already awarded, leaving grantees with projects that were incomplete. Then, in 2010 the Legislature completely eliminated the State Parks Heritage Fund language from state statutes. As the result of the Arizona Heritage Alliance working with the Legislature, in February 2011, 2012, and 2013 the House Agriculture and Water Committee initiated and passed unanimously bills to reinstate the Arizona State Parks portion of the Heritage Fund. Unfortunately House Appropriations Chairman Kavanagh refused to hear these Heritage Fund Reinstatement Bills in his committee. which killed the bills.

In 2011, the Arizona Heritage Alliance and Arizona State Parks commissioned an Economic Impact Statement through the Arizona Hospitality Research and Resource Center at Northern Arizona University. Their study showed, among other benefits to Arizona, that direct expenditures from the State Parks Heritage Fund resulted in 125 direct jobs, 33 indirect jobs, and 66 induced jobs, for a total of 224 jobs per year, mostly occurring in rural areas of Arizona. This portion of the Heritage Fund created a tremendous economic impact to the state by promoting economic development, creating more jobs and heritage tourism, revitalizing historic sites and areas, and increasing property values.

The Arizona Natural Resources Review Council was then asked to recommend to Governor Brewer to reinstate the State Parks Heritage Fund, especially the grant program which supplied valuable programs and resources for both Arizona residents and visitors. The Council was also told the Heritage Fund provided economic, environmental, education, tourism and quality of life benefits that are too important to be lost.

Their presentation concluded with the following statement:  “If you hike, boat, ride, hunt, fish, watch wildlife, visit a park, or tour historic sites, then Arizona’s Heritage Fund affects your life.  We need to protect the Heritage Fund and improve it — not eliminate it!”

The Arizona Natural Resources Review Council’s meetings are open to the public. The meetings are usually held at the State Capitol Building but the June 25 meeting was held at the Arizona Game and Fish Department complex located on Carefree Highway in northwest Phoenix.

Arizona’s GOP Lawmakers weaken the people’s powers

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[Source: Linda Valdez, azcentral Opinions] –The Sierra Club’s Sandy Bahr told the Senate Appropriations Committee today that “the only way” Arizona will get meaningful environmental protections in the future is through the initiative process. She should know. She’s been up at the Legislature for years trying to get the conservatives who run the place to be nice to Mother Nature.

When Bahr took the podium to speak in opposition to a package of election law changes, committee chair Sen. Don Shooter, said: “Sierra Club? Are you worried we are going to chop up too many trees for ballots?”

Hardee-har-har.

The package of election bills – which has been contentious throughout the session – was tacked on to a Senate budget that emerged only this week. Democrats on the committee objected to the quickie budget in general — Sen. Anna Tovar said it would have been better to write a state budget in a “transparent, open process.” They also opposed the election changes.

Bahr’s call for transparency was aimed directly at the election changes. She said proposed changes in the initiative process do more than just move deadlines, they allow signatures to be thrown out on technicalities, such as whether the pages are submitted in the right order. They will create barriers.

The state Constitution gave voters the initiative/referendum process as a powerful tool and a check on Legislative power, Bahr said. Voters used the process to ban cockfighting, outlaw leg-hold traps, require humane farm animal practices, as well as to expand health care for the working poor, better fund education and create the Heritage Fund – which lawmakers gutted in a nasty slap at both voters and Mother Nature.

The Legislature should not put itself in charge of changing a system that was designed to give citizens the power to go around the Legislature. Any changes should come from a public discussion involving the interest groups that use, understand and value the initiative process. Not lawmakers who see it as a pain in the neck.

Bahr made valid points about the importance of preserving a process voters depend on to get around dunderheads in the Legislature. The dunderheads were unmoved.

All six Republicans on the committee voted for the election changes. All three Democrats voted no.

Rest in Peace Brian Pinney

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RIP, you will be missed.
Brian Pinney

The Arizona Heritage Alliance is sadden by the death of their longtime fellow board member, Brian Pinney of Chandler. Pinney passed away on May 2, 2013 while turkey hunting near Show Low. He is survived by his wife, Laurie Pinney; daughters, Cari Carlson and Traci Pina; his son, Brian Pinney; five grandchildren, Ernie, Enthony, Elisa, Maximus, and Sydney. A memorial service was held May 13, 2013 at King Of Glory Church in Tempe.