Historic Preservation

Arizona State Parks unfreezes grants; funding allows 53 projects to resume

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[Source: Arizona Republic, Amy B. Wang, 10-04-2009] — The budget-beleaguered Arizona State Parks office recently released more than $6.1 million in Heritage Fund grants to benefit historic-preservation projects, trail maintenance, and local and regional parks.  In total, 53 projects around Arizona can move forward with the release of grant money that had been frozen for more than six months, the result of state budget woes that had trickled down to the parks department.  “We are extremely happy to release funding for these very worthy trails, historic preservation and park projects,” said Renée Bahl, executive director of the parks, in a statement.  Twenty-two other projects that had been due to receive Heritage Fund grants were canceled.

The Heritage Fund, created by voters in 1990, is funded by Arizona Lottery sales.  Up to $10 million in proceeds are designated annually for the conservation of the state’s wildlife and natural areas.  The State Parks Board appropriates the money to projects each year.  In February, the department’s grim financial situation forced the board to freeze all grant money.  “It was frozen because we didn’t know that we’d have enough money to operate the agency,” said parks spokeswoman Ellen Bilbrey, citing layoffs that could have affected the staff that worked with distributing the funds. [Note: To read the full story, click here.]

Arizona state parks take big hit: Grant funding for outdoor capital-improvement projects at issue

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[Source: Independent Newspapers, Terrance Thornton 9-28-2009] — The Arizona State Parks Department found its expected $8.6 million general fund allocation this fiscal year on the cutting room floor due to a $4 billion deficit to the state budget.  In the face of such severe cuts, we just cannot continue to operate as we did before and as the public has become accustomed,” said Arizona State Parks Assistant Director Jay Ziemann in a written response to e-mailed questions.  “In 2010, five parks will be closed to the public — Jerome, Tonto Natural Bridge, McFarland, Oracle and San Rafael — and another 17 will have reduced or seasonal hours of operation.”

In addition to budget reductions, the state parks department is facing suspended grant programs, Mr. Ziemann explained.  Grant programs from the Heritage Fund and the State Lake Improvement Fund, which communities across the state have come to rely on, have been cancelled,” he said.  In Apache Junction, the Lost Dutchman State Park, 6109 N. Apache Trail, will at this point only have its campgrounds operated to meet seasonal demands, Mr. Ziemann said. [Note: To read the full story, click here.]

Open letter to Arizona’s Joint Legislative Budget Committee

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Dear Chairman Kavanagh and members of the JLBC:

The Arizona Heritage Alliance’s mission is to protect and educate about the Heritage Fund, its purposes, potential, and accomplishments, and to ensure that the Fund’s money is spent as it was established by initiative statute concieved for and by the people in 1990.

With that mission in mind, we respectfully request that you review favorably the Arizona State Parks Board’s budget transfer request which includes the return of Heritage Fund grant money to its rightful grantees from the 2009 grant cycle.  That grant money already awarded and in process of going on the ground was “frozen” by the Board in February 2009 following deep cuts made by the Legislature to the Arizona State Parks Budget.  The Legislature then permitted the Parks Board to use “other funds” (including Heritage Funds) to make up for the sweeps.  Heritage Fund grant awards were therefore “frozen” in February 2009 by the Parks Board.  This action caused great hardship to the grantees, their projects which included many historic monuments, and to their communities.  At the August Parks Board meeting, its members voted to “unfreeze” that grant money pending a positive review of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.

The Arizona Heritage Alliance is hereby adding its voice to that of the Arizona State Parks Board in requesting that you permit them now to restore that funding so that they can release it to the awarded grantees at long last.

We appreciate this opportunity to share our concerns with you with the hope that the Arizona State Parks Board will be able to honor its commitments to those many grantees.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth T. Woodin
President
Arizona Heritage Alliance

Action Alert! Call/write JBLC before Tuesday 2:30 p.m., September 22

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For Arizona State Parks to reinstate and refund the Heritage Fund grants that were de-obligated (i.e., reneged) in February 2009 (1%-95% completed), the JLBC (Joint Legislative Budget Committee) has to approve the Arizona State Parks fund transfers.

JLBC will meet on Tuesday, September 22 at 2:30 p.m. in House Hearing Room.  However, there is no call to the public. Heritage Fund advocates must relay this message to the Committee prior to Tuesday afternoon.

Below is the list of JLBC Committee Members with their e-mails and phone numbers.  If any of the Committee Members are your senator or representative, please call and say that you are a constituent.  If none represent your district, please e-mail all and explain why this matter is important to you as an Arizona citizen.

Here is the suggested message: “Please give a favorable review to the Arizona State Parks Board request to transfer monies between its own funds to backfill sweeps and transfer that were enacted as part of the FY2010 Budget.”

If you have any questions, please contact Janice Miano, Director of Administration, Arizona Heritage Alliance: mail@azheritage.org or 602-528-7500 (office). Thank you!

Senate Member (The Honorable…)

  • Paula Aboud, paboud@azleg.gov, 602-926-5262
  • Amanda Aguirre, aaguirre@azleg.gov, 602-926-4139
  • Chuck Gray, cgray@azleg.gov, 602-926-5288
  • Jack Harper, jharper@azleg.gov, 602-926-4178
  • Russell Pearce, rpearce@azleg.gov, 602-926-5760
  • Steve Pierce, spierce@azleg.gov, 602-926-5584
  • Rebecca Rios, rrios@azleg.gov, 602-926-5685
  • Jim Waring, jwaring@azleg.gov, 602-926-4916

House Member (The Honorable…)

  • Andy Biggs, abiggs@azleg.gov, 602-926-4371
  • Olivia Cajero Bedford, ocajerobedford@azleg.gov, 602-926-5835
  • Cloves C. Campbell Jr., clcampbell@azleg.gov, 602-926-3042
  • Dr. Matt Heinz, mheinz@azleg.gov, 602-926-3424
  • John Kavanagh, Chair, jkavanagh@azleg.gov, 602-926-5170
  • John McComish, jmccomish@azleg.gov, 602-926-5898
  • Rick Murphy, rmurphy@azleg.gov, 602-926-3255
  • Vic Williams, vwilliams@azleg.gov, 602-926-5839