State Parks

Bill to protect Arizona State Parks revenue advances

by

[Source: Jessica Testa, Cronkite News Service, 2/3/2012] –A bill that would protect Arizona State Parks revenues from budget sweeps and allow the agency to use the money for operations took its first step Thursday in the state House. The House Agriculture and Water Committee unanimously endorsed HB 2362, which Rep. Karen Fann, R–Prescott, proposed in response to the massive budget cuts to Arizona State Parks.

The Legislature has swept $82 million from the agency since 2008. That money not only funded the operations and maintenance of the state’s park but also funded grants for municipalities to develop and sustain community parks and trails. Since 2010, many state parks have had to temporarily close due to budget constraints before returning to at least limited operations. In some of those cases, communities agreed to provide money and personnel to reopen parks.

In 2009, the Legislature removed Arizona State Parks from its general fund budget altogether and told the agency to start acting like a business, Fann noted. Now, like any other business, the agency should be able to keep its own revenue without the threat of sweeps, she said. “When we start sweeping funds to the extent that they’re having to close down, what have we done?” Fann said in an interview.

Seven of the nine committee members sponsor the bill, including the chairman, Rep. Russ Jones, R–Yuma. The Arizona State Parks Board strongly supports the bill, said Jay Ziemann, the agency’s legislative liaison. Ziemann explained that 84 percent of state parks sit on land that isn’t state-owned and that the Bureau of Land Management owns a majority of that, he said. “BLM has asked that we protect the funds we generate,” he said.

The approval sent the bill to the House floor by way of the Rules Committee.

Help restore the Arizona State Parks Heritage Fund!

by

2/3/2012 – Arizona State Parks Heritage Fund. During the 2010 state budget crisis, the entire Arizona State Parks Heritage Fund was swept into the General Fund AND the language authorizing its existence was removed.

House Concurrent Resolution 2047, “Enacting and Ordering the Submission to the People of a Measure Relating to the Arizona State Parks Heritage Fund,” has been introduced by Representative Russ Jones of Yuma. Review the bill’s language at: http://www.azleg.gov//FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/50leg/2r/bills/hcr2047p.htm&Session_ID=107.

HCR2047 has been assigned to three committees in the House: Agricultural & Water, Appropriations, and Rules. It will be first be heard in the Agriculture & Water Committee:

  • Date: Thursday, February 9
  • Time: 9 a.m.
  • Place: Hearing Room 5, House of Representatives, 1700 W. Washington St.

Individuals may testify in person by registering on the ALIS system: http://alistrack.azleg.gov/rts/login.asp View the committee agenda online at: http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/agendas/02090117107%2Edoc%2Ehtm.

If you cannot attend and are not registered on ALIS, you are welcome to contact the House Agriculture & Water Committee members to share your views:

It’s not too late to thank the bipartisan co-sponsors of HCR2047: http://www.azleg.gov//FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/50leg/2r/bills/hcr2047o.asp&Session_ID=107.

Rural lawmaker seeks halt to state sweeping Arizona State Parks revenues

by

[Source: Jessica Testa, Cronkite News Service, 1/18/2012]– Arizona State Parks would be able to protect the revenue it raises from budget sweeps and use it for park operations under legislation proposed by a rural lawmaker. Rep. Karen Fann, R-Prescott, whose district is home to five state parks, said it was “penny wise and pound foolish” for the Legislature to cut the agency’s funding so drastically over the past few years. “Our state parks contribute to jobs and economic development. Especially in rural areas, they’re the ones bringing in business to local restaurants and hotels,” said Fann, the author of HB 2362.

The bill would create a fund allowing Arizona State Parks to keep all of the money generated from gate fees, concession fees, souvenir sales and all unconditional gifts and donations not specified for particular projects. The money would go toward operation and maintenance costs for the entire parks system. The state wouldn’t be able to pull money from the agency to help balance its budget, as it has done in the past, Fann said. “We’re asking the Legislature that we make sure, from here on out, that we don’t touch their fund,” she said. “Hands off this one. No sweeps of this one.”

The fund would not only protect park budgets but also ensure that Arizona State Parks is following rules set by the federal Bureau of Land Management, said Arizona State Parks Assistant Director Jay Ziemann. Many of the state’s larger parks sit on land that the federal government has transferred to the state at little to no cost as part of the Recreation and Public Purposes Act. These parks have entered into various financial partnerships with private entities, such as concession companies, Ziemann said.

The Bureau of Land Management requires that all money generated by these parks be reinvested into the parks, not transferred to the state. Without the protection of the parks’ funds, the public-private partnerships would also not be eligible for renewal.

Arizona State Parks hasn’t received money from the state’s general fund since 2009. Meanwhile, more than $15 million has been swept from the agency’s revenues, Ziemann said. “The Legislature directed the Arizona State Parks Board to act like a business, to go out and survive on their revenues,” Ziemann said. “Since then, they’ve essentially stolen money out of the till.”

Fann said her district’s parks brought in more than 500,000 tourists and $1.8 million last year, supporting 916 jobs. “It could have been much worse, if not for the municipalities who stepped up to the plate and contributed a little money from their funds to help minimize the impact of the sweeps,” Fann said.

Rep. Russ Jones, R-Yuma, one of the nine primary sponsors of HB 2362, said that though partnerships with companies have helped raise park revenues, the state’s parks should not become “private retail venues.”

“Every one of our parks is a jewel and we should take pride in how they look and how they function,” Jones said.