[Source: Horizon, KAET, Ted Simons, 9-30-2009] — As PBS and Ken Burns examine the rich scenic and cultural values of our national parks, KAET’s Horizon focuses its lens on Arizona State Parks. We’ll preview an upcoming report from ASU’s Morrison Institute that considers the role and future of Arizona’s 30 State Parks. Guests include State Parks Director, Renee Bahl; State Parks Board member, Bill Scalzo; and Morrison Institute’s Grady Gammage, Jr. who also serves on the Sustainable State Parks Task Force. [Note: to watch the segment, click here.]
State Parks
Arizona State Parks unfreezes grants; funding allows 53 projects to resume
[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 restores funding to Heritage Fund grant projects
[Source: Sedona.biz, 9-30-2009] — On Tuesday, September 22, 2009, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) gave a favorable review to the Agency’s request to backfill cuts made to its operating budget. With the Committee’s favorable review, the Parks Board unsuspended Heritage Fund grants that had been frozen in February 2009. “We are extremely happy to release funding for these very worthy trails, historic preservation, and park projects,” said Renée Bahl, Executive Director.
In order deal with a 26% reduction in the in the department’s ongoing operating budget compared to July 2008, Arizona State Parks will be reducing parks operations and hours. [Note: To read the full story, click here.]
Arizona state parks take big hit: Grant funding for outdoor capital-improvement projects at issue
[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.]