Viewpoint: Cynical budget plan could close more Arizona state parks

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[Source: Doug Frerichs, Arizona State Parks Foundation] — If state legislators stick to their latest budget plans, hundreds of thousands of state parks visitors are likely to have far fewer parks to visit next year, while recession-reeling Arizona communities could suffer major losses in parks tourism and money. At issue are House and Senate Budget Bills that would strip fee-generated revenues from Arizona State Parks, forcing the cash-strapped agency to close more parks or expend funds set aside by voters specifically for parks enhancements and community grants.  In addition to parks already shut because of legislative raids on State Parks earlier this year, the bill could force closure of such scenic sites as Red Rock State Park near Sedona, Oracle State Park north of Tucson, Yuma Quartermaster Depot, Tubac Presidio, and other prized locations.  Even Kartchner Caverns, the jewel of the state system, stands at risk.

In a cynical move, Senate leaders would confiscate State Parks fee-generated income, leaving the agency to rob the Arizona Heritage Fund to sustain a skeleton parks system.  The Heritage Fund, approved by voters in 1990, sets aside $10 million annually from the State Lottery for grants to finance community parks, historic preservation, and conservation projects.  Beyond cynicism, the latest budget schemes would strip away a portion of donations made to benefit state parks by private donors acting in good faith.

To her credit, Gov. Jan Brewer has proposed a more honest, pragmatic approach that would let State Parks keep its fee monies and not subvert purposes of the Heritage Fund.  The governor also recognizes that State Parks — in addition to its superb recreational, historic and natural values — is an economic engine that regularly draws more than 2 million visitors a year and pumps $250 million in tourism spending into local economies.  The governor also has appointed a Sustainable State Parks Task Force to recommend new ways of funding and maintaining such sites as Slide Rock, Riordan Mansion, Dead Horse Ranch, Lake Havasu and Kartchner Caverns state parks — places that annually draw huge numbers for fishing, boating, birding, hiking, camping, and pure enjoyment of our state’s great places.

State Parks is not an agency to be slashed when Arizona communities need tourism dollars.  Despite this, the latest budget measures would repeat mistakes made earlier this year when lawmakers lopped the State Parks’ budget by $34.6 million, resulting in a 30 percent reduction in parks staffing, closure of three parks and reduced operations at six more.  And all this on top of the fact that State Parks has had no general fund or capital budget increases for a decade.

Our state parks were bought and built by Arizonans over the course of half a century.  They were enhanced and improved with major efforts of volunteers. They have provided two, and now three generations with experiences and memories of some of Arizona’s best places.  Raiding the agency, stripping it of its small state general fund support, and forcing the State Parks Board to cannibalize the Heritage Fund are sure fire ways for legislators to destroy what’s good in government, hurt local economies, and leave the future with less.  [Note: To read the full article, click here.]

Doug Frerichs is a board member and past president of the Arizona State Parks Foundation, a private, non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for and supporting Arizona’s state parks system. He lives in Scottsdale.

Yuma history under Arizona governor’s budget ax

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[Source: Stephanie Wilken, Yuma Sun] — Cuts in Gov. Jan Brewer’s state budget could close the Sanguinetti House Museum in Yuma and three other history museums across the state, cutting the state’s past out of millions of Arizonans’ lives. Brewer’s proposed state budget would cut $473,000 in funding for the Arizona Historical Society.  The society operates four museums around the state and houses the state’s historical archives, totalling about 1 million artifacts — some predating statehood.  The proposed cuts would reduce the funding by 20 percent a year for the next five years, which means state support for the society would end completely in 2015.

Mark Haynes, president of the Rio Colorado Chapter, the Yuma chapter of the society, said he is dismayed that the governor would propose anything like that.   But Paul Senseman, spokesman with the governor’s office, said in a time when the state is facing an estimated $3 billion deficit, there are proposed cuts across the board — even in education and social services.

Haynes said the cuts would have a “pretty big impact,” and without the Sanguinetti House, Yumans will have no place to see their history, research the past, including the area’s history of mining and agriculture.  “Once it’s lost, it’s very hard to go back and recapture what you’ve lost,” he said.

The Sanguinetti House is one of the oldest adobe structures in the state, Haynes said.  And if the museum closes, it could affect its three employees — two full-time and one part-time — along with about 20 volunteers.  Haynes said the possibility of local, private funding could help provide minimum maintenance to sustain the facilities, but there is no firm answer if that could happen.  He said this proposed cut is the latest round, with cuts from the Legislature dating back to 2001, which eliminated various positions and aspects of the society’s functions. “This is just the last nail in the coffin, so to speak,” he said.  [Note: To read the full article, click here.]

Maria Baier named as Arizona State Land Commissioner

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Arizona Governor Jan Brewer today named Phoenix City Council Member Maria Baier as the new Arizona State Land Commissioner.  Upon her departure from the Phoenix City Council, Ms. Baier will manage and direct the State Land Department, whose mission is to manage state trust lands and resources to enhance value and optimize economic return for the trust beneficiaries, consistent with sound stewardship, conservation, and business management principles supporting socioeconomic goals for citizens here today and generations yet to come.  The mission is also to manage and provide support for resource conservation programs for the well being of the public and the state’s natural environment.

“I am very honored to add Ms. Baier to my cabinet,” Governor Brewer stated. “She brings numerous years of outstanding experience in the public and private sectors, with expertise in the areas of land use, natural resource management, growth and development and environmental quality.”

Ms. Baier was elected as a Phoenix City Councilwoman in 2007.  Most recently, she Chaired the Economy, Commerce and Sustainability Subcommittee.  She has also been a member of numerous additional committees including the Downtown and Aviation Subcommittee, Housing and Neighborhoods Subcommittee, Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee and the League of Arizona Cities and Towns Executive Committee.  In addition, she served as the City of Phoenix Representative on the League of Arizona Cities and Towns and on the Maricopa Associa­tion of Governments Transportation Policy Committee.

Ms. Baier has also spent the past several years as President of MBC, Inc. a sustainability consulting firm specializing in sustainable land use and natural resource management practice.  Prior to that, she was President and CEO of Valley Partnership, a trade organization whose pri mary mission is to “advocate responsible development” primarily on behalf of the commercial real estate development and Director of the Trust for Public Land Arizona Field Office.

Additionally, Ms. Baier spent ten years on the Executive Staff of the Office of the Governor, State of Arizona, serving two administrations.  She served as Senior Policy Advisor in the areas of natu ral resources, growth and development, environmental quality, and criminal justice.  She also has a background in communications, having served as Deputy Director of Communications and Lead Speechwriter while with the Governor’s Office and as Public Information Officer for the Office of Attorney General of the State of Arizona.

She is an active member of the Arizona State Bar and volunteers on numerous state boards and commissions including the Trust for Public Land Arizona Advisory Board, Great Hearts Acad­emies Board of Directors, Valley Partnership Board of Directors, Agricultural Protection Commission and Central Arizona Partnership Board of Directors.  She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from the College of Liberal Arts at Arizona State University in Tempe and went on to receive her Juris Doctor from the James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona in Tucson.  Ms. Baier resides in Phoenix with her husband Chris and their two daughters.

Budget woes highlight Arizona, California state parks’ vulnerability

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[Source: Keli Clark, Oklahoma Parks, Resorts, and Golf] — We hear news each day of economic woes affecting Wall Street, corporate giants, major manufacturers and small businesses.  Federal, state and local governments are not immune and feel pinched by the pressures of money shortages.  In a recent budget committee meeting, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger suggested the closure of 220 state parks, along with numerous other program cuts, to help alleviate a $24 billion budget deficit his state is facing. According to news reports, citizens at this hearing pleaded passionately to find other ways to keep these resources available and keep the parks open. The protection of historic structures and natural resources, along with the recreational and educational opportunities parks offer, were foremost in their argument to keep the facilities operating.

California is just one example.  The other states also are trying to maintain a balance for taxpaying citizens who pump money into their state’s economy and expect a return on their investment.

On a recent trip to Arizona, I looked forward, as always, to visiting a state park to compare it to an Oklahoma state park experience.  I chose Jerome State Park since I would be staying in nearby Sedona.  As we made our way up the mountain, a sign pointed in the direction of the state park.  To my dismay, a sign that had been placed directly below the main sign said “Closed.”  Not wanting to believe what I saw and hoping it was just closed for lunch, we drove as far as we could on the road only to see the gate shut and padlocked.  Disappointed, we made our way to downtown Jerome and the art galleries and souvenir shops that lined the streets.

In each store, I asked about the closure of the state park and was told each time it was because of budget cuts.  Most of the stores had placed petitions on their counters asking for signatures to support reopening the park.  The citizens of Jerome are passionate about the loss of this state park, and they have good reason.  The town’s economy and residents’ livelihood are suffering because of the closing.  As one store clerk explained, this is the busiest time of the season for them. Unfortunately, the number of people coming this year is about half of what it has been in previous years.  This same clerk said she had been an employee of the park but was forced to find another way to support her family.

Of course, there are two sides to every story.  When I called Arizona park officials, the public information officer explained the park was closed for capital improvements.  A wall had collapsed in the main building, and there was no money in the remaining budget to make immediate repairs, so the park had to be closed for the season.  Besides Jerome, another Arizona park also has been closed for capital improvements, the official said.

It’s an eye-opening experience to see the immediate and ripple effects on the economy triggered by the closing of a state park.  Although the budget situations facing Oklahoma state parks are not as dire as those in California or Arizona, we are facing budget cuts, hiring freezes, and a mandate on needed repairs as our parks continue to keep gates open and operate on a daily basis. As stewards of our land, we should not take for granted what we have available to us.  By continuing to respect what we have and maintaining our parks, we can ensure our future generations have these same opportunities. [Note: To read the full article, click here.]