Arizona Heritage Alliance

Viewpoint: Cut to Arizona state parks a cut at state’s voters

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This December photo of San Xavier Mission shows completed restoration work on tower at left. Funding to restore tower at right has been elminated as part of the Legislature's effort to balance the state budget. (Photo: Rene Brachmonte, Tucson Citizen)

[Source: Anne T. Denogean, Tucson Citizen] — When state legislators cut Arizona State Parks funding as part of balancing the current fiscal year budget, they left nothing untouched.  The $26.3 million cut included a sweep of $4.9 million from the Heritage Fund, which, as its name implies, supports the heritage, history, and culture of Arizona.

Defunding state parks is bad enough, but in raiding the Heritage Fund, the Legislature gave the middle finger to Arizona voters.  Those voters created the fund in 1990, ordering that up to $20 million from the sale of lottery tickets be divided each year between the state park system and the Arizona Game & Fish Department.  The funds provide grants for projects to conserve our natural and wildlife resources.  They are used for historic preservation projects, for building and maintaining trails and for acquiring land for open space or outdoor recreation facilities.

Despite public support for the fund, legislators have been looking for ways to raid it since its inception, said Beth Woodin, president of the Arizona Heritage Alliance.  The nonprofit alliance formed in 1992 to protect the fund has helped fight off more than 30 previous attempts by legislators to pillage it.  Only once, in 2003, did the Legislature follow through with plans to take $10 million in Heritage Fund money from Game & Fish.

Woodin said just about every city and town in Arizona has benefited from the grants.  “The Heritage Fund represents education.  It’s a form of education about historic monuments, about wildlife, about habitats… To take that away is like taking away the foundation,” Woodin said.

Early this week, state park grant coordinators sent letters telling grant recipients not to spend the money that’s been awarded. Linda Mayro, Pima County cultural resources manager, said in excess of $1.5 million in Heritage Fund grants for projects countywide will be lost.  The Pascua Yaqui tribe had been awarded $430,500 to develop Pascua Yaqui Park.  Pima County is losing $59,700 it would have used to restore the historical Ajo Immaculate Conception Church.  The nonprofit Patronato San Xavier lost the $150,000 it had been counting on to start restoration of the east tower of San Xavier Mission.

The red-meat Republicans who dominate the Legislature may think they’re quite clever in sweeping this fund, thus avoiding cutting the budget elsewhere or raising taxes.  But it’s just another of their penny wise, pound foolish decisions and a poke in the eye to voters who told them two decades ago to keep their grubby hands off this money.

These projects often provide jobs, bring in matching federal and private grant money, and improve the assets that draw tourists to Arizona.  “These are our best amenities and it’s such a disinvestment to take this Heritage Fund away,” Mayro said.

Bill Meek, president of the Arizona State Parks Foundation, said chronic underfunding of capital needs is destroying our state parks.  “The state parks are a mess… What the customers don’t see very much of is the erosion that’s going on behind the scenes,” he said.  “They don’t see the wastewater systems that are being condemned by DEQ in almost every park in the state. They don’t see the walls that are about to fall down or did just fall down… because those things are sort of hidden from them.”

Legislative leadership has insisted that the budget must be hatcheted to address the state’s deficit, while ruling without any discussion of most alternatives, including — yes, I’ll say it — new taxes.  The deficit is daunting and deep cuts are unavoidable. But make no mistake about it, it’s the Legislature’s choice to swing the ax and let the parts fall where they may.  History, culture, and education be damned.  [Note: To read the full article, click here.]

Legislature to cut park construction funding

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[Source: Michael K. Rich, 85239.com] – – Passed as a voter initiative in 1990, the Heritage Fund was designed to act as a steward of good relations between man and the environment: promoting parks, conserving habitats and protecting wildlife.  However, as the state faces a more than $1.4 billion dollar budget shortfall, the fund, which generates money through the sales of several Arizona Lottery games, could be one of the first casualties.

“It is important to protect during this difficult time core Arizona resources, our true capital: parks and wildlife, prehistoric and historic sites, trails and other cultural and outdoors amenities which will serve the citizens of Arizona during this bleak period,” said Janice Miano, director of administration for the Arizona Heritage Alliance, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created in 1992 to protect Arizona’s Heritage Fund and its objectives. [Note: to read the full article click here.]

Commentary: Our State Parks are in trouble

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[Commentary by Don Farmer, Scottsdale, President, Arizona Heritage Alliance Board] – – Our Arizona State Parks are in trouble. It seems the current down economy and resulting state budget meltdown has led our elected legislature to strip out most of the State Parks funding and redirect it to more “important” needs. The direct result of this action is the drastic reduction of the services and programs our State Parks provide us. You do not have to be a State Park visitor to be impacted by this loss. The Arizona State Parks Agency manages 27 parks and natural areas located around the state. They also oversee our State Trails system; manage the Outdoor-Related Grants Program, the State Historic Preservation Office, and the Off-Highway Vehicle Program. The folks at Arizona State Parks have been managing all of these lands and programs in an under-funded condition for years as the legislature chose to sweep one revenue source after another from them. Just one year ago, the situation at State Parks was dire; now with the current loss of funding, the entire agency is threatened with catastrophic collapse.

For whatever the reasons, state budget shortfalls, re-allocation of State Park funding, ignorance towards State Park values or other funding prioritization, it is indefensible that the legislature is strangling the growth and maintenance of assets within the State Parks system. What is next? Are we going to start selling off agency assets to satisfy the state budget needs? The selling of State Park assets certainly is an outrageous notion but is it any less so than the un-funded agency shell that has been left in the wake of the last legislative session’s budget process. What about next year’s budget? From most all accounts, the next few budget years will not show much improvement and the existing funding streams for State Parks will remain mostly empty or undependable.

The Arizona State Parks agency has a solid record of operating-on-a-shoestring a statewide park system, funding for local community historic preservation efforts, and providing assistance to counties, tribal communities, cities and towns towards their own parks and recreation systems. Indeed, Arizona State Parks is the “granting” agency that allows all citizens to enjoy a higher quality of life in Arizona’s communities.

The funding mechanism for Arizona State Parks is broken and we need to implement immediate changes that will ensure an adequate, dependable and increasing funding stream that provides a robust and well maintained State Parks system.

Recently, the Arizona State Parks Board, the citizen commission overseers of the State Parks agency, recommended to Governor Napolitano the formation of a Blue Ribbon Committee, “whose charge would be to determine the present and future needs of the State Park System and explore new revenue sources”. This Committee would recommend new funding strategies and a re-positioning of the agency that will secure a healthy future for the Arizona State Parks.

As individuals, organizations, businesses, counties, cities, towns or tribal entities, we support and use State Park facilities and programs in our community or elsewhere around the state. As such, we should applaud Governor Napolitano for her implementation of this Blue Ribbon Committee. This citizen/governmental task force will provide answers and options to the tough policy and financial questions that currently have our State Parks agency hamstrung and without many options for a healthy future.

Arizona has been blessed with natural beauty and abundant natural resources and we have the luxury to visit and enjoy our State Parks most anytime we choose. If we wish to maintain this lifestyle, a new leadership vision is needed; one that will preserve the best of our natural treasures, plan for open spaces, enhance recreational opportunities and even protect our water and air quality while planning for our future. This new idea seems a worthy goal for our State Parks system, a goal that cannot be achieved by removing that agency’s acquisition and operational funding.

We all share this vision of balancing smart growth with natural and cultural resource protection. The Arizona State Park system, properly funded, is the appropriate agency to connect the various facets of this worthy goal.

Outdoor activity is essential for healthy children

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[Source: Bill Thornton, Tucson, Arizona Heritage Alliance Board Member] — The theme of the 2008 Arizona Parks and Recreation Association Convention and Trade Show was “No Child Left Inside,” a new federal initiative to get children out from behind computer and TV screens and into outdoor activity. The need for action is compelling. The average child spends from six to nine hours each day watching TV and playing computer games with a corresponding reduction in outdoor activity. Due to budget constraints many school districts have reduced or eliminated physical education programs. The resulting lack of physical activity coupled with unhealthy diet is a major contributing factor in the epidemic of childhood obesity.

As a new board member of the Arizona Heritage Alliance the most valuable session for me was “Advocacy for Parks and Recreation.” Featured speaker, Richard J. Dolesh of the National Recreation and Park Association, sees the upcoming election as a historic opportunity to engage the new congress and administration with a pro park message. There will be a relatively short (i.e. six to twelve month) window of opportunity. During this time legislative priorities will be set. If parks don’t have a seat at the table the next four years could see further budget cuts and a very real possibility of park closings.

The park advocate’s task is to convince decision makers that parks serve a vital public need and are worthy of support. Emphasis should be on public health, quality of life, parks role in providing clean air and water, and parks as economic drivers. The message must be clear, focused, and compelling. Competition for decision maker’s attention is keen. If we have a dozen priorities we have no priorities. To accomplish our goals we need to reach out and form new alliances with health care professionals and other non traditional partners. The health benefits of outdoor activity are undeniable. Cardiologists are writing prescriptions for outdoor exercise. Now is the time to carry the message to decision makers.

The same lessons apply at the state level. New legislators need to get the message early. In addition to his message of advocacy Mr. Dolesh also pointed out that a 12.5% levy on offshore oil production could raise $100 million extra dollars per year for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Increased offshore drilling is considered likely regardless of the outcome of the election. We need to be vigilant so the funds aren’t diverted for other uses. Sound familiar?

The day concluded with an awards banquet that showcased many fine examples of innovative parks and recreation programs around the state. I considered it a day well spent.