Arizona Legislature

All work on Arizona Historic Preservation Grant projects is to stop immediately…

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E-mail memo from Arizona State Parks…

Dear HP Grant Recipients:

Most of you are aware the Arizona State Legislature is in the process of resolving a $1.5 billion dollar budget shortfall for the remainder of fiscal year 2009 and a $3.5 billion dollar shortfall for 2010.  All State Agencies are being hit hard and the affect to State Parks will be crippling.  It appears all of the State Parks administered state funded grant programs will be discontinued until further notice.

All work on Historic Preservation Grant projects is to stop immediately, effective February 1, 2009 (especially if HP Grant funds are critical to the completion of the project).  I need your Grant Reimbursement requests no later than 2/13/09.  Any project expenses incurred after 2/1/09 will not be reimbursed — doing otherwise could jeopardize the entire reimbursement.  Some of you have completed your project, please send the closeout documentation by 2/13/09.

The Governor and the Legislature have already passed a budget.  The State Parks Board is holding an emergency meeting on Tuesday 2/3/09 to determine the fate of the grant programs, existing grants, and State Parks personnel.  Information on the Parks Board Meeting has already been forwarded.

Words cannot express the deep personal sorrow I feel delivering this blow to historic preservation in Arizona.  All of you have demonstrated the passion necessary for preserving Arizona’s history and I know you will find a way to rise above this temporary set back.

The Winner says; “It may be difficult, but is it possible”
The Loser says;  “It may be possible, but is it too difficult”

/signed/

Arizona State Parks loses its improvement funding

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[Source: DeWayne Smith, Arizona Republic] — Although the Game and Fish Department was hit quite hard in the recent fund sweeps to balance the state’s budget, Arizona State Parks, which administers the State Lake Improvement Fund, found its coffers empty, thanks to the Arizona Legislature.

According to State Parks Director Ken Travous, the Arizona State Parks Board had to cancel all of its improvement-fund grants for this year, about $4 million.  “The Legislature swept everything except but what we need to operate,” said Travous, whose agency is a favorite place for legislators to find extra dollars to bolster general-fund agencies when times are lean.  [Note: to read the full article, click here.]

Arizona Legislature dips into Game and Fish Dept.’s funds

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[Source: DeWayne Smith, Arizona Republic] — Larry Voyles, Director of the Arizona Game and Fish Department, likens the recent “sweep” of dedicated funds from his agency by the Arizona Legislature to balance the state’s massive budget to going unarmed into a knife fight.

“If you are not willing to get cut, you will be killed,” said Voyles.  “So, you want to take the cut on the outside of the forearm where there is no critical vein and bone is hit pretty quick, but not to the brain, liver or the heart.”  Voyles pointed out that Game and Fish didn’t want to lose anything, but the situation being what it was, “The main thing was to protect funds that are eligible to be used for matching federal excise taxes,” the heart of the wildlife agency’s budget.  [Note: to read the full article, click here.]