Arizona State Parks Board

Yavapai County to consider assisting Jerome State Historic Park

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[Source: Prescott Daily Courier, Linda Stein 7-31-2010]

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The board will also consider an intergovernmental agreement that could lead to reopening of Jerome State Historic Park this fall. Under the pact, the county would pay $30,000 to the Arizona State Parks Board to run the park, a mining museum in the 100-year-old Douglas Mansion. A separate agreement would allow the Jerome Historical Society operate the gift shop and the visitor contact desk.

Previously, county officials inked agreements to keep Fort Verde State Park and Red Rock State Park open by contributing $30,000 to each and marshaling volunteers. State officials targeted the parks for closure because of state budget cuts. The parks generate $266 million for rural Arizona and attract about 2.3 million visitors annually.

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Here is a video (unrelated to the article) on Jerome State Historic Park.  It was produced by KAET-TV Eight PBS:

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Widow’s hefty donation to Arizona parks is poached

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[Source: Casey Newton, Arizona Republic] — In their latest effort to solve Arizona’s budget crisis with cuts, lawmakers turned to a woman who couldn’t make a fuss.  After all, she has been dead for eight years.  Alta Forest, a Danish immigrant who fell in love with Arizona after moving to Fountain Hills with her husband, left nearly $250,000 to the Arizona State Parks Board when she died of cancer at age 82.

When parks officials received the money in 2003, it was the largest private donation the parks system had ever received.  They were unprepared for such a large gift, said Ken Travous, who served as state-parks director for 23 years before retiring in June.  “We had never received anything of that magnitude before,” he said, adding that he began “looking for something that was big enough to really make her proud.”

While parks officials considered what to do with the money, Arizona’s budget deficit ballooned into the billions.  Last month, when the Republican-led Legislature met in special session to cut $140 million from the budget, it swept up half the money in the parks system’s donations fund, which included most of Forest’s donation.  “It was like they had kicked me in the stomach,” Travous said.  “Surely, I thought, they have some shame.  But they’re shameless.”  [Note: Read the full article at Widow’s hefty donation to Arizona parks is poached.]

Lyman Lake State Park spared for now, but still on the chopping block

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Penny Pew expresses support for keeping Lyman Lake State Park open.

[Source: Karen Warnick, The White Mountain Independent] — Once more Lyman Lake State Park, located near St. Johns, escaped closure by the State Parks Board, but it still remains on the chopping block along with seven other parks.  The board met Friday, Feb. 20, to decide the fate of more than a third of Arizona’s 27 parks.  The meeting took place at the Peoria City Council chamber room due to the large number of people expected to attend.  The meeting started at 9 a.m. and lasted until 3 p.m. with a 30-minute lunch break. 

Residents from around the state showed up to support keeping the parks open.  County and city law enforcement officials, members of non-profit and grassroots organizations, and private citizens spoke before the board during the call to the public.  Several individuals representing Apache and Navajo counties, including Apache County Sheriff Joseph Dedmon and Navajo County Supervisor Jesse Thompson, were at the meeting.  Penny Pew, representing a community group from the White Mountains, spoke to the board.  Pew presented the board with letters from Apache County Supervisor R. John Lee, the mayors of Pinetop-Lakeside, Eagar and St. Johns, the chambers of St. Johns and Springerville-Eagar, St. Johns Unified School District Superintendent Larry Heap, and over 100 students from St. Johns. 

In his letter, Lee said, “On behalf of the citizens of Apache County, this letter is an expression of Apache County’s support for continued operation of Lyman Lake State Park, which is vital to its residents and nonresidents in providing recreation and economic benefits.”  Eagar Mayor Kim Holaway said, “Apache County is one of the poorest counties in the state and is considered entirely rural.  Rural communities have fewer resources to draw upon than the larger cities in our state.”  [Note: To read the full article, click here.]

Arizona’s budget crisis may cut funding, close several state parks

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Riordan Mansion, Flagstaff (Photo: Jen Merrill, NAU Lumberjack)

[Source: Matthew Vinsko, JackCentral] — In response to Arizona’s $1.6 billion deficit, the Arizona State Parks Board (ASPB) decided on Feb. 20 to close two state parks.  Many others will receive a drop in funds, and may be closed in FY 2009, including Flagstaff’s Riordan Mansion.  These parks cost too much to maintain compared to what tourism and other outlets bring in financially.

Bill Meek, the president of the Arizona State Parks Foundation, said with the obvious need for cuts throughout the state, it was a foregone conclusion that parks would be affected.  “It was pretty apparent that (they) could not make it through the year with the money that they have,” Meek said.  “(Because) we face the same problems as the universities, it is just as hard to get away from the legislature.”

Kendra Stoks, a volunteer for more than two years at Riordan Mansion, said this time of uncertainty has been hard on all those involved with Arizona state parks.  “It is a scary time right now,” Stoks said.  “State parks mean a lot to Arizona.  We are all still shocked about (potentially) losing that little piece of history.” [Note: To read the full article, click here.]