Fort Verde State Historic Park

Viewpoint: Arizona State Parks robbing Peter to pay Paul

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[Source: Camp Verde Bugle] — Talk about bittersweet.  In rather twisted fashion, the Sullivan Hotel’s loss is Fort Verde’s gain.  A temporary stay of execution was issued to such Arizona properties as Fort Verde State Historic Park and Red Rock State Park.  At Friday’s meeting of the State Parks Board, Director Ken Travous announced that by cutting and suspending Heritage Grants, as well as other cost-cutting measures, the agency was able to make up $5 million in its decimated budget.  That meant not closing an additional eight parks, at least until July.  But this was robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Ask Mary Wills and Sally Dryer about being “robbed.”  After being approved for a $150,000 Heritage grant to sustain the old Sullivan Hotel in Jerome, taking out loans and mortgaging a house, the women were told in February that State Parks was canceling the grant.  It damaged Wills and Dryer financially, the last thing the state should be doing.

What the move may have saved State Parks in money has cost it in respect and reputation around here.  The board also went down the path of supporting a controversial House bill that will allow the state to take funds meant for land preservation and use it for the State Parks budget.  That smacks of underhandedness. Reneging on a promise, which is essentially what the Heritage Grant was, and going directly against voter intentions to snag more money are bad ideas.

Yes, the Legislature cut $36 million from State Parks’ budget.  And yes, come July, it may cut another $12 million.  It’s painful, possibly fatal for some parks. But limiting park hours or completely shuttering more would be preferable ethically to shifty moves that make anyone question State Parks’ honesty. While it was nice to hear, on the eve of the History of the Soldier event, that Fort Verde and other parks were temporarily spared being shuttered, it’s bittersweet to know such parks are staying open at such a cost.

Fate of Arizona’s state parks to be discussed, April 3

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[Source: Casey Newton, Arizona Republic] — The fate of eight state parks will be up for discussion Friday when the Arizona State Parks Board meets to discuss cost-cutting moves.  Like most state agencies, the parks board has seen its budget cut dramatically over the past 12 months.  The agency must close a $3 million budget deficit by the end of June.

Three state parks already have closed indefinitely to allow for repairs and to save money.  Eight more state parks could shut down depending on the board’s vote Friday: Homolovi Ruins, Oracle, Yuma Quartermaster Depot, Tubac Presidio, Fort Verde, Lyman Lake, Riordan Mansion, and Red Rock.

Alternatives to closing the parks indefinitely include seasonal closings, reduced days or hours of operation and layoffs.  “Anything can happen,” parks spokeswoman Ellen Bilbrey said.

The board meets at 11:30 a.m., Friday, April 3 at the Carnegie Center, 1101 W. Washington St., Phoenix.

Arizona House advances state parks funding measure

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[Source: Tucson Citizen/Associated Press] — Taking a path that critics said would put lawmakers on legally shaky ground, the Arizona House of Representatives on Thursday gave preliminary approval to a plan to keep threatened state parks open by diverting money from a voter-mandated program for land conservation for open space.  The measure aims to reverse recent state budget cuts that have put numerous state parks at risk of closure.  It has backing from parks advocates but is opposed by the Sierra Club, a lobbying group for environmentalists.  Because it would modify a voter-approved law, the Arizona Constitution requires that the measure both be approved by three-quarters of each legislative chamber and further the intent of the voter-approved law.

The land conservation fund, which provides grants for land purchases by local governments, was authorized under a growth-planning law approved by voters in 1998.  With Thursday’s voice vote, the Republican-backed measure faces an expected formal House vote next week.  Passage would send it to the Senate.  However, passage by the 60-member House is not assured as Democratic leaders criticized the measure during debate Thursday.  Even if all 35 majority Republican representatives vote for the bill (HB2088), a three-quarters vote would require backing from at least 10 of the 25 Democrats.

The legislation would return the $20 million to the land conservation fund in 2012, and supporters of the bill said the state money won’t be missed in the meantime because current economic hard times mean local governments can’t afford their shares of the cost of land purchases.  “We have a great opportunity, instead of putting money aside in a fund that we cannot use,” said Rep. Andy Tobin, R-Paulden.

Rep. Chad Campbell, D-Phoenix, said he supports keeping parks open but not by tampering with a voter-approved law.  “We see this bill as being illegal and not furthering the intent of the voters,” Campbell said.

The Parks Department has already closed three parks — McFarland Historic, Jerome Historic and Tonto Natural Bridge — but eight others are also listed as candidates for temporary closure because of the funding cuts made to close a big shortfall in the current state budget.  The eight are Fort Verde, Homolovi, Lyman Lake, Oracle, Red Rock, Riordan Mansion, Tubac Presidio, Yuma Quartermaster Depot.  [Note: To read the full article, click here.]

Viewpoint: Arizona State Parks blind-sided Jerome

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[Source: Dan Engler, Editor, Verde Valley News] — During the past month the rallying cry from the folks at Arizona State Parks is that the Legislature does not care about the state parks system.  By the same token, it’s also fair to say that Arizona State Parks does not care much about the communities in which their parks reside.  In early February, State Parks Director Ken Travous recommended to his board that five state parks in Arizona be closed immediately followed by three more later in the year.  Included among those parks initially recommended for closure was Fort Verde State Park in Camp Verde.

The Parks Board was not so convinced that it should take such drastic measures, even though the state is broke and there are few state parks in Arizona that generate profit-making revenue.  Nearly three weeks later, Travous announced that he was sticking to his guns about the necessity for closing some of Arizona’s state parks, and among those topping the list this time around was Jerome State Historic Park and Red Rock State Park in Sedona.  He made his announcement on a Thursday, and one day later it was a done deal. [Note: To read the full editorial, click here. To read a reader’s opposing viewpoint, click here.]