Renee Bahl

Yuma Quartermaster Depot turned over to city

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[Source: Joyce Lobeck, YumaSun.com 10-28-2009] – A new chapter for the Yuma Quartermaster Depot began Wednesday morning when Gov. Jan Brewer presented the key for the historic park to the city of Yuma. The ceremony launched an agreement to have the city operate the state park temporarily to ensure the historic attraction remains open for residents and visitors alike until the state recovers financially.

The park is seen as a critical element in the city’s efforts to redevelop the riverfront and downtown area, said Charles Flynn, who heads up that effort. He noted the effort began 10 years ago and has involved a tremendous outlay of time, effort and funding, with the state continuously being an important partner. Flynn said efforts to date include the restoration of the East and West Wetlands and opening of the Hilton Garden Inn and companion conference center. Plans ultimately call for residential, retail, dining and entertainment development along the Colorado River [to read the full article click here].

Arizona State Parks Restores Funding To Heritage Fund Grant Projects

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[Source: States News Service 9-30-2009] – On Tuesday, September 22, 2009, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) gave a favorable review to the Agency’s request to backfill cuts made to its operating budget. With the Committee’s favorable review, the Parks Board unsuspended Heritage Fund grants that had been frozen in February 2009.

“We are extremely happy to release funding for these very worthy trails, historic preservation, and park projects,” said Renee Bahl, Executive Director. In order deal with a 26% reduction in the in the department’s ongoing operating budget compared to July 2008, Arizona State Parks will be reducing parks operations and hours [to read the full article click here].

 

Study outlines options for state park funding

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[Source: Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services 10-22-2009] – The state park system needs an infusion of outside cash, possibly from a surcharge on vehicle license taxes, to keep it from collapsing, according to a new report.  The study, done for the Arizona Parks Foundation by the Morrison Institute at Arizona State University concludes that the revenues collected from users is insufficient to properly maintain and operate the parks, much less acquire new properties. And the supplement the system used to get in state tax dollars from the Legislature has all but dried up as lawmakers divert the dollars for other priorities.

So the report suggests a host of other ways to raise the $40 million a year that Parks Director Renee Bahl said is probably necessary not just to keep the gates open at the existing parks but to also catch up on overdue maintenance and put some money aside for future purchases [to read this full article click here].

Arizona’s state parks are in ‘imminent crisis’

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[Source: Arizona Rural Headlines Examiner.com, 10-23-2009] – Arizona’s 31 state parks are in “imminent crisis” and face closure and irreparable deterioration unless new and sustainable funding is established, parks officials and supporters warned at a news conference Thursday to release a special report, “The Price of Stewardship: The Future of Arizona State Parks.”

The 46-page report was prepared by Morrison Institute for Public Policy, an independent, non-partisan center for public policy research, analysis and public outreach. Morrison Institute is part of the Arizona State University College of Public Programs.

“State parks are hard assets that we as a state own, and they are deteriorating rapidly,” said Grady Gammage Jr., senior research fellow at Morrison Institute and member of Governor’s Sustainable State Parks Task Force. “There’s about $200 million in deferred maintenance and really so very desperate needs. There are walls collapsing. There are sewage systems in the parks that are not compliant with legal requirements. Those kind of things are not being taken care of,” Gammage said, noting that Arizona’s state parks budget has been cut to literally nothing. [to read the full article click here].