No Matter The State Budget Outcome, Some State Parks Are Likely To Close

By Tammy Gray-Searles
   The early shutdown of campgrounds at Arizona State Parks is likely a foreshadowing of things to come for several parks across the state, including Lyman Lake and Homolovi state parks.
   Regardless of the final outcome of the state budget, which was still not finalized as of press time Wednesday, the Arizona State Parks Board will be forced to make painful budget cuts. Reducing costs by closing at least eight state parks is still at the top of the list, and was scheduled to be the topic of a July 2 work session.
   According to state parks spokesman Ellen Brilbey, board members were not expected to take action at the work session, but instead were to determine exactly how to proceed when they hold their next regular meeting on Monday, Aug. 3.
   The July 2 agenda called for the board to meet in executive session “for legal advice regarding strategies necessary to balance the budget including, but not limited to, spending reductions, staff layoffs or reductions in force, transferring expenses to alternative funding sources, suspending grant payments, suspending FY2010 grant cycle, park closures, reduction of hours/days of operations, deferring parks capital projects, furloughs, salary reductions, spending reductions…” Public discussion was scheduled following the executive session.
   Parks on the potential chopping block besides Lyman Lake and Homolovi include Riordan Mansion, Fort Verde State Historic Park, Yuma Quartermaster Depot, Oracle State Park, Tubac Presidio and McFarland State Historic Park.
   Earlier in June, the parks department put out a call for volunteers to help keep certain parks open, including Lyman Lake and Riordan Mansion. An announcement on June 3 noted, “At Lyman Lake State Park, there is a need for a summer on-site volunteer couple. Assistance from a volunteer is needed in the park office from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily and in the maintenance host area. A maintenance service volunteer will assist the park staff with general maintenance, cleaning of cabins and yurts and small construction projects. Examples of projects include daily park maintenance, trail work, painting, plumbing, weeding or other projects designated by the volunteer coordinator. The park’s on-site volunteers donate 20 hours each per week and this volunteer opening is available immediately through October 2009.”
   According to the parks department, last year volunteers provided more than 174,063 hours of service in 30 state parks, or the equivalent of 84 full-time positions.
   The parks board has not made any announcement whether parks such as Lyman Lake could be kept open using entirely volunteer labor.
   An agenda for the board’s Aug. 3 meeting has not yet been readied, but Bilbrey noted that it will include discussion regarding park closures and other possible budget cuts. Meanwhile, the department has taken other cost saving steps such as reducing hours and days of operations at certain parks. Parks currently closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays include Fort Verde, Oracle, Tombstone Courthouse, Tubac Presidio, Yuma Territorial Prison and Yuma Quartermaster Depot.
   Tonto Natural Bridge, which was previously closed to save money while repairs were being made, has been reopened from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on certain weekends only. Those weekends are July 3-5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-26, and Aug. 1-2.