State Parks Cutting Back on Services
Tuesday, May 26th, 2009
State parks and National parks have long been a great way to stretch a vacation budget. These are parcels of land, protected by the government and supported by taxpayer dollars. Unfortunately for vacationers looking to save a few bucks by staying in the great outdoors, things may not be so budget friendly anymore.
The Federal Government may have recently passed a record high budget of over three trillion dollars but the money is not expected to trickle down enough to help out state budgets. State parks are sure to feel pain of the lack of funding due to the economic down turn, the reduction in tourism and several other factors (including existing debt payments).
Not only will visitors feel the sting of higher prices but there will be other cut backs in park services as well. It is likely that some parks will reduce the number of hours that they are open and may even close beaches and pools altogether. State parks are hiring fewer seasonal employees and even eliminating positions completely.
Another concern is that the parks will not receive the proper maintenance. Fewer employees and fewer dollars often mean that the parks are left to just take care of themselves. Experts predict that the cuts may actually end up costing the parks even more in the long run.
Local recreation departments and other day camps are scrambling to find new locations for campers since state park facilities will be closed. It is a sad state of fiscal responsibility when public facilities are not open to the public because of budget cuts.
The good news is that the National Parks are expected to see a surplus in funding due in part to the stimulus package. Vacationers looking for a break in their own budgets may end up spending their money at the National Parks instead of the State Parks because of the cuts.