Advocacy - Funding Impacts
Because Arizona State Parks has been chronically under-funded, it needs our ongoing support at the Governor's office, the State Legislature and with the public.
In recent years, as reduced state tax collections have resulted in serious budget deficits, Arizona lawmakers have siphoned millions of dollars from funds administered by the Parks department.
As a key point, tax dollars account for a relatively small portion of the State Parks overall budget which depends to a large degree on special user fees. When the Legislature "sweeps" away these fee-generated revenues, it breaks trust with those who use our state parks and leaves park managers unable to repair worn-out sewage systems, repair parks facilities, maintain valuable habitat or save crumbling historic buildings. Some of these buildings, like the spectacular cliff-top House of Apache Fire at Redrock State Park, are in such bad condition that they will be beyond repair unless major capital improvements can be funded and undertaken within two or three years.
Damaging past cuts still being felt: Because of massive cuts to the Parks budget in FY2003 and again in FY2008-2009, many parks remain in serious disrepair with buildings falling down, inadequate water systems, eroding shorelines at Colorado River parks and failing wastewater systems that could force parks to close.
Bare bones funding: State Parks receives $8.2 million in general fund appropriations. The parks system depends on using additional monies from a set of special funds, including the Heritage Fund, the State Lake Improvement Fund, the Off-Highway Vehicle Fund and other special sources. While the Heritage Fund so far has been spared from funding raids, the Legislature has been quick to sweep monies from other funds necessary to maintaining State Parks programs, including basic operational needs.
Cuts reduce parks economic benefits: Cutting the State Parks budget has eroded the ability to generate revenues from park visitor fees, in turn reducing the economic benefits that parks bring to local communities. A recent study by Northern Arizona University shows that the Parks system generates some $266 million for local economies. Cutting parks funds and programs, in essence, reduces benefits to local communities.
Slashing funds in face of growing demands makes no sense: More than 2.3 million people visit state parks each year. Yet funds for operating the system have remained flat for the past five years despite relentless cost hikes such as an annual increase of $500,000 in parks fuel and utility costs. Not keeping the system whole in the face of increasing public demands on parks facilities makes no sense.
Arizonans deserve to have their parks protected: Arizonans own their parks. They purchased and developed these valuable assets over the past 50 years and deserve to have them protected. If the state is serious about quality growth, it must also be serious about protecting the recreational, natural and cultural resources of a system that encompasses some of the most scenic and environmentally unique places in the Southwest.