Thread: 15 State parks on closing list

For Alabama State Parks, 'closed means closed,' director warns | AL.com

For Alabama State Parks, 'closed means closed,' director warns


By Lee Roop | lroop@al.com
on April 16, 2015 at 1:49 PM, updated April 16, 2015 at 3:54 PM

Q: What does "closed" mean? Some parks have many facilities, including campgrounds, golf courses, boat ramps and lodges. Will everything close?
A: "For these 15 parks," Lein said, it means "everything is closed. The staff is gone and the facilities are closed. We may come out the other side and let people go in and use a trail, but the bathrooms won't be open and the boat ramps will be closed."


Q: What in the budget proposal is causing all the problems? How serious is the threat, and why is a relatively small amount of like $10.4 million causing this turmoil?
A: The 2016 General Fund budget making its way through the Legislature takes $11.4 million from the state Conservation Department budget by removing several revenue streams. The majority of cuts would be felt by the parks, Lein says, because most conservation money is committed to match federal funds. The budget has not passed yet, and the loss of money if it passes would not be immediate. It would accumulate through next year.
Lein says past cuts have left the parks system heavily dependent on guest charges. That money is the only source of funds to shore up areas now funded by the money being transferred.
"The only place to get it is guest revenue," he said. "If I can't pay the light bill and staffing, I don't have a product to sell. If someone takes the money you're using to produce the product, you can't produce the product. They've robbed Peter to pay Paul too many times."

Additional related articles:

300 state park job cuts looming if Alabama budget crisis isn't resolved | AL.com

Picturing a real crisis for Alabama state parks as long as Montgomery is on the case | AL.com

Odd that NONE of these positions set to be lost include Directors or other high level (high income) types ;-)
BTW, the Director of the State Park system is APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR!
http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/alcode/41/7/41-7-3

Nope, ADCNR Commissioner is selected by the Governor, all Division Chiefs are selected by the Commissioner. Its a Merit System appt., not an appointment.

Thanks Carl, I misread the list @
ALA CODE § 41-7-3 : Alabama Code - Section 41-7-3: ADVISORY BOARD

HOORAY FOR JIM ZEIGLER'S EFFORTS TO KEEP THESE STATE PARKS OPEN!
Auditor plan to keep state parks open with no tax increase: "Save Our Parks with Savings" | AL.com

SAVE OUR PARKS WITH SAVINGS
Please contact your state senator and state representative and ask them to support Zeigler's plan, "Save Our Parks with Savings." Here is how to contact them:

AHEM! ;-)

Alabama state parks, golf courses get reprieve, won't close May 1 | AL.com

Four state parks and two golf courses threatened with closure May 1 by the state's budget crisis will now stay open "until further notice," State Parks Director Greg Lein said today.
​"Since that time, we have received a tremendous amount of support from the public. In addition, the governor's office and the legislature have received an outcry for our parks to stay open and for them to receive full funding," Lein said. "Given these recent developments and discussions that are taking place in Montgomery, Gov. Bentley has instructed the state parks division to delay these closings slated for May 1 until further notice."
Lein told park supporters, "What you are doing is working and has a huge impact on ensuring that State Parks funding is protected. We encourage all supporters of the parks system to continue to communicate within your families, your communities, and among your elected officials to resolve this funding crisis once and for all."

Still doesn't fix the budget problem.

10 facts Alabama state parks supporters and skeptics need to know: guest opinion | AL.com

10 facts Alabama state parks supporters and skeptics need to know: guest opinion

• About the writer
  Greg Lein is director of Alabama State Parks. He can be reached at Greg.Lein@dcnr.alabama.gov

As the debate continues about Alabama's budget crisis and the Legislature's proposal to take $10.4 million from the State Parks System(plus another $1 million from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources), uncertainty hangs over the future of state parks.
Here, though, are 10 things I want to share with our supporters and skeptics about the Alabama State Parks in 2015:
1) Alabama's state parks are now approaching what is normally our busiest and most prosperous time of the year – summer. We have numerous events and programs scheduled for the coming months. Several new recreational concessions will be starting operations in the next month and several others are entering just their second or third year of operations.
2) Our state parks staff and volunteers are a tremendous asset when it comes to providing the public with a positive experience in the parks. This human capital is incredibly valuable to the system. Of the State Parks System's 748 employees, 184 are volunteers -- that's 25 percent of the overall workforce.
3) Our parks offer a great "park product" to the public, as demonstrated by the Trip Advisor Awards of Excellence earned by nine of our parks in 2014. These awards are decided by visitors and are based on their personal experience at our parks.
4) All 22 parks are fully operational for the first time in 20 years, which began a period of renovations and recovery from natural – and unnatural – disasters. Throughout that 20-year period of disruption, park attendance has remained stable. The past six years have been the best on record, revenue-wise, for the Parks System, but we still operate a bare-bones budget with very little cash on hand. That is why raiding this revenue will have a crippling impact on the Parks System.
5) From a strictly budgetary standpoint, Alabama's Parks System operates as the most efficient State Park System in the Southeast, based on guest revenue compared to expenses. Across the nation, Alabama's Parks System ranks in the top three using that same comparison.
6) Despite the transfer of $12 million from the administrative and maintenance funds during FY2012 and FY2013, the Parks System has been able to cope with maintenance and administrative costs to improve and maintain a quality "parks product" by drawing on our reserve funds. Those funds are now gone.
7) The Alabama State Parks System's cash balance is at its lowest point since 2000. This, along with the seasonal patterns of our cash flow, amplifies the potential impact associated with the proposed transfer of $10.4 million of State Park System funds. Despite the implementation of efficiencies started in 2000, the costs of materials, utilities, insurance and staffing have increased significantly over time.
8) A 2014 Economic Impact Study performed by the University of Alabama demonstrated that our state gains a tenfold return ($375 million) on investment in our State Parks System. In 2014, the Parks System had 4.6 million visitor occurrences. Our State Parks System is a highly valued public service program that improves our quality of life and brings significant revenue to the communities where our parks exist.
9) Since our budget crisis has become publicly known, the outpouring of support from citizens who love and appreciate their state parks has been tremendous. A new Facebook page supporting the State Parks System (AL State Parks Partners)gained more than 22,000 "likes" on their page in less than two weeks.
10) The Alabama State Parks System is a user-pay system – one that is now attracting private investment and partnership relationships. We need the public to continue to visit and use the parks this spring and as much as possible this summer. Your support is more important than ever.
Park partners need to continue speaking with family, friends and elected officials to let them know that a fully funded State Parks System brings benefits beyond measure. Please know that we are doing everything we can to keep the state parks open and to ensure that we continue to provide the kind of service guests have come to expect. We are open for business and hope to see you very soon at one of our 22 beautiful state parks.

How much do you want to bet they will start auctioning off to the highest bidder (yeah right) state parks to corporations? Instead of seeing a sign that says welcome to gulf shores state park. It will read welcome to Bank of America gulf shores state park.

Originally Posted by pokenfish

How much do you want to bet they will start auctioning off to the highest bidder (yeah right) state parks to corporations? Instead of seeing a sign that says welcome to gulf shores state park. It will read welcome to Bank of America gulf shores state park.

That would require a change to the state parks legislation, a constitutional amendment as well as requiring the state to repay the feds hundreds of millions $$$ in Land & Water Conservation Fund grants. And returning large tracts to TVA and a number of private entities that granted land to the Park system with deed restriction & reversion clauses.
Could it happen? Sure, this is Alabama and stupider shit has been done, but not likely....