State Parks

[Tortoise_Hiker]

"Say it aint so Joe" Is it true that the State budget cuts include closing FIVE State Parks?

[Jeffshadows]

This "Voluntary" donation is hogwash and the state constitution reference is meretricious hot air from a guy who does little more than find ways to get his name in the news. Everyone uses the parks, they belong to all of us, we all pay $12. It's only fair...

[azbackpackr]

The article didn't mention that Apache County is hoping to work something out to keep Lyman Lake open, and has been having meetings to try to figure out a solution. (I guess we are so close to New Mexico we may as well secede from Arizona, since the rest of the state treats us like we don't exist.)

[chumley]

Texan donates $8,000 to keep Lost Dutchman State Park open

by Jim Walsh - Mar. 20, 2010 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

A philanthropic winter visitor from Texas stunned a crowd of Lost Dutchman State Park supporters by plunking down a check for $8,000, enough to keep the threatened park open for about one month.

Taylor H. Sanford Jr.'s generosity culminated a meeting where Assistant Arizona State  Parks Director Jay Ream told supporters hoping to keep the park open that they need about $25,000 to keep the park open during the slow summer months.

Sanford, who winters in the Leisure World retirement community in east Mesa and lives in Katy, Texas, said he read The Arizona Republic's account of the park's plight as legislative budget cuts threaten to close it June 3.

"We don't want to see it go," Sanford said.

Hours before making the donation Thursday, Sanford, 76, said he and a group of friends from Leisure World hiked four miles in the park.

"I happen to be very fortunate. I'm good at managing my money," said Sanford, a retired airline captain for defunct Trans World Airlines. He said one of his previous projects was funding Wilderness on Wheels, a wheelchair-accessible trail and campground in Colorado, in honor of his late wife, Jane Patterson Lee, who was disabled toward the end of her life.

"It's not major charities but things that affect people locally," he said.

"I like to see where the money is going and what it's doing."

In this case, Sanford's donation is to a dedicated account set up for Lost Dutchman by the Arizona State Parks Foundation. With his donation, announced by Sanford at a meeting of about 120 people, the philanthropist said he was attempting to kick-start donations to keep the park open.

"I hope it encourages others to do something similar," he said.

[FreespiritAZ]

Maybe these parks could be privatized. I don't think the land should be sold, but maybe the operation and upkeep of these parks could be taken over by private nonprofit groups.

[Dschur]

The only scary thing is will they keep that money in the park or put it into the general fund...

[Dschur]

Payson saves Tonto Bridge State Park
By Pete Aleshire

March 19, 2010

The State Parks Board on Wednesday approved a deal with Payson that will keep Tonto Natural Bridge State Park open five days a week all summer.

The town will provide $25,000 to offset the operating loss for the world’s largest travertine arch, which contributes an estimated $3.6 million annually to the region’s economy.

The State Parks Board had previously voted to shut down Tonto Natural Bridge in June along with most of the rest of the sites in the state’s 28-park system.

However, the agreement with the town should keep the park and its newly refurbished historic inn open through at least September.

By then, either the Legislature will have provided the parks with enough money to operate the system or the parks will explore a longer-term solution that could turn over management of the park to Payson, which would then hire a contractor that could operate on gate fees alone.

The town has already pledged $17,000 to get the park through the summer. The newly formed Friends of Tonto Natural Bridge has vowed to raise another $8,000.

Rim Country Regional Chamber of Commerce Manager John Stanton said the agreement will provide the stability needed to begin to rebuild visitation. Visits to the park peaked at about 93,000 three years ago, but dropped below 65,000 last year due to the uncertainty and weekend-only hours.

“We have visitors in here every day that want to go to the bridge,” said Stanton. “We get whole buses full of European tourists. Then you have the people bringing their grandkids back because they remember going there when they were kids.

“The economic impact is very large. You’ll have a couple coming up for the day to see the bridge and they’re going to buy gas. Have lunch. Stop in a shop — maybe spend the night — and conclude this is a pretty nice place to live

[nonot]

Cut $25,000 from the budget, lose ~ $360,000 in revenue? And these morons are our elected leaders? (facepalm)

[Jeffshadows]

Cut $25,000 from the budget, lose ~ $360,000 in revenue? And these morons are our elected leaders? (facepalm)

Logic like this is precisely why I smell a "real estate developer" rat, here...

[Dschur]

They have now opened up Tonto Natural Bridge to 7 days a week... was closed two days a week... even the message board sign in Payson has changed...

[CannondaleKid]

Now if only they would open the rest stop/bathrooms at the 87/188 junction. Too many people have been using the various Forest Road turn-offs along 87 and leaving their messes many times in plain sight.

[chumley]

Now if only they would open the rest stop/bathrooms at the 87/188 junction.

The Mazatzal Rest Area is in need of rehabilitation before opening. ADOT has been working on rehabbing rest areas across the state. Mazatzal is on the ADOT calendar for a new wastewater treatment system ... in 2018. So you'll have to hold it for a little bit longer.

That said, it's 58 miles from Payson to Ft. McDowell, on a highway where it should take about 45 minutes to travel. You wouldn't think that would cause undue hardship on most folks.

[azbackpackr]

Now if only they would open the rest stop/bathrooms at the 87/188 junction.

The Mazatzal Rest Area is in need of rehabilitation before opening. ADOT has been working on rehabbing rest areas across the state. Mazatzal is on the ADOT calendar for a new wastewater treatment system ... in 2018. So you'll have to hold it for a little bit longer.

That said, it's 58 miles from Payson to Ft. McDowell, on a highway where it should take about 45 minutes to travel. You wouldn't think that would cause undue hardship on most folks.

I stop at Deer Creek TH, pee in the bushes, and I don't leave any paper. It's a nice break. I'm a 60-year-old grandmother, and I can damned well stop and pee whenever I want to! Especially nice to be driving by myself, and I don't have to beg the driver to stop. Men never want to stop, unless they are older than I am and have enlarged prostates. Being a long-time backpacker, I actually prefer a quiet trailhead. No one is usually around, I can take a quick stretch and stroll, etc. Of course, I don't advocate this for the masses, only for me.

[kingsnake]

I'm a 60-year-old grandmother, and I can damned well stop and pee whenever I want to! Especially nice to be driving by myself, and I don't have to beg the driver to stop. Men never want to stop, unless they are older than I am and have enlarged prostates.

[CannondaleKid]

I stop at Deer Creek TH, pee in the bushes, and I don't leave any paper. It's a nice break. I'm a 60-year-old grandmother, and I can damned well stop and pee whenever I want to!

I have no problem with that if the majority were that responsible.

But in this case I'm talking specifically about folks who drop a biscuit right in the middle of a Forest Road barely a few hundred feet off 87. And yes, I've actually witnessed the act on more than one occasion, and the offender in both cases left the TP and all right there. And I've been wishing ever since that I took a video to send to those who made the decision to shut down and keep the rest areas closed.

And plenty of others, even if they do step off the roads, leave the TP right where they used it.

@chumley Of course it's going to take fixing for stuff that went bad as much to non-use as anything else.