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

Sad. Did you hear which ones? Some might not be missed all that much, you know?

I don't think the official list has been finalized...yet. The really awful thing is that they are projecting 100 layoffs in concert with the closures...

They haven't made the specific ones public yet, but it may be worse than that...could be as many as 8.

Last time this happened, the ones on the chopping block were Catalina, Lost Dutchman, McFarland, Oracle, Picacho, Roper Lake and Tubac. The only ones that are totally safe are Kartchner Caverns and Lake Havasu, because they consistently make so much money.

AZ state parks have a public board meeting on Tuesday, 10am...that's probably when we're going to hear the bad news If anyone wants to go down and fight for any of the parks, that would be the time. The meeting will be in the Board Room at 1300 W. Washington Street. The Board Room is located in the basement of the Arizona State Parks office.

oh, just found this...you might find this interesting:

Visitors for each of Arizona's park in most recent budget year:
Alamo Lake 64,885
Boyce Thompson 73,174
Buckskin Mountain 93,709
Catalina 168,874
Cattail Cove 94,179
Dead Horse Ranch 133,822
Fool Hollow Lake 110,741
Fort Verde 15,992
Homolovi 15,200
Jerome 60,114
Kartchner 160,013
Lake Havasu 248,851
Lost Dutchman 100,424
Lyman Lake 42,018
McFarland 4,945
Oracle 9,898
Patagonia Lake 178,505
Picacho Peak 98,565
Red Rock 79,617
Riordan Mansion 26,209
Roper Lake 85,939
Slide Rock 249,759
Tombstone 52,588
Tonto Natural Bridge 87,930
Tubac Presidio 12,835
Yuma Crossing 11,676
Yuma Prison 67,851
Total 2,348,313

Source: Arizona Parks Department

Mmm...Homolovi is low in visitation; I hope it doesn't get the axe! I hope none of them get the axe, really, but considering how the economy and our legislature is, I won't be surprised if some of them get hit.

So what happens when they close a state park? Do they just shut off the water and stop maintaining the area, stop charging to get in, but keep the parking lots and trailheads open?

Hopefully they don't seal the whole place shut... But they might if they fear vandals will destroy the place when its unmanned.

If they had more volunteers they probably wouldn't have to do this. How about some legislation to require persons on welfare, unemployment, etc. to serve at these parks.

SuperstitionGuy wrote:If they had more volunteers they probably wouldn't have to do this. How about some legislation to require persons on welfare, unemployment, etc. to serve at these parks.

I have a problem with legislation requiring people to volunteer. Then it isnt really volunteering is it? I know we hear the cliches and stories, about how people on welfare and on unemployment, how they are lazy and living it up in their big apartments watching flat screened TVs payed for with government money. But in reality, I have met many people on welfare and unemployment, and in my opinion these people are some of the hardest working people out there. Many times working multiple jobs, more than 40 hours a week, or riding the bus all over the city to try and look for a job wherever they can.

Alot of the people on welfare dont have cars, and cant pay for gas. How do you propose they get to the state parks to do their mandatory "volunteer" work?

Yuma Prison State Park? Sounds like a lovely spot for a hike.

Perhaps having to pick up other peoples trash, such as beer cans, diapers, cigerette butts, etc. would motivate those previously unwilling to work to actually join the real world and provide for their own upkeep and expenses. Yes there are those that truly need and are worthy of welfare of some type and I support that.

I am reminded of a conversation that I had with an older couple that were assisting welfare families a while back. They were visiting a third generation welfare family for a State organization and they asked the eleven year old daughter what she planned to do when she grew up. Her response was, "I am going to get pregnant and have a baby so I can have my own money."

I hear ya, Supesguy. I'd love to see some of these parks more volunteer-manned, but there would still have to be someone paid and in charge to manage employees...and if the volunteer stream weren't consistent enough, it would be a NASTY job to keep it going on your own and trying to find volunteers all the time on top of that...some paid person would have to be tracking down these people, finding ways to recruit them

Perhaps it would be better to use volunteers at city parks where there is quicker and easier access. And yes all volunteers would have to be supervised to some extent. When I was a volunteer in the Superstition Wilderness I was supervised by the Wilderness Specialist and rarely did I see him. Our contact was mostly by phone but occasionaly I would visit him in his office in Mesa.

But back to the main theme of this thread, I hope the State of Arizona would consider more volunteers. To many of us old retirees are just wasting away chasing those little white balls on golf courses. :bigth:

Maybe for the catclaw Revenge project I will take a #5 iron and an orange tennis ball with me and play a few rounds in Angel Basin...

Hiking in the McDowells and in Cave Creek I've actually found a few golf balls on the trails.

SuperstitionGuy wrote:Maybe for the catclaw Revenge project I will take a #5 iron and an orange tennis ball with me and play a few rounds in Angel Basin...

Hey you might as well. We're gonna be out there for 4 days and we're only clearing 1.5 miles of trail. So you should have plenty of free time.

If they closed Catalina (Not likely) my guess is it that would revert back to Federal Land. I bet a lot of these areas have a clause that, if the state ever gives up control, they become BLM or USDA property, somehow...

Here's my one and only question about welfare and other social programs in kind: When did they become a way of life instead of a short-term helping hand?

Years ago when they said they were going to close Dutchman SP (but they never did) they said it would be gated closed.

SuperstitionGuy wrote:"I am going to get pregnant and have a baby so I can have my own money."

That was my dream for my life, until I found out I was (and still am) a boy.

Jeff MacE wrote:Here's my one and only question about welfare and other social programs in kind: When did they become a way of life instead of a short-term helping hand?

When Jerry Springer made it "cool".

I wish I had something useful to contribute to this conversation, but the realist in me just says, "sign of the times I guess." What can you do?

joe bartels wrote:Years ago when they said they were going to close Dutchman SP (but they never did) they said it would be gated closed.

Man, would that be an enforcement nightmare!!