RVing 101: More on Arizona state park closures

Cost estimates indicate that shutting down some state parks can be as expensive or almost as expensive as keeping them open, at least in the short term.

According to a recent report closing Fort Verde Historic State Park will cost taxpayers $141,000—about $46,000 more than it would cost to keep the park open for another year.

Parks officials are negotiating with Camp Verde to take over the park's operations and prevent it from closing.

Parks officials gave two reasons for spending their dwindling cash reserves on closures.

First, by law, the money they spend on closings may be used only for capital projects, not operating expenses, so it could not be directed to helping keep the parks open. The parks board recently voted to eliminate grant programs and defer capital projects in order to generate funds to cover the cost.

Second, because the closures will bring those operating expenses in line with revenues, they help keep the remaining parks open.

"Our problem is our operating budget," said Renee Bahl, parks director. "We don't have the operating budget to keep these parks open in the future."

By June, Arizona will have closed more of its parks than any state in the nation.

Closing the parks poses a logistical challenge to the parks staff, which is working to determine how to protect natural and cultural resources.

Many of the parks are self-contained communities that have roads, sewers, and other infrastructure. Six have their own wastewater-treatment plants.

Even as officials prepare to close some parks, they are working to transfer others to nearby municipalities. A proposed agreement with Camp Verde to operate Fort Verde is "very promising," Bahl said. Other agreements are in the works with Apache Junction, Payson, Yuma, and Tombstone.

"What's most important to local economies is to keep state parks open," she said.

The parks system generates $266 million a year for state and local governments, according to a Northern Arizona University study.

Park closures
The following parks are scheduled to be shuttered in a series of closures ending June 3. Parks with an asterisk (*) could stay open under agreements being negotiated.
Homolovi Ruins
Lyman Lake
Riordan Mansion*
Fort Verde*
Roper Lake
Yuma State Prison*
Tubac Presidio
Alamo Lake
Lost Dutchman*
Picacho Peak
Red Rock
Tonto Natural Bridge*
Tombstone Courthouse*
Oracle

Worth Pondering…
When your spirit cries for peace, come to a world of canyons deep in an old land;
Feel the exultation of high plateaus, the strength of moving wasters,
The simplicity of sand and grass, and the silence of growth.
—August Fruge

Decide to make the most of each moment!

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Please note: This is Part 18 of an on-going series on America’s parks and public lands

Other articles in this series
RVing 101: Status of America’s parks and public lands
RVing 101: More on the status of state parks and public lands
RVing 101: More on the status of state parks and public lands, part 3
RVing and Birding: World Birding Center Receives Award
RVing and Birding 101: Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, CA

Read even more of Rex’s articles: All stories