Florida State Parks Budget Cuts
- par: Tina Bouse
- destinataire: Governor Charlie Crist
Coverage on a proposal to increase entrance and camping fees for Florida State Parks has not fully informed constituents on all measures included. To provide the requested 25% reduction in services, it is proposed to close 58 state parks 2-3 days each week. On the days that these parks open, it will only be for 8 hours rather than the dawn till dusk access we now enjoy. Over 110 full-time park employees and ALL seasonal part-time employee (OPS) positions are eliminated under this proposed reduction. The Florida state park system as we know it will change significantly and the entire operation for Greenways and Trails is proposed to be eliminated. Programs, services and access to our public lands will be dramatically curtailed. This petition will be sent to representatives in Florida to stop these dramatic budget cuts that will greatly reduce the parks system we know and love.
We the undersigned recognize the vital and important part that the state parks system plays in conserving land and wildlife as well as providing recreational opportunities and benefits to Florida residents and visitors. State parks provide an inexpensive and priceless option for outdoor recreation that can provide benefits to visitors as well as the ecosystem.
Florida State Parks budget represents less than 0.1% of Florida%u2019s overall state expenditures. Florida State Parks generate over 1 billion dollars in direct economic impact and produced $70 million dollars in sales tax revenue while supporting over 20,000 private sector jobs %u2013 green economy jobs for nature based outfitters; concessionaires and all the support services that visitors use when traveling to our state. Making cuts to our parks system will not help our economic situation and will be devastating to Florida%u2019s public lands. We urge the state to reconsider the proposed cuts and recognize the value of Florida State Parks.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.
