Meeting addresses proposed cuts to state parks
Staff Report ~ 2/3/2010

New River/Desert Hills Community Association (NR/DHCA) will host Cristie Statler, Executive Director, Arizona State Parks Foundation, at their 7:30 p.m. Tuesday meeting at Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church.
Statler will discuss the status of the Arizona State Parks and the effects that the park budget cuts will have on people.
In order to achieve about $9 million in budget reductions, the state is damaging a $290 million economic engine that supports local economies (taxes, rural economic development, jobs) throughout Arizona.
Nearly half of the state's 30 parks are now either closed or scheduled to close by June 3. Unless something changes, it's likely that the whole system will shut down before the end of 2010.
Arizona State Parks attract, when open, 2.3 million visitors annually that produce $266 million of direct and indirect economic impact in Arizona, plus $22.7 million in state and local sales tax according to research done by Northern Arizona University.
Arizona State University's Morrison Institute on Public Policy has provided an analysis estimating that it costs $32 to $34 million to operate our state parks - about 1/10th of their economic contribution - and none of the operating funds come from Arizona state general fund taxes.
The meeting is open to the public. All are welcome to attend.
The New River/Desert Hills Community Association is a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to protecting the local community and preserving its rural lifestyle. The group does that by keeping itself informed and providing broad input to a wide array of county, state, and federal agencies and elected officials. Call 623-742-0150 or visit www.nrdhca.org for more information.