Idaho mulls pulling tax dollars from parks

BOISE – Not one of the 50 states is running its park system as Gov. Butch Otter hopes to achieve for Idaho: without state tax support.

The only state that has tried, New Hampshire, has failed. Its self-funded system of 74 parks, beaches, campgrounds and ski areas has had deficits averaging $400,000 for 19 years and has been forced several times to ask the Legislature for additional money.

When New Hampshire released its first draft of a 10-year plan to reorganize, which included a reference to closing 27 parks, it generated a public outcry. State leaders were forced to rewrite the plan to assure New Hampshire residents they weren’t planning to close any parks.

Otter proposes to cut $4.5 million of taxpayer dollars from the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation by eliminating 25 jobs, increasing fees and seeking new revenue sources. The agency intends to make up for lost staff with seasonal employees and volunteers.

“The goal is to see how close we can get to self-sufficiency,” Otter told reporters recently.

The toughest economy since the Depression has increased the pressure to reduce park spending around the nation.

Arizona plans to close 13 parks by June 3. Eight others have already been closed, leaving just eight of 29 open if the state can find $3 million to pay for them.

Park budgets in Pennsylvania and California were cut about 20 percent. Iowa cut 25 percent and Georgia, 40 percent. Otter had already cut the parks budget by 22 percent for this year.

“California, Arizona and Idaho are the three states struggling the most,” said Philip McKnelly, executive director of the National Association of State Park Directors.

The economics have driven wide bipartisan support to increase park user fees and make short-term cuts in Idaho.

“We have to figure out a way to get through the economic downturn,” said Democratic Rep. John Rusche of Lewiston, the House minority leader.

“Whatever we do shouldn’t cost jobs,” he said.

The strongest case for preserving parks is the economic impact. Visitors to state parks for just the first eight months of 2009 spent more than $40 million and generated $2.4 million in sales tax, according to the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation.

The economic conditions actually increased Idaho park attendance in 2009 to 4.5 million day-use visits, an 18 percent increase over 2008.

“I hear people say, ‘Don’t change our parks,’ ” said Republican Rep. Phil Hart of Coeur d’Alene.

But not all parks are created equal, especially in their potential for sustaining themselves. Parks on water, with campgrounds and near urban centers have the highest potential to generate revenue to cover their costs.

Heyburn, Lake Walcott and Henrys Lake break even or make a profit. Ponderosa, the state’s most popular destination park, generates $505,595 in revenues but costs $620,026 to run. It will make a profit under the new proposal.

Other parks, mostly historical parks, don’t have natural ways to raise funds. The Old Mission at Cataldo, Idaho’s oldest standing structure, generates $28,607 in fees but costs $227,351 to operate.

Supporters say there are many opportunities to increase user fees to offset some of the costs. Parks and Recreation Director Nancy Merrill and the department are going through each park to see how they can make them more self-sufficient.

One of the ways is to go out to the communities that benefit the most both economically and culturally from nearby parks. Clearwater County is taking over Dworshak State Park, which generates $285,711 but costs the state $436,424 to operate. It generates, however, $2.5 million in economic benefits, Rusche said.

Merrill had already said, even before Otter released his budget, that the board was considering closing Thousand Springs and Land of the Yankee Fork state parks, each of which has several units spread across a large area.

South-central Idaho residents, local officials and lawmakers have put together a coordinated campaign to help the state reduce its costs with volunteers and to seek longer-term solutions.

But in Challis, home of the Land of the Yankee Fork mining history interpretive center, the support is mixed. Local residents are trying to organize a “Friends of the Yankee Fork” group, said Chamber of Commerce President Kurt Thompson.

Even if they don’t contribute enough money to the Parks Department to fund the historical site, the roughly 50,000 visitors who go to the park each year are crucial to Custer County’s economy, Thompson said. The value of preserving places like the ghost town of Bayhorse can’t be counted in dollars and cents.

“People say government shouldn’t do this. Then who should?” Thompson said. “There aren’t going to be any more Bayhorses. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.”

Otter pledged to keep Yankee Fork open, at least for now.

Some states, like Oregon and Florida, have dedicated sources of money like the lottery to finance parks, said McKnelly of the National Association of State Park Directors.

Montana has started a trend that other states are following, he said. The state adds a $4 charge to all vehicle license plates, which gives all state drivers access to state parks and other recreational units. Drivers have the option to opt out of the surcharge, and out-of-state visitors still have to pay an entrance fee.

Washington has gone the Montana route, and a group is pushing to put the idea on the ballot in California in November.

New Hampshire, meanwhile, signed a contract with Coca-Cola to make it the exclusive soft drink in state parks, which brought in $15,000 in cash and another $90,000 in joint marketing efforts with the state.