Governor McDonnell Proposes Budget Cut To Close Five State Parks

February 17, 2010

To All VAFP Members:

Governor McDonnell announced today a package of budget cutting proposals that include closing five state parks. It is essential that you contact your duly elected State Delegate and Senator to inform them of your opposition to the Governor's proposal.

Here's some information on the specifics of the Governor's proposal. The five parks are Twin Lakes, Caledon, Mason Neck, Staunton River Battlefield, and False Cape.

  • As most of you know, Twin Lakes is probably Virginia's most historically significant state park for African Americans.
  • Caledon and Mason Neck are two natural treasures that are home to significant populations of the American Bald Eagle and sites that played a significant role in the national efforts to restore the eagle population.
  • Staunton River Battlefield played a significant role in the Civil War and is an important part of the 150th commemoration that is underway.
  • False Cape is simply the most remarkable pristine five miles of Atlantic Ocean coastline on the Eastern Seaboard.

Available numbers show that these five parks generate an economic benefit of more than $5.6 million for the local and state economies. Available numbers also show that closing these five parks would result in slightly more than $500,000 in General Fund savings.

Given these numbers, it doesn't take a Warren Buffet to recognize that these five state parks produce a good return on investment. But obviously some of the Governor's fiscal policy advisers weren't paying attention during Economics 101. Notwithstanding the numbers, but given a modicum of logic, it seems that one would assume that if its important to invest in tourism and keep our highway rest areas open, its similarly important to keep our award winning parks open to the public.

As I understand it, the proposal provides that existing salaried staff in these five parks would remain employed either as caretakers in those parks or reassigned to other parks in the region. But, the associated wage staff would lose their jobs. This equates to about 20 wage positions now and almost 90 positions during peak season.

Folks, its time for your voices to be heard. Please pass this information along to your friends, families, other organizations to which you belong, etc. and ask them to let their voices be heard as well. Contact your local paper, write a letter to the editor, and seize any opportunity to let the Governor and the Legislature know that this proposal is simply a "nonstarter".

It's particularly important for your Delegate and your Senator to hear from you. It's also important for the members of the Senate Finance Committee and the House Appropriations Committee to hear from you as well. Those two committees formulate the budget and without the General Assembly's approval, the Governor's proposal becomes moot.

You can get the identity of committee members and the contact information you will need from the legislative website at http://legis.state.va.us/. Thanks again for your continuing support for Virginia's State Parks. Let's work together to stop this budget proposal in its tracks.

Johnny