Letters re: The Governor's Park Closing Proposal

February 19, 2010

Greg Eanes
5280 Snow Creek Road
Penhook, VA 24137
eanesgreg@hotmail.com

Senator Charles Colgan (D-29th), Chairman, Senate Finance Committee, Va State Senate
Senator Louise Lucas (D-18th)
Senator Frank Ruff (R-15th)
Senator John C. Watkins (R-10th)
Senator William C. Wampler (R-40th)
Senator Henry L. Marsh, III (D-16th)
Senator Roscoe Reynolds (D-20th)
Senator Robert Hurt (R-19th)

Del Lacey Putney (I-19th), Chairman, Appropriations, House of Delegates
Del Kirk Cox (R-66th), Vice-Chair, House Appropriations
Del Charles Poindexter (D-9th)
Del Tommy Wright (R-61st)
Del Ward Armstrong (D-10th)
Del Danny Marshall (R-14th)
Del Don Merricks (R-16th)
Del James E. Edmunds, II (R-60Th)

Honorable Members;

This is to urge full funding for Twin Lakes State Park and Staunton River Battlefield State Park which I understand have been identified for closure under the governor's proposed budget. The total economic impact of these parks on our region is estimated at nearly $2.7 million dollars. This is not 'chump change' in the rural communities of Southside or Southwest Virginia

Virginia State Parks are a vital, indeed, critical part of the tourism infrastructure of rural communities which generally cannot afford to develop this kind of infrastructure. Twin Lakes and Staunton River Bridge are magnet locations (which we have few of in Southside) therefore are critical infrastructure nodes. A few words of both:

• Twin Lakes State Park, with 102,020 visitors in 2009, has a rich and unique heritage that must be preserved in that it was not only the location of an African-American Civilian Conservation Corps Camp ('Lucky 13') during the depression, but it also was the first and only African-American State Park in Virginia (then called Prince Edward State Park for Negroes). Closure of this historic site will not only have a negative impact on the local economy but it will also, intentionally or unintentionally, telegraph a symbolic and negative message that this part of our history is not worth recongnizing or preserving. This cannot be tolerated. At least five communities (Nottoway, Prince Edward, Charlotte, Lunenburg, and Amelia) are directly affected by the tourism traffic funneled to Twin Lake and its economic impact estimated at $2,378,316 in 2009.
• 
  Staunton River Bridge Battlefield State Park, a relatively new park hosting nearly 19,000 visitors in 2009, is the cornerstone of a 17-county heritage driving tour (the Wilson-Kautz Campaign) and fully integrated into the Virginia Civil War Trails program. As you know, 'Blue plus Gray equals Green' when it comes to tourism revenues. Civil War tourism is a money-maker for the state and our loacalities. Our Southside communities get a small piece of that when tourists drive from the surrounding region through our rural localities to get to the park. While the residual economic impact of $303,584 may not seem like much in Richmond, it is pretty significant on rural localities.*

Closure of these two state parks will have a direct negative economic impact on regional small businesses (thereby costing small business jobs) in multiple counties. Further, it will result in a negative flow of residual tax revenues to Federal, state, and local coffers. As a former member of the Crewe Town Council and Nottoway County School Board, I am keenly aware of the value of small business tax revenues to our reural communities. I witnessed the significant growth of those revenues when the Town of Crewe became part of Lee's Retreat Driving Tour and the Wilson-Kautz Raid Driving Tour, both marketed through the VA Civil War Trails system.

While my primary concern are the two parks above, available numbers show that all five parks slated for closure 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. It doesn't make sense to strip critical toursim infrastructure in the regions hardest hit by a down economy. Your immediate attention and support to keep these parks open is repectfully requested.

Sincerly,

Greg Eanes
Formerly of Crewe, now of Penhook, VA

* On a side note, a Civil War Heritage Trail from Saltville, through Patrick (JEB Stuart's home), Franklin (the Jubal Early Home) through Martinsville (the Stoneman Raid) and Danville can easily be developed to/and serve as a continuum for the Wilson-Kautz Heritage Trail, using Danvill as a connector to both Southside and Southwest Virginia Civil War sites in preparation for 150th anniversary celebrations. The Staunton River Bridge Battlefield can easily play a stepping-stone role in expanding the westward movement of Civil War tourism and this means new business and increased revenues for localities in this region.

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To: Senators Colgan, Wampler, Stosch, Houck, Howell, Saslaw, Quayle, Norment, Hanger, Watkins, Miller, Marsh, Lucas, Whipple, and Reynolds as well as Delegates Putney, Cox, Morgan, Tata, Ingram, May, Sherwood, Landes, Jones, O'Bannon, Lingamfelter, Poindexter, Massie, Abbitt, Phillips, Scott, Joannou, Brink, Ware, Howell, BaCote, Dance :

The Virginia Association for Parks respectfully asks that you not support Governor McDonnell's budget proposal to close Twin Lakes, Mason Neck, Caledon, False Cape, and Staunton River Battlefield State Park.

Available numbers show that these five parks generate an annual economic benefit of more than $5.6 million for the state and local economies. Further, available numbers also show that closing these five parks would result in only slightly more that $500,000 in General Fund savings. Relocation costs would be incurred for those salaried staff who would be reassigned to other parks and wage positions (20 now and almost 90 jobs during peak season) would be lost.

The economics of the Governor's proposal simply don't make sense. Virginia State Parks are a critical and vital part of the tourism infrastructure of rural communities which generally cannot afford to develop this kind of infrastructure. If it's important to invest in tourism and reopen highway rest stops, it's similarly important to keep our award winning parks open to the public.

Each of the five parks is truly unique in its own special way. Twin Lakes, for example, is Virginia's most historically significant state park for African-Americans. Caledon and Mason Neck are two natural treasures that played a significant role in the national effort to remove the American Bald Eagle from the endangered species list. False Cape is simply the most pristine five miles of Atlantic Ocean coastline on the Eastern Seaboard. And, Staunton River Battlefield played a significant role in the Civil War and is an important part of the 150th commemoration presently underway.

Thank you for considering our views.

Johnny Finch, President

Virginia Association for Parks