JANUARY 26, 2006 STATEMENT

OF

JOHNNY FINCH, PRESIDENT

VIRGINIA ASSOCIATION FOR PARKS

TO THE

HOUSE APPROPRIATION SUBCOMMITTEE ON CAPITAL OUTLAY

ON

DELEGATE MORGAN’S BUDGET AMENDMENT (C255.10, #1h)

FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS

IN THE

STATE PARK SYSTEM

MR. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE;

GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS JOHNNY FINCH AND I AM PRESIDENT OF THE VIRGINIA ASSOCIATION FOR PARKS (VAFP).

VAFP IS THE UMBRELLA ORGANIZATION FOR THE RESPECTIVE CITIZEN SUPPORT GROUPS, PERHAPS BETTER KNOWN AS FRIENDS GROUPS, AND OTHER VOLUNTEERS SUPPORTING THE 34 STATE PARKS, THE STATE NATURAL AREAS, AND THE 22 NATIONAL PARKS, MONUMENTS, AND HISTORIC SITES LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE COMMONWEALTH.

I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS TO YOU THIS MORNING VAFP’S TOTAL AND UNWAVERING SUPPORT FOR THE SUBJECT AMENDMENT.

VIRGINIA’S STATE PARKS ARE THE MOST FRUGALLY FUNDED IN THE NATION. EVEN SO, THE ANNUAL ECONOMIC RETURN THE SYSTEM PROVIDES TO THE COMMONWEALTH AND SURROUNDING PARK LOCALITIES IS STAGGERING.

FOR EXAMPLE, OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, VIRGINIA HAS SEEN STATE PARK VISITATION HOVER AROUND 7 MILLION VISITORS PER YEAR. THE ANNUAL ECONOMIC IMPACT GENERATED BY THESE VISITORS ON THE STATE AND LOCAL ECONOMY IS IN EXCESS OF $150 MILLION. IN ADDITION, THE PARK SYSTEM GENERATES ABOUT $7 MILLION ANNUALLY FROM PARK FEES, ENTERPRISE OPERATIONS, AND SERVICES. IN CONTRAST TO THE REVENUES GENERATED, GENERAL FUND ANNUAL SUPPORT FOR PARKS HAS ONLY BEEN IN THE $10-14 MILLION RANGE FOR MORE THAN A DECADE.

THUS, GIVEN THE $140 TO $145 MILLION ANNUAL NET RETURN, THE PARK SYSTEM IS CLEARLY A GOOD ECONOMIC INVESTMENT FOR THE COMMONWEALTH IN ADDITION TO THE VALUABLE ROLE THE SYSTEM PLAYS IN PROMOTING CONSERVATION AND SERVING AS A THERAPEUTIC TONIC FOR THE MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT OF OUR CITIZENS.

MR. CHAIRMAN, THE GOVERNOR’S PROPOSED BUDGET WOULD PROVIDE ABOUT $20 MILLION FOR ADDITIONAL CABINS AND CAMPGROUNDS IN EXISTING PARKS. WE THINK IT IS REASONABLE TO EXPECT THAT THESE FACILITIES WILL ATTRACT EVEN MORE VISITORS AND, GIVEN THE AVAILABILITY OF OVERNIGHT ACCOMODATIONS, VISTORS WILL EXTEND THEIR STAYS AT THE PARKS. THIS SHOULD FURTHER ENHANCE THE COMMONWEALTH’S RETURN ON INVESTMENT IN THE PARK SYSTEM.

THE SUBJECT AMENDMENT WOULD PROVIDE ABOUT $16 MILLION TO PHASE-IN SOME NEW PARKS ACQUIRED THROUGH BOND PROCEEDS. IN 1992 AND AGAIN IN 2002, THE CITIZENS OF VIRGINIA EXPRESSED THEIR APPROVAL OF THE STATE PARK SYSTEM BY OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVING GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND REFERENDUMS TOTALING SOME $214 MILLION FOR LAND ACQUISITION AND NEW FACILITY CONSTRUCTION.

SIMPLY PUT, MR. CHAIRMAN, THE SUBJECT AMENDMENT IS SUPPORTED BY THE PUBLIC MANDATE GIVEN IN THE VOTER’S OVERWHELMING APPROVAL OF THE TWO BOND REFERENDUMS AND BY THE PARK SYSTEM’S PROVEN WORTH AS AN INVESTMENT THAT PROVIDES SOUND ECONOMIC RETURN.

WE MUST ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THE COMMONWEALTH AND THE LOCALITIES WHERE OUR STATE PARKS EXIST BENEFIT GREATLY FROM THE DRAWING POWER OF THE PARKS FOR TOURISM AND RECREATION SPENDING. THE ECONOMIC CLIMATE IS VERY COMPETITIVE AND VIRGINIA IS COMPETING WITH ALL THE STATES IN THE MID-ATLANTIC AND SOUTHEAST REGIONS FOR TOURISM AND RECREATION DOLLARS. THUS WE MUST MAKE THE REQUISITE INVESTMENTS.

MR. CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THE VIRGINIA ASSOCIATION FOR PARK’S SUPPORT FOR THE SUBJECT AMENDMENT.