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...states carry out these cutbacks, many park officials have started investigating long-term strategies to find more reliable sources of funding. Margaret Bailey, senior vice president at CHM Government Services, a consulting firm in Beverly, Mass., says parks are trying to move away from operating with money in their states' general-fund accounts. These catchall coffers have historically financed public spaces but in recent years have been decimated by legislatures redirecting much needed cash to fill other lines in their budgets. Of the seven state-park systems that are not tethered to general funds, Oregon finances its parks with money...
Nonprofit organizations and individuals can help ease the burden for parks, saving states money by volunteering for typically salaried jobs, such as trail maintenance and trash patrol. Such is the case at Schodack Island State Park near Albany, N.Y. When the state announced last year plans to close the park for three winter months, local residents banded together and lobbied the state to let them assume responsibility for certain everyday operations and keep it open year-round. (Read "Indiana Dunes State Park...
Rich Dolesh, chief of public policy for the National Recreation and Park Association in Washington, D.C., says additional funding options for state parks could include transferring certain operations to municipal governments (which aren't exactly flush with cash these days) and increasing park-generated revenue for everything from campsites to dog-walking permits (which would make park visitors foot more of the bill for using public space...
Another option: outsourcing services such as fee collection, campground administration, general maintenance and security to private firms for less than what it currently costs state park employees to manage...
Some state parks are seeking partnerships with independent vendors, who pay franchise fees to operate certain facilities owned by the state. These kinds of agreements exist in a handful of states, including California, where, for example, Angel Island State Park, near San Francisco, has a number of concessions and ferry operators that pay annual fees based on revenue they earn by operating in the park. (Read " 'Eco-Therapy' for Environmental Depression...