WASHINGTON, March 15 (UPI) -- State parks in the United States are facing funding problems that have resulted in operational cutbacks and deterioration in some areas, Stateline.org reports.
Parks' budget lines were hit hard when the states were facing economic hard times a few years ago, but many states are reporting a much rosier financial picture. But Stateline says that glow is yet to reach many states' parks systems.
There are some 2,000 state parks in the United States and in the 1990s as much as 65 percent of funding for those areas came from state tax dollars, Stateline said. Now that figure is less than 15 percent so cutbacks in areas such as maintenance have been ordered.
Some parks are increasing visitors' fees to make up the difference and seeing a drop off in visits because of the higher prices.
House Sierra Club Chairwoman Evelyn Merz told Stateline: "The philosophy has been that parks should be self-supporting. I think that philosophy is essentially flawed. We don't ask libraries to keep their doors open based on the late fees they collect. It is a public asset."
