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Sydney Cromwell
Park funding
Park staff and local users, including the Backcountry Horsemen of Alabama and representatives of the Alabama Wildlife Center, listen to a press conference on concerns over the park system’s funding.
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Sydney Cromwell
Park funding
Greg Lein of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ state parks division expresses his concerns over state budget proposals.
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Sydney Cromwell
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Pelham Mayor Gary Waters spoke about the positive impact Oak Mountain has had on his city for decades.
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Mickie Powell of the Birmingham Urban Mountain Pedalers (BUMP) talked about the quality of Oak Mountain’s biking trails and other amenities.
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County manager Alex Dudchock was at the press conference to share his concerns over the state cutting funding for parks and natural resources.
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Sydney Cromwell
Park funding
Chuck Sykes of the state’s wildlife and freshwater fisheries department said the potential budget cuts would have on hunting, fishing and his department’s ability to patrol state lands.
The status quo is all Greg Lein wants. As the state parks division director for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Lein is asking the state government to maintain its same level of funding for the DCNR in the new fiscal year's budget.
Considering one recent budget proposal would have transferred over $18 million from the DCNR budget to the state general fund, Lein may not get his request.
At a press conference at Oak Mountain State Park on Aug. 27, Lein was joined by OMSP Superintendent Kelly Ezell, Shelby County Manager Alex Dudchock and Pelham Mayor Gary Waters. Representatives from the state hunting and fishery department, as well as local park users like the Birmingham Urban Mountain Pedalers (BUMP) and Flip Side Watersports, were also on hand. They were all there to express concern over the state legislature’s budget proposals and cuts to DCNR funding.
Since fiscal year 2012, Lein said, the state has transferred a collective $27 million from the DCNR budget to the general fund to help alleviate other budget shortfalls. The park system and conservation departments have been operating on less and forced to downsize programs and cancel projects and renovations across the state.
“Enough is enough,” Lein said.
The state legislature’s proposed budget in regular session included $9 million in cuts from DCNR, and the special session proposal would take $18.3 million for the general fund. Governor Robert Bentley vetoed both budgets, so the legislature will have to go into a second special session.
Either of those proposals would have forced the DCNR to close some parks across the state and limit their maintenance and improvement at parks left open. Lein encouraged all residents who use and love the parks to contact their representatives.
“They [budget cuts] will have devastating impacts on our programs and the public,” Lein said.
Much of the DCNR budget comes from users – park entrance fees, cabin rentals, hunting licenses and other revenue gathered within parks. Lein called it an “affront” to take customer money and not use it to maintain the parks they enjoy.
“We’re not making this up,” Lein said of the threat to the park system.
Waters and Dudchock both expressed their support for Oak Mountain and parks in general. Besides the park’s quality and amenities for guests, they said it has millions of dollars in impact on the surrounding area by drawing businesses, residents and visitors. Even people who never visit a state park have been positively affected by it being in their backyard.
“It’s one of the things that defines our county and Alabama,” Dudchock said, stressing the importance of keeping DCNR funding level.
Pelham and Shelby County are both longtime financial supporters of OMSP, which is on track to draw over 400,000 visitors in 2015. Most recently, the county commission pledged $3.1 million to improvements at the park, as well as future lodging tax revenue. Some of the projects they want to accomplish can only happen if the park continues to have level funding.
“We’ve done our part,” Waters said. “What’s missing is the part the state of Alabama should be playing.”
Mickie Powell, the president of BUMP spoke about the mountain bike trails and other facilities that draw cyclists from around the world and allow OMSP to host major events like the XTERRA race. She said she’s talked to cyclists from as far away as South Africa that call OMSP their favorite place to ride.
“The threat of losing this… would really be a crime if we can’t find a solution to this,” Powell said.
Doug Adair, the executive director of the Alabama Wildlife Center, said the bird rehabilitation center would be affected by these cuts with its headquarters at OMSP, but he feels confident that the legislature and governor will ultimately find a solution to keep the parks funded.
Chuck Sykes, the director of the DCNR wildlife and freshwater fisheries, said cuts on the level that have been proposed would cause massive layoffs and limit their ability to manage state hunting and fishing. He also noted that the members of his department are often first on the scene after natural disasters because they have the tools and experience of handling rough conditions.
“We’ve almost been bled dry,” Sykes said. “If past performance equals future results, we’re in trouble.”
“It’s scary what we’re talking about but it’s real. The public is right to be concerned,” Lein agreed.
The state legislature has not yet decided when it will hold its next special section to consider a new budget proposal. The new fiscal year starts Oct. 1.
