Photo by Karim Shamsi-Basha.
Bikers enjoy a warm afternoon at Oak Mountain State Park. The Alabama State Parks Foundation was established to provide additional funding for Alabama’s state parks.
Alabama’s 21 state parks provide year-round recreational opportunities, and those users fund 80-90% of the state’s annual parks budget of $40 million.
To supplement state funding for those parks, including Oak Mountain State Park, a new movement has established the Alabama State Parks Foundation.
The foundation was introduced at a press conference April 25 at Oak Mountain State Park. In the works since January 2018, the organization’s goal is to raise money to enhance programming, facilities and park experiences to the approximately 5 million visitors each year.
Dan Hendricks, retired president of the University of North Alabama Foundation and president of the ASPF board of directors, said this is launching a great park movement for the citizens of Alabama.
“We are going to try to accomplish three things,” Hendricks said. “First, to highlight the value of the parks. Secondly, to urge people to visit our parks and third, to invite people to support our parks with their gifts of time and money.”
The motto of the Alabama State Parks Foundation is “Parks for People, People for Parks.” Hendricks will lead the tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization and the 15-person volunteer board of directors will include businesspeople and philanthropists from across the state.
That board includes Greg Lein, director of Alabama State Parks, and Matthew Dent, president and CEO of Buffalo Rock.
Photo by Karim Shamsi-Basha.
Oak Mountain State Park includes a beach for people to enjoy in the spring and summer.
The group will seek to mobilize a statewide network of citizen philanthropists and affiliates to make gifts that can lift Alabama’s parks higher.
Hendricks said the recreational benefits of the parks, totaling 48,000 acres in Alabama, are immense, and they belong to all citizens.
“We play, run, walk, hike, swim, fish and bike in them,” he said. “The state parks anchor communities, improving the quality of life.”
As the ASPF ramps up their private-public partnerships, Hendricks said the money raised will go toward building cabins, cutting new hiking trails, improving programs for youth and sponsoring events that connect the people with their heritage and their land.
Kelly Ezell, Central District superintendent for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said she is excited to have the ASPF working with the state parks.
“The Foundation will be raising money for all the parks for various projects and programs throughout the system,” she said. “At this early stage, I am not certain which projects the Foundation might tackle at Oak Mountain State Park, but I am sure the foundation is going to make a difference that will be felt for generations to come.”
The foundation has also formed a First Friends program, an initiative to build a network of supporters on the ground floor of the new organization.
These people who give to the foundation will be recognized as founding members of the ASPF. For those who cannot pledge money, they can pledge time and talent at the park nearest them.
“These will include those who appreciate our state parks and love these beautiful places,” Hendricks said. “We ask them to join a community of citizens who will financially support and enhance these lovely parks.”
Photo by Karim Shamsi-Basha.
Oak Mountain State Park has a number of hiking trails.
Lein, who serves as treasurer for the ASPR board, said the recent difficult times for the park system from 2005 to 2016 were like a roller coaster for them.
That rollercoaster included park closures throughout the state due to budget cuts in the 2015-2016 fiscal year. While Oak Mountain State Park was not among the closed parks, the budget constraints did result in a decrease in some services.
In November 2016, voters approved Amendment 2, which protected state park funding from being reallocated to other funds.
After those funding issues, Lein said they needed to reengage the public and hear what they wanted in their park system.
A need was recognized for an independent foundation to help engage the corporate world in Alabama, to rally the public and friends that use the parks to be an ally to do things that government departments cannot.
“As Amendment 2 passed and things continued to get better, it was our good fortune Dan Hendricks, in his retirement, decided the same thing. He is the perfect guy to take on this challenge. Over the past two years, he has quietly put this foundation together and we are so proud of this moment,” Lein said.
He also said he is enthusiastic about the prospects for the newly formed organization.
“The Alabama State Parks Foundation, led by this distinguished board, is a wonderful way for people to get involved with raising game-changing gifts that will enhance our parks for generations to come. The foundation will be the driver for attracting supporters who want to continue to contribute for specific parks and projects that benefit the whole system,” he said.
Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle.
Matthew Dent from Buffalo Rock speaks at the press conference announcing the Alabama Parks Foundation on April 25.
During his comments at the April press conference, Dent said Buffalo Rock was honored to be included in this and they know the state park are part of what makes Alabama great, affecting every citizen in the state.
“It’s important we do our part to drive success in the system,” he said. “We want to help drive the venues for long-term success and we really want to see this be successful going forward. Our goal is to help bring resources and help the parks be as great as they can be.”
The ASPF offers several giving options for the parks, including unrestricted gifts, camp scholarships and trail and cabin building with naming opportunities.
For more information on how to become a First Friend or how to support the parks foundation, visit asparksfoundation.org or follow the foundation on Twitter and Instagram at @asparksfdn.