Earth Equity News

Cherished Parks Closing in Arizona. By John Collins Rudolf, NYTimes, April 28, 2010. "Desperate to narrow one of the worst state budget gaps in the nation, Arizona legislators have slashed their parks budget by 80 percent in the last two years, leaving more than a third of the 30 state parks closed or facing closure in coming months… Some of the parks closing are among the state's best-known attractions… A vote by the state parks board in January would have closed 21 of 30 parks. But local governments and individual donors have opened their wallets to keep a number of parks running… For some rural communities, keeping nearby state parks afloat is an act of self-preservation… Arizona is not alone in making major cuts in its state parks. Gov. David Paterson of New York recently recommended the closing of 41 state parks and 14 historic sites in response to the state's fiscal problems. The closings remain subject to approval by the Legislature."