By PERRY BEEMAN • pbeeman@dmreg.com • May 23, 2010
Memorial Day weekend state-park visitors will find a mix of new offerings, works in progress and delayed projects.
They also will find scaled-back park crews that will struggle to keep up with mowing, restroom cleaning and trail maintenance. The summer crews will be half the normal size and will work fewer hours. For example, summer crews are budgeted to work 90,000 hours this summer, but put in 140,000 in 2008.
"Things are going to look rough around the edges," said state parks chief Kevin Szcodronski.
Read the rest of this article on the Des Moines Register web site.
For those interested in seasonal employment with Iowa DNR will find more information at the DNR website.
From 12/28/09 Des Moines Register
By PERRY BEEMAN
pbeeman@dmreg.com
The state is moving to close selected trails, parks and beaches and might close entire parks if budget cuts grow, the Department of Natural Resources' director said.
The department has lost 25 percent of its general-fund cash in the past year because of weak state revenues, Richard Leopold said. Last summer, federally paid help bolstered his crews, but that money is gone, too.
Next summer, some areas that don't generate cash will be roped off, Leopold said. Campgrounds and other spots that do bring in cash should be open, though maintenance may suffer a bit.
As it stands today, all parks will be open next summer, with selected parts of them closed.
"We're not closing anything yet," Leopold said. "We will offer fewer services everywhere. If we get further cuts, we'll probably close whole parks."
Any closures would most likely affect lesser-used parks, he said.
"It's kind of ironic because we are at record attendance but at historic lows with staffing," Leopold said.
Iowa's 85 state parks draw a combined 14 million visits a year. The DNR usually has 300 summer workers on board to help with the vacation season.
"Now, we have 40 budgeted for next summer, and we'll be lucky to hold on to those," Leopold said.
That means some beaches, playgrounds and picnic areas will simply be off-limits because the state won't be able to maintain them. The one wild card: volunteers. If a park's "friends group" can pick up the slack, its areas might stay open.
Department spokesman Kevin Baskins said several initiatives might ease the pain. The DNR has asked for $40 million in stimulus money for parks projects but has not received word on the application. That money would pay for constructing beach buildings, playgrounds and cabins, for example. There is also talk of coming up with money for volunteer coordinators at the DNR.
In the long term, there may be more cash. A private foundation is looking to raise cash for parks. Also, voters will decide in November whether to back a constitutional amendment that would clear the way for devoting $150 million a year to natural resources if lawmakers approve a sales tax increase.
