The Shadow
FREDERICKSBURG (AP) – A mecca for bald eagles and eagle lovers in King George County is one of five state parks targeted for closure by Gov. Bob McDonnell.
McDonnell’s proposed budget calls for the temporary closure of Caledon Natural Area, along with Mason Neck State Park in Fairfax County, False Cape State Park in Virginia Beach, Twin Lakes State Park in Prince Edward County and Staunton River Battlefield Park in Halifax and Charlotte counties.
If the budget is approved as proposed, the parks would close to the public, but a skeleton crew would remain on hand as caretakers until the budget situation improves.
Gary Waugh, spokesman for the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, which oversees the parks system, said Wednesday that the parks were recently notified that they could be on the chopping block.
“We looked at attendance figures, and these were among the lowest in terms of attendance per year,” Waugh said. “And we were trying to spread (closures) out geographically so no one part of the state would be hit harder than others.”
He added that in each case there are other state parks nearby to take up the slack. For example, Westmoreland State Park, farther down the Potomac River, is less than an hour away from Caledon.
Revenue also was a factor, he said.
There are 35 Virginia state parks, and this appears to be the first time such a closure has been proposed since the first state parks were built in the 1930s, though a similar scenario was discussed and rejected in the mid-1990s. Operations in several parks were reduced in 2003.
Waugh said the closures would save about $500,000 a year. There are about 20 permanent staff at the five parks, and another 20 hourly workers. At Caledon, there are a park manager, chief ranger, park ranger and secretary. The park ranger position is vacant.
Waugh said that if the cuts stand, the parks would have to close by July 1, but it could be earlier.
“Does it make sense to gear up in May and June for the summer season and then close July 1?” he asked.
No full-time workers would be let go; about half would be moved to fill vacancies in other parks.
News of the governor’s plan brought sharp reaction Wednesday from park advocates in King George and elsewhere.
John LoBuglio, who was elected to the King George Board of Supervisors in November, is a charter member of the Friends of Caledon Natural Area. He said he doesn’t support Caledon’s closing, even temporarily.
“I’m disappointed, but I can understand that the park system has always been underfunded in comparison to the other states around the nation.”
Friends of Caledon heard about the proposed cuts a month ago, he said.
“From what I’ve been told, they’re looking to keep open the parks that bring more revenue than they expend,” LoBuglio said. “In light of that, Caledon is more of an educational program, natural area, so they don’t have cabins where people come and stay. It’s not a moneymaker.
“Everybody’s sort of saddened by it. So much work has gone into it. They just opened up a new trail. If it does go into a caretaker’s status, everybody’s worried that things would deteriorate, and we don’t know when the status might change.”
Caledon encompasses 2,579 acres along the Potomac, with dense forest and prime habitat for eagles and other wildlife.
Johnny Finch, president of the Virginia Association for Parks, said closing parks is not a solution to the state’s fiscal crisis.
“I’m speechless,” he said Wednesday. “The whole concept is just so horrendous to contemplate. If you start here, where do you go next?”
Finch is a longtime parks advocate who lives on Lake Anna. His wife, Jo, heads up the Friends of Lake Anna State Park.
He said recreation and conservation benefits aside, parks help support local economies.
“In 2009, state parks generated more than $175 million for the economy. That’s on a (state) general fund investment of about $15 million.”
Each of the parks slated for closure, he added, has value that goes way beyond a budget ledger.
“Twin Lakes, for example, is Virginia’s most historically significant park for African-Americans. False Cape is one of the most pristine five miles on the eastern seaboard.”
Last year, according to the National Association of State Park Directors, Virginia ranked 46th in parks spending per capita and 47th in percentage of state general funds devoted to parks.
Other states are looking at similar cuts. Arizona is closing 21 of its 30 parks and recreation areas by June 3.
