SALT LAKE CITY — The future of Utah's 43 state parks remains in limbo, with critical information slated to be reviewed Wednesday by a committee of lawmakers.
The plea by the state Division of Parks and Recreation director is to permanently restore $2.8 million to its budget next fiscal year so it can continue to operate without making drastic cuts.
Mary Tullius, division director, will provide information at the 2 p.m. Natural Resources interim committee meeting on Capitol Hill about the results of $3 million in cuts already made as of July 1 of this year.
The cuts include reducing 23 positions — including nine layoffs — and having individual park directors come from an operating position of zero-based budgeting.
"It's been tough," she said. "We have been through a very lengthy and very difficult process of coming up with the $3 million in cuts."
The drastic budgetary decision came after lawmakers approved the cuts in the waning days of the 2011 legislative session, zapping $3 million from the division's budget and taking an additional $2.8 million. They restored the $2.8 million — but only on a one-time basis — and Tullius must now show the interim committee how such a permanent reduction would affect the state park system.
She has a list of state parks and how much general funding they receive. Some receive substantial chunks of money but still operate at a loss. An audit by the Office of the Legislative Auditor General released in January showed that only nine state parks and just one of the state golf courses operate without being subsidized by the general fund.
The audit said in light of current fiscal pressures, the public policy of throwing money at state parks, particularly those with low visitation and high operational costs, should be scrutinized by lawmakers.
Tullius said Tuesday she has not painted a bull's-eye on the back of any of the state parks for closure, but will leave that possible decision to be made "after a discussion that involves more people and a whole lot more information."
"In between now and mid-March (when the next legislation session ends) the committee will have to help make that decision."
Tullius said even as the state grapples with boosting economic efficiencies and holding expenditures in line, closing states parks is a politically charged position difficult to broach.
"As soon as you start talking park closures, that really gets people riled up," she said. "Nobody wants to close a park in their backyard. How do you decide?"
Tullius was also directed to pursue possible relinquishment of state park control to counties or cities or some other arrangement where operating costs could be shared.
"We have gone to some 20 of the counties, gauged their interest in taking over the operation," she said. "Nobody was interested in taking over the operation."
Other options that are on the table for reining in the state parks' budget include hiking fees, implementing more seasonal closures and relying more on part-time employees rather a full-time workforce.
Leigh Von der Esch, managing director of the Utah Office of Tourism and Film, said she hopes lawmakers approach potential cuts or park closures with caution.
"I am sympathetic to the choices that have to be made," she said. "But the state parks are definitely gems to our tourism promotion."
The tourism board, in fact, convened its meeting at the Green River State Park last month and talked with city and county officials to discuss the importance of the park and its golf course.
"The locals were very concerned," that the actual monetary performance of the park is perhaps the only thing under consideration by lawmakers, she said.
"What do these mean to the local community? People who come stay in hotel rooms, they eat meals ... they put gas in their cars," Von der Esch said.
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