WEBINAR: Crisis for America’s State Parks—What You Can Do to Help
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. EST (11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. PST)
Cost: $0—Free
There are no CEU’s for this session
The continuing economic downturn is causing a crisis of unprecedented proportions for state park systems and some local and regional park systems. Plummeting revenues have driven some states to slash operating budgets and begin to close state parks. The state of Arizona is in the process of implementing a plan to close more than half of their state parks by July 1, 2010. California’s governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed to close 220 of the state’s 279 parks due to a lack of operating funds. The Idaho governor Butch Otter recently proposed disbanding the state department of parks and recreation, laying off state park workers, and moving the management of state parks to another state agency. The states of Louisiana, Iowa, Georgia, New York and many other states are considering substantial additional budget cuts to state park systems and contemplating the closure of state parks. City, county, and regional park systems are facing the similar cuts.
If you care about our nation’s state parks, or you care about the parks in your own state, you will not want to miss this informative and timely free webinar. Participants will learn what is happening around the country and which states are being most affected. You will learn what state and local advocates are doing to fight back, and how they are mobilizing public and business support for these short-sighted decisions to close or severely cut parks. And you will hear what innovative solutions are being devised to raise new revenues and forestall the doomsday plans to shut down parks and lay off workers.
Presenters for this include Executive Director of the California State Parks Foundation Elizabeth Goldstein; Chairman of the Board of the Arizona State Park Foundation Bill Meek; AZ State Park Foundation Board Member Bill Roe; and North Carolina State Parks director Lewis Ledford. The webinar will be moderated by NRPA Chief of Public Policy Rich Dolesh.
If your state, city, or special park district is contemplating cuts to parks and recreation or closing parks, you will not want to miss this timely free webinar. Attendance is limited to the first 150 registrants.
Register Now!