OUR PARKS IN CRISIS

One of the major contributors to the quality of life in New Jersey is is our statewide park system, offering everything from seashore beaches to mountain trails. The desirability of New Jersey as a home for businesses and their employees is highly dependent upon the natural and scenic character of the state. Tourism itself is a $22 billion industry critical to the health of New Jersey's economy.

A crisis has been quietly building in the New Jersey Park System. Once one of the finest in the nation, New Jersey's parks have suffered a steady decline in services and maintenance, as limited funding has forced repair projects to be deferred, staff to be reduced, and park hours to be cut.

Pride in Our Parks : A partnership to protect and restore New Jersey's parks, forests and wildlife areas, is a coalition of 55 organizations throughout New Jersey with a combined group membership representing nearly a million citizens concerned about the health of our state parks, forests and wildlife areas. These public lands are treasures which belong to all citizens of New Jersey, and we feel there must be sufficient funding to maintain them properly to offer a high quality experience to visitors.

Over the past 10 years, visitation to parks has dramatically increased. Hiking, camping, biking, boating, hunting, and fishing have become more popular, straining existing facilities. The size of the park system has also continued to expand. For many years, the funds required have fallen short of needs, forcing most of the state parks to operate at a minimal level. This has translated into less diversity in programs, overcrowding, buildings and facilities in disrepair, increased vandalism, poorer security, inability to enforce good land and wildlife management, cutbacks in scientific research, and insufficient interpretive programming.

We are asking Governor Whitman and the New Jersey Legislature to provide the funding necessary to correct these problems and to allow the New Jersey park and wildlife system to again become one of the finest systems in the nation. This would require an additional $10 million per year for operating staff and maintenance above the current State Park Service budget of $25 million, a total of $35 million. For capital improvements, an additional $20 million annually is needed, in addition to the $6.67 million available annually from Green Acres

The Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife does not receive State appropriations for operations and maintenance, relying entirely on the sale of hunting and fishing licenses. An additional $8-10 million is needed annually over the current $3.5 million to properly operate and enforce the extensive Wildlife Management Area system and for capital improvements

New Jersey's citizens have consistently shown support and love for their parks and open spaces by passing each Green Acres Bond Act to acquire and preserve unique lands. Living in the most densely populated state in the nation, New Jerseyans especially appreciate and enthusiastically enjoy their parks and natural areas, which offer facilities for a wide variety of recreational activities. Since the will of the people has been to acquire this beautiful parkland, there now needs to be the legislative will to maintain and manage these valuable resources properly.