The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources released a report on the results of a two-year effort to find out what the public wants from its parks. Since 1970 Pennsylvania has created 36 state parks (one of them is Beltzville) with an additional 81,000 acres. Also since 1970 the number of state park staff has actually decreased.
The parks need about an additional $500 million to fix visitor centers, dams, and recreational facilities. Right now state parks receive less than 2% of the state’s general fund budget.
Groups of volunteers like the Friends of Beltzville State Park try to make up for the staffing shortfall, but it isn’t enough. A common solution bandied about in this area is to charge visitors, which has the effect of driving away the low income visitors who are the most in need of open space and contact with nature.
You might explain to your local representative what Pennsylvania needs is increased funding for our parks.
If your representative is Doyle Heffley or Jerry Knowles, good luck with that.
Statistics for this post are from Kayla Dwyer, "Here's how Pennsylvanians want to help state parks," Morning Call, (Oct. 9, 2019), p. 6.
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