A record 12.6 million people visited Colorado’s 42 state parks this past fiscal year and — with budget cuts looming — the public likely will be asked to pay more in user fees to sustain the increasingly popular system.
This week, the Colorado State Parks Board is poised to pass fee hikes aimed at making up half of an anticipated loss of $2.6 million in state funding.
Visitors statewide likely will face a $1 increase to $7 or $8 for daily passes (depending on the park), a $10 boost to $70 for annual passes, $2 more for camping at 12 high-use parks and a $10 increase to $70 for nightly stays in yurts and cabins.
“We’re hoping that we are going to be able to keep the system open,” Colorado State Parks director Dean Winstanley said.
“We’ll be working closely with our parks board to look at what properties would be affected and how they would be affected. . . . I can’t guarantee that we will be able to keep every park open in the long term. We will do everything we can to keep them open.”
Deep cuts already have been made in a number of popular parks, and services have been curtailed.
For example, at Cherry Creek State Park east of Denver, cuts have reduced operations manager Joe Brand’s staff by five, including three law enforcement rangers responsible for public safety. Meanwhile, camping reservations at the park are up sharply, with overall visitation spiking by at least 10 percent.
“The most important things will still get taken care of, but some of the nice-to-have things will probably be reduced,” Brand said.
Mowing around camping areas, repairs along edges of crumbling roads and some trail maintenance may end, he said.
Park attendance in the fiscal year that ended in June was up by 600,000 over fiscal 2008-09. The number of people visiting state parks has increased by nearly 19 percent compared with the 10.6 million visitors in 2003.
Last fall, state parks overseers cut staff by 7.5 percent, reducing the statewide number of full-time employees to 270 and seasonals to 600.
The long-delayed opening of Staunton State Park — 3,652 acres that include rock outcroppings, streams and a waterfall 35 miles southeast of Denver — is happening only because of a grant from Great Outdoors Colorado. Staunton initially will be opened for day use with a road, parking lot, small office and 17 miles of trails. Plans call for construction starting next spring and opening in 2012.
State parks board members are scheduled to vote Thursday on the proposed fee hikes — designed to raise $1.3 million. These would take effect Nov. 1. The five board members also will vote on offering a new $175 lifetime pass for seniors.
Effects of the budget crunch are felt throughout the system. A single ranger patrols Bonny Lakes State Park, located in Yuma County near Idalia, where 300 bird species including bald eagles have been seen. Previously, at least three employees ran that park.
Several state campgrounds in rural areas were closed this summer.
“What’s at stake are facility closures, or full closures of state parks,” Winstanley said.
One option may be to close parks seasonally, he said.
“We haven’t had to pull the trigger on it. We hope we don’t have to.”
Bruce Finley: 303-954-1700 or bfinley@denverpost.com
