FORT COLLINS, Colo.—Colorado state parks officials are considering different ways to cover funding losses, including closing some parks and opening others to oil and gas development.
The Coloradoan in Fort Collins reports the proposal being presented to the State Parks Board also suggests asking voters for a tax increase and allowing corporate sponsorships of parks.
State funding for parks has been dropping and the parks department doesn’t expect to get any money from the state general fund in the 2011-2012 budget.
State parks officials have raised some fees to help cover costs. They have looked at closing some parks based on rankings factoring in a site’s quality of natural resources, the number of visitors and the park’s contribution to the local economy.
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Information from: Fort Collins Coloradoan,
