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Dayton
Daily News…
State park access to
stay free despite funding cut
By Steve Bennish, Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
COLUMBUS — The state’s parks and other natural areas will remain open
and free to the public despite a funding cut of 16 percent amid a
constrained state budget, Ohio Department of Natural Resources director
David Mustine said Wednesday.
The two-year budget that begins July 1 includes general revenue funds
of $45.4 million, representing a plunge to a level not seen since the
late 1980s. Total employees in 2009 were 2,945. That shrank to 2,744 in
2010 and will decline further this year.
Still, because of the severity of budget conditions, Mustine said
everything remains on the table, and he wouldn’t rule out later fee
hikes or other options.
As for the immediate future, there will be small increases in fees for
state boat docks and camping, increases Mustine characterized as normal
inflation hikes. Hunting and fishing license fees should remain steady.
Ohio remains in a minority of states that don’t charge for park access.
Mustine also said that not all state-owned land will be open to the
anticipated oil and natural gas drilling under Gov. Kasich’s proposals.
For example, ODNR’s Division of Natural Areas and Preserves would be
off-limits to drilling, Mustine said. The division includes 134
particularly sensitive locations totalling 28,000 acres, some with
unique scenery such as wetlands, waterways and rock formations, that
are home to endangered and rare plants and animals.
Mustine said ODNR would like to use revenue from oil and gas leasing to
address a $500 million maintenance backlog at parks, but because
exploration is only recently underway, potential revenue is unknown.
“It is totally speculative at this time,” he said.
Mustine said his administration is focused on getting taxpayers the
best deal should state land be deemed desirable for oil and gas
drilling. He said extraction techniques will not cause environmental
harm to the parks where it occurs.
Read it at the Dayton Daily News
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