By Tricia Pursell
The Daily Item
June 10, 2009 12:56 pm
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MIFFLINBURG — R.B. Winter State Park may not be out of the woods yet.
While the state House Appropriations Committee on Monday rejected a $27.3 billion Senate Republican budget proposal that included deep cuts but avoided tax increases, the park’s future still remains cloudy, a Valley lawmaker says.
State Rep. Russ Fairchild says plans to slash funding for the Department of Conservation and National Resources are a governmental scare tactic in order to make Pennsylvanians more receptive to higher taxes.
R.B. Winter is one of three dozen state parks that DCNR has suggested closing as it faces cutbacks in several 2009-2010 budget proposals.
“I find it unbelievable in a budget of $130 million that DCNR still believes we need to close our state parks,” Fairchild, R-85 of Lewisburg, said Tuesday. “I think it’s a classic shell game where the government picks out a very popular program — one that people use, surely one they know people will use in a recessive economy — and turns around and makes that kind of threat.
“Every nook and cranny of that $130 million budget you find programs and any other items that can be cut, before you cut services that cannot be cut.”
Fairchild is frustrated with the state government’s inability to reach a plan to decrease the current $3.2 billion deficit.
Gov. Ed Rendell also included DCNR cuts in his spending plan, Fairchild said.
“He’s supposed to announce $500 million in cuts any day now,” Fairchild said, “but he hasn’t told anyone where they are.”
Either the Senate has to get a budget proposal out of its committee, or the House must get it out of Appropriations, he said. “We need to get the process started,” Fairchild said. “We don’t have anything before us. I’m sorry, but the clock is ticking.”
The state budget deadline is June 30.
“It’s almost like the governor doesn’t care,” Fairchild said, adding that it seems as though he wants to wait until there is a crisis at hand. He said it’s like a “game of chicken.”
“If we don’t, there will be a crisis with state employees,” he said, “and also the parks will be remiss because they won’t have the money to man them.
R.B. Winter State Park, located at 17215 Buffalo Road, contains 58 campsites, three camping cottages and one cabin, with prices for overnight stays ranging from $19 to $30.
The number of campers at the park increased in May compared with last May, park manager Bob Deffner said.
Only two sites are available on Friday, and two will open on Saturday. That makes it a typical weekend, Deffner said.
The park also brings in revenue from rental of its picnic pavilions, which range from $62 to $86 on weekends, and $42 to $66 on weekdays.
According to DCNR, last year’s revenue at the state park was $135,000. Its budget is almost $600,000.
“Anecdotally, across our parks, we are seeing a slight pickup this year,” said Christina Novak, DCNR spokeswoman. “Overall our reservations for overnight stays are up slightly, but for shorter periods of time. Anecdotally, people are staying closer to home, and looking for an affordable opportunity to get away.”
-- E-mail comments to tpursell@dailyitem.com.
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600 may attend rally
A picnic and rally are scheduled for 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. June 21 at R.B. Winter State Park, the recreation area near Mifflinburg that may be closed as the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources faces budget cuts in a number of 2009-2010 spending plans.
Local legislators and officials are invited so they can hear the views of attendees, said Stephen Connolley, of White Deer Township, near Lewisburg.
Connolley and Dave Bressi are listed as site administrators of a recently created Facebook account, “Save the R.B. Winter (Halfway Dam) State Park.” The effort has attracted nearly 3,000 members.
Web site creator Bressi writes on the page, “Please help fight against the proposal to close 35 state parks in Pennsylvania as well as many other DCNR programs, such as gypsy moth spraying and the tree seedling program due to proposed cuts of $19M in funding to the DCNR.”
“There is so much sentiment attached to R.B. Winter,” Connolley said. “This is something people care deeply about.”
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