NH lawmakers may turn to volunteers to help parks

New Hampshire

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February 8, 2010

State could rely on volunteers

By Doug Ireland

KINGSTON — A slew of legislation being considered by lawmakers in Concord offers new hope for New Hampshire's financially strapped state parks, especially Kingston State Park.

The House of Representatives is expected to vote this week on two bills designed to give the state parks system a much-needed boost as it grapples with a huge deficit, according to Rep. D.J. Bettencourt, R-Salem, a sponsor of the legislation.

One bill would establish an adopt-a-park program designed to bring in volunteers to help maintain the parks. The other proposal would help promote the parks.

These are just two of at least nine bills to be considered this session in wake of a plan recently drafted by the state Department of Resources and Economic Development, outlining the improvements needed for the park system's survival.

Since becoming self-funded in 1991, the state Division of Parks and Recreation — an agency overseen by DRED, and responsible for management of the several dozen parks and other properties — has had an annual deficit averaging about $400,000, according to the division.

"We want to make sure these parks continue to be maintained the way they should be," Bettencourt said.

Both his bills were sent to the full House by the Resources, Recreation and Development Committee.

Other legislation includes proposals to establish a license plate program aimed at raising money for the parks and a bill recently passed in the Senate that would no longer require each park to be self-funded.

New Hampshire is the only state in the country to mandate that its state parks fund their own expenses.

Generating more money for the parks and no longer expecting each to be self-supporting will help them survive.

That's especially true of the smaller ones, which don't bring in a lot of money, but are just as important as the large parks, such as the popular Franconia Notch State Park, Bettencourt said.

"It (the legislation) is to help maintain and preserve our small state parks that don't have a revenue mechanism like our larger parks," he said.

One of those smaller parks, plagued by state budget cuts that eliminated lifeguards and reduced maintenance, is Kingston State Park.

"These are the kinds of parks we had in mind," Bettencourt said. "These are the ones communities have come to enjoy and cherish."

House Bill 1378, the adopt-a-park legislation he sponsored with Rep. Jeffrey St. Cyr, R-Alton, calls for volunteers to help maintain the parks. They would clear trails, pick up litter and perform other duties, including staffing fire towers on low-risk days, Bettencourt said.

Although he has not seen any of the legislation, Kingston police Chief Donald Briggs said such proposals would certainly benefit the 44-acre state park in his town.

"I think it is a great idea," he said. "Anything they can do to revitalize Kingston State Park."

While popular in the summer because of its beach and other recreational facilities, the park is also used a lot in the winter by cross-country skiers and snowshoers, Briggs said.

"It's a great asset to the community and to those who use it," he said.

But the park has suffered in recent years due to state cutbacks, especially during the summer when the beach is no longer fully staffed by lifeguards.

"Near-drowning situations" have occurred at the beach because of the reduced staffing, Briggs has said.

"They have cut back on staff constantly," he said last week. "It's just a bare-bones crew."

Kingston Selectmen's Chairman Charles Hart agreed the park could use extra help, saying the state should be charging users more to help run the park.

"They weren't supplying the lifeguards," Hart said of the state. "They weren't maintaining and taking care of it."

He said the park is beneficial to the town and attracts shoppers to Kingston, providing a boost to the local economy.

"It's a nice piece of property," he said.

Kingston State Park was mentioned last summer as one of many parks the state possibly wanted to unload. Town officials immediately expressed interest, but never heard back from DRED, according to Hart, who said Kingston would buy the property "instantly — in a heartbeat."

"We know we could run it as a town park," he said. "We have definitely put our dibs on it."

But the state has said it was all a misunderstanding.

It does not intend to sell the parks, but backs the plan to have outside groups help operate and maintain them, according to Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Amy Bassett.

Hart said the town is ready to work with the state to keep the park operating.

"Whatever they do with it, we want to be a part of it," he said. "We will do whatever they want us to do."

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