Report: 15 state parks on closure list, including Guntersville, Cheaha (al.com/WHNT) [View all]

By Lee Roop | lroop@al.com
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on April 15, 2015 at 2:07 PM, updated April 15, 2015 at 3:40 PM

Fifteen Alabama state parks are on a list of parks to close if Alabama can't resolve its budget crisis, AL.Com news partner WHNT News 19 reports. Monte Sano State Park in Huntsville would stay open.

The list of potential closures includes Guntersville and Joe Wheeler, two of the jewels of the system in north Alabama; Cheaha, home to the state's tallest mountain; and Lake Lurleen near Tuscaloosa.

Alabama State Parks Director Greg Lein issued a statement earlier saying state lawmakers intend to transfer $11.4 million from the 2016 budget appropriation for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Most of that money - $10.4 million - would come from state parks, because most of conservation money is committed to match federal dollars.

According to WHNT News 19, here is the full list of parks to be closed:

Bladon Springs
Chickasaw
Buck's Pocket
Paul Grist
Florala
Blue Springs
Roland Cooper
Rickwood Caverns
Cheaha
Lake Lurleen
DeSoto
Lakepoint
Guntersville
Joe Wheeler
Frank Jackson
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more: http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/04/report_guntersville_and_joe_wh.html#incart_most-commented_news_article
http://whnt.com/2015/04/15/alabama-state-parks-working-on-contingency-plan-to-close-up-to-several-parks-some-reportedly-in-north-alabama/



These parks are slated for closure because they have not consistently shown a profit. I had no idea that was a requirement for a state park! Until we got a budget-slashing Republican state house, it probably wasn't.