October 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 84

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What Happens When a Park closes?
Support America's Backyard and help keep our public parks open

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t ' s a s u b J eC t t h at n o o n e Wa n t s to ta l K
about. so perhaps it's no surprise that neither the field nor
the public has a very clear idea about what exactly happens
to parks that are permanently closed due to budget shortfalls.
but with hundreds of state parks and thousands of community parks currently in danger of closure, all americans need to
understand the consequences.
a single park closure can cause a ripple eﬀect throughout the
community. a closed or ill-maintained park becomes vulnerable to
vandalism and crime. a playground covered in graﬃti invites more
graﬃti; a field scattered with trash invites more trash. it can also
lower property values and deter tourists. Most parks cannot actually
be physically sealed oﬀ to the public-people will still access them,
but their litter will not be collected and there will be no bathroom
access. there will be no ranger on hand to enforce laws or educate

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Parks & Recreation   O C T O B E R

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the next generation on
conservation through
nature centers.
in California, where
70 state parks are slated for closure, parks
oﬃcials say that rangers stationed elsewhere
may periodically check
closed parks " to prevent vandalism and
meth labs. " in just a
couple of weeks when
Minnesota closed all its state parks because the legislature failed
to reach a budget agreement, parks oﬃcials reported vandalism,
litter, and human waste left behind by visitors.
in some instances, of course, problems of this type are avoided
by selling park land for commercial development-or, as described
in the classic Joni Mitchell song, " pave paradise and put up a parking lot. " especially when parks are located on high-value real estate in cities or near popular tourist attractions, governments on
all levels can be tempted to cash in. but the loss of open green
space is forever.
oklahoma, Connecticut, and others states have considered
privatizing or shuttering state parks over budget woes. across
the country for the first time in over 100 years we are going to
leave a legacy of closed parks for future generations. " if we get
rid of parks, where are our grand kids going to go? We don't have
a reset button. once they're gone, they're gone, " says barbara
tulipane, Ceo of the national Recreation and Park association.
" this is public open space we're talking about. We as the general
public are the stockholders, and we should have a voice in how
our parks are funded and maintained. because once they're gone,
there's no going back. "
We need to ensure that parks are available to everyone-the
everyday, hardworking americans. Parks contribute to our health
and wellbeing, and protect irreplaceable natural and cultural resources, which are increasingly being put at risk. they are one
of our most important public trusts. We commune and we connect in parks. Parks nourish us physically, spiritually, and mentally.
america's backyard, a grassroots initiative of the national Recreation and Park association, is working to preserve and protect
public parks by bringing together citizens who love parks. learn
more by visiting us at www.americasbackyard.org.
October 2011 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2011 - Parks & Recreation
