Murphy Creek near Dunns Creek State Park, photo credit: SJRWMD
We are extremely concerned about the recent news that 53 Florida State Parks are being considered for closure because of state budget cuts. Several of these parks are within the watershed of the St. Johns River, including Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve, Ft. George Island Cultural State Park, Dunns Creek State Park, and Rock Springs Run State Preserve. The closures would amount to a savings of only about $6.5 million dollars, an amount many estimate to be far less than the economic impact to local communities from the visitors and tourists who visit these parks.
Parks provide important access to our river and its watershed, provide valuable habitat for plants and wildlife, and are essential to maintaining water quality in our river and its tributaries.
Please, contact your Representatives and State Senators and let them know that you support your state parks and do not want these valuable ecological, recreational and economic resources closed to the public.
Read the story about this issue in The Florida Times-Union by clicking here. The article includes a list of the parks proposed for closure and contact information for area state legislators.