by John R. Goss, DNR Director
The reality has set in. A lengthy national recession means fewer tax dollars are being collected and deep cuts have been made in state government budgets that pay for operations, programs, staffing and repairing facilities.
That includes the DNR, and citizens are seeing the effects throughout Indiana. Our core values remain intact. We will continue to protect the natural and cultural resources of the state.
Less money to spend means that some things that we have done in the past will cease, and some worthwhile future projects will not proceed.
But some solutions have come along, too.
This summer:
-- We cut 25 percent of our seasonal employees, which means there will be fewer staff to lead hikes, clean restrooms, maintain and make repairs at our facilities
-- Grass mowing is reduced to a minimum with wildflower plantings re-turning many areas to a more natural look
-- We decided to turn over management of Bass State Lake Beach to the Starke County Commission in a lease agreement
-- We closed campgrounds, including Little Turtle at Huntington Lake, Salamonie Lost Bridge East Campground and Mississinewa Miami Primitive Campground, among many other cuts
-- We turned over management and operations of Wyandotte Caves to Wyandotte Cave, LLC, of Marengo, which operates other commercial caves
-- We will not proceed with plans for construction of an inn at Potato Creek State Park
The complete list of cuts and short-term fixes is too long to print here. A good summary can be found at your local state park or reservoir or on our Web site: see the Budget Reduction Fact Sheet at www.IN.gov/dnr.
In the past two years, the DNR's operating budget has been reduced by $16 million in tax funds; it affects our ability to provide, maintain and staff favorite programs. In some cases, we have raised fees, but in many other instances we have been forced to cease operations and cut staff.
We also have lost $59 million that we planned to spend for construction, repair and rehabilitation of DNR-managed facilities. This money was intended to do major surgery on our buildings, roads and sewage treatment plants, which for years had been patched with bandages.
Out of darkness some creative opportunities have emerged. I want to point to some solutions that show how we are managing to survive with help:
At Potato Creek State Park, the horsemen's camp would have closed due to a $9,000 cut in the park budget; camp users stepped in with a one-time donation to keep the facility open.
We'll be able to keep open several boat ramps rather than closing them this summer thanks to volunteers who are cutting grass and cleaning up the areas, and boaters who are purchasing daily launch permits at the new honor system payment boxes we recently installed at the ramps.
If you have ideas about how you can help your favorite DNR facility, please share them with the property manager or send an e-mail to goodideas@dnr.state.in.us. We look forward to hearing from you.
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