Letter to the Editor
Letters to the editors of local newspapers and media outlets can be great ways to spread the word about issues that are important to you. Share your thoughts with your community by sending a letter today. Feel free to use the sample text we provide or write your own letter communicating your support for state parks and historic sites.
I’m writing today to express my support for Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites. Georgia has one of the top rated state park systems in the country. Our parks and historic sites preserve what is best about Georgia’s diverse natural, cultural and historic resources. These amazing places are visited by millions of visitors each year from all over the world and are important economic engines for our state and our local communities.
The State Parks & Historic Sites Division of DNR has taken heavy blows to its operating budget. As a result, DNR was forced to take drastic measures just to keep the doors open: reducing employees system-wide, reducing operating hours at most historic sites, reducing available programming, and delaying much-needed maintenance and repairs to critical structures and systems.
When most people think about a state park, they think about camping or swimming or hiking. What they often don't think about is the economic impact these sites have on our communities. For every dollar allocated by the legislature for state parks and historic sites, $33 is generated in the community from visitors. This simple fact shows that parks are not just great places to explore nature but are also critical economic engines for our state. Continued reductions and budget woes will not only endanger our state parks and historic sites but will also further increase the economic stress on our rural communities. For many of these areas, the state parks and historic sites are the biggest draw and source of revenue for local merchants.
I am deeply concerned that if the parks are forced to continue operating in such a drastically underfunded situation, Georgia’s treasures will be at significant risk. Each year since 2002, the parks have been asked to do more with less. Georgia’s population continues to grow and yet funding for these critical resources continues to fall.
I encourage everyone to take action now to help these irreplaceable resources by visiting http://SaveMyStateParks.org to learn about what they can do to help. If we all take action today, we can help preserve our state parks and historic sites for generations to come.
