Missouri
Status: At Risk
50 State Parks |29 Historic Sites
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Twenty years in the making, Missouri's crisis around state parks is reaching a critical juncture. Its system of more than 80 state parks and state-owned historic sites is now struggling more than ever to make ends meet with a backlog of nearly $200 million in unfunded capital improvement and infrastructure needs. Missouri is somewhat unique in how it takes care of its parks. Unlike many other state park systems that receive some general funding support, Missouri funds 75 percent of its state parks operation through revenues generated by a dedicated sales tax (Parks and Soils Sales Tax, half of which goes to parks), with the remainder primarily coming from user fees. General revenue for staff salaries and benefits was stripped twenty years ago, leaving the system with declining resources for capital improvements. Now, with the economy lagging, state parks are suffering even more, taking a direct hit due to a steep downturn in sales tax revenues, off by 11 percent from 2007. This translates to a $5 million shortfall for the Missouri state parks operation, necessitating reductions for all park units. Next year's projections look even worse.
Supporters of Missouri's state parks realized there was a big problem when last October 121 full time positions were eliminated, 20 percent of total staff. Some criticized the action, advocating instead for a more-gradual approach of closing parks temporarily and furloughing employees. Regardless, it got the attention of many and jumpstarted efforts to find a solution to the mounting problem. It will not be easy, especially for a state parks system that has so many resources and needs. With more than 1,845 structures – 700 of which are historic – and over 300 miles of roads and bridges to maintain, coming up with a plan for stable and sufficient funding will be a challenge.
Like many states these days, advocates of Missouri state parks are trying to build support for a stable funding source to generate sufficient revenues to serve the needs. Passage of the proposed $800 million Fifth State Building Fund, which would likely include $80-100 million specifically for capital improvements in state parks, would help greatly. After garnering significant legislative support in 2009, the bill was bottled up this year by the speaker of the House, preventing even a hearing. The Missouri Parks Association and other member organizations of the State Park Funding Coalition will continue to advocate for passage of such a measure.
What is the future of Missouri's state parks and state-owned historic sites?
Caring for state parks and state-owned historic sites involves a lot of moving parts, from ongoing building repairs to mending and upgrading major infrastructure systems. Two examples of state parks – Trail of Tears and Katy Trail – illustrate well the need for adequate resources. The dam at Trail of Tears State Park, where Cherokee Indians crossed the Mississippi in the harsh winter of 1838-39, suddenly slumped in 2008. This forced park officials to lower the lake level, which meant the lake had to be closed to swimmers, which in turn decreased camping and park attendance, reducing the spin-off economic benefits to the local economy. It will take $750,000 to repair the dam, one of 40 in the Missouri state park system.
One hundred fifty miles of the highly popular 236-mile-long Katy Trail State Park – the longest rail-trail conversion in the nation – is in the floodplain of the Missouri River and hence subject to periodic flood damage. With nearly 500 bridges, 1,000 culverts, 60 buildings, and miles of surface requiring constant attention, the trail's current estimated backlog of needed rehabilitation is $47.5 million, not including the cost of a new 46-mile extension to Kansas City.
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