Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Richard Sullivan said a proposed $1.2 million cut will play havoc for the parks, forests and beaches.
Isabella J. Roblero enjoys a ride on the beach on her 6th birthday during a party in her honor at Chicopee Memorial State Park last year. Pushing her in the wheel chair dune buggy are from left: Julianny N. Alicea, 11, Victoria N. Roblero, 8, Richard G. Rodriguez, 10, and Joshua M. Rodriguez, all of Springfield. Cuts to funding for state parks and beaches is being considered by the Massachusetts House to try to balance the fiscal 2012 budget.SPRINGFIELD – As the state House of Representatives embarks on debate of its $30.5 billion budget proposal this week, residents should be forewarned they could face reduced services – and perhaps some closures – of the state’s parks, beaches and recreation areas during the summer if cuts to Gov. Deval L. Patrick’s spending plan aren’t restored.
The state’s secretary of energy and environmental affairs, Richard K. Sullivan, also warned that elimination of Patrick’s proposed expansion of the 5-cent bottle deposit law from the budget plan could ultimately impact the time it takes to complete environmental permitting processes.
“Budgets are tough; these decisions will impact people,” Sullivan said last week during a meeting with the editorial board of The Republican.
He was asked to address how the House budget proposal could affect the agencies he oversees, including the departments of Conservation & Recreation and Environmental Protection.
Sullivan said he holds out hope that several initiatives filed over the past two weeks to restore some of the funding cut by the House Ways & Means Committee will be favorably received as the House takes up the budget.
If they are not, Sullivan warned, more than 100 employees could lose their jobs among his agencies and there will be “less services,” particularly in the area of parks and recreation.
While he said no specific services or sites are currently in jeopardy, Sullivan said a $1.2 million cut proposed by the House will play havoc for the parks, forests and beaches which saw a 30 percent rise in attendance over the past year as frugal consumers pursued “staycations” for their families.
Richard SullivanSullivan said Patrick level-funded the Department of Conservation & Recreation because attendance – largely due to day-trippers and favorable weather last year – was up.
“I would think you’d see similar numbers this year, at a time when we have people looking to stay closer to home for their summer vacations,” said Sullivan.
Since certain facilities already were closed last year after that fiscal cycle’s round of cuts, Sullivan said he will be forced to cut positions in the labor-heavy agency, including park rangers, lifeguards and other employees.
In addition to parks and forests, the House budge proposal included a dramatic 18 percent cut, about $13 million, to the environmental protection department, which Sullivan deemed “disproportionate” and said it will result in delays in all manner of green permitting.
“We ideally need to permit at the speed of business, but we have to have to people there to do that,” Sullivan said.
If the House budget plan passes, 125 environmental employees will be slated for layoff. Sullivan could not speculate about the level of staffing cuts on the conservation and recreation side as the upcoming year’s finances are still in question.
Sullivan reiterated the “times are tough all over” mantra of these grim economic times, noting state officials are trying to close a $1.5 billion budget gap.
Barbara C. Anderson, executive director of Citizens for Limited Taxation, applauded House leaders for holding the line on spending and rejecting tax increases. If any money is restored to items, that money should be offset by cuts in other areas, she said.
“We have to cut,” Anderson said. “There is no more money.”
The full state House of Representatives will debate and approve the budget this week.
Rep. Anne M. Gobi, D-Spencer, said she will attempt to amend the budget to restore money to some environmental programs.
Gobi, the co-chair of the Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture, said she is concerned about closures of state parks and a shortage of staff at other parks. She said she also wants to avoid further layoffs in the state environmental protection department.