KINGSTON TWP. – Marci Mowery has spent the last two months visiting state parks and forests across Pennsylvania, and during her travels she noticed a common theme: They all need help.
Mowery, who is president of the non-profit Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation, has visited nearly 20 state parks and forests since August, following the release of a report by the PPFF detailing the need for funding to address infrastructure. On Oct. 4, she stopped by Frances Slocum State Park for a firsthand look at the nearly $6.5 million in infrastructure needs. Officials with the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and state Rep. Karen Boback’s office also participated in the tour of the 1,035-acre park, which highlighted infrastructure that is outdated and, in some instances, crumbling.
“By not addressing infrastructure costs now, it’s putting a burden on citizens because it’s going to be more expensive to address these needs later,” Mowery said. “It’s very important that we start this conversation.”
At every park she’s visited, it seems there is always a need. Whether it’s replacement of picnic tables (Mowery said there are about 30,000 in parks statewide) or bridge replacements, there is work to be done.
“At Cook Forest State Park, the bridge that accesses the forest cathedral is closed. It’s a pedestrian bridge and it’s longer safe,” she said. “They have pit latrines at Nockamixon State Park, and a lot of people don’t want to use them.”
The conversation at Frances Slocum focused on the need to upgrade the filtration plant for the swimming pool – which dates back to the 1970s, the sewage treatment plant and efforts to connect to a nearby municipal authority, and costly maintenance of the dam and plans to replace it in the future. A lack of staffing that leaves the park with one full-time ranger is another issue.
“These are daily challenges, not only for us but for all the parks in the system,” said park manager Kevin Koflanovich. “I’ve had the opportunity to work at several state parks, and this is universal.”
And costly.
The estimated price tag to address the infrastructure needs for the entire 45,000-acre Pinchot State Forest (encompassing parts of Lackawanna, Luzerne, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties), which includes dams, bridges, roads and facilities, is almost $24 million. Mowery said the cost to address all of the statewide maintenance and infrastructure projects for the Bureau of State Parks and Bureau of Forestry is $500 million each. She identified Restore PA, an initiative touted by Governor Tom Wolf that would invest $4.5 billion for infrastructure projects over four years, as a potential funding source. The proposal, which would be funded through a severance tax on natural gas, has yet to gain the approval of the state legislature since it was introduced by Wolf in June.
Mowery emphasized, however, that any funding dedicated to upgrade state parks and forests would help protect a vital contributor to the economy. At Frances Slocum, for example, Mowery said the 560,000 visitors to the park each year spend $12.3 million. The entire Pinchot State Forest system, she said, attracts an average of 3.6 million visitors each year, resulting in an economic impact of $266 million.
“There’s a huge economic return for investing in our state parks and forests,” Mowery said.
Alex Stout, assistant regional manager for the Bureau of State Parks, Region 4, said the dam is one of three in the region, including Tobyhanna and Gouldsboro state parks, that are considered high-hazard structures and are slated to be replaced. The dam at Tobyhanna will be replaced first, he said, and the estimated cost is $8.5 million.
Across the state park and forest system, there are 47 high-hazard dams, Stout said, and many of them need to be addressed in the near future.
Stout added that the plan to connect the park’s sewage system to DAMA will cost several million as well, plus an annual bill to for treatment.
“We look at things from a health and safety standpoint, and bridges, dams, water and sewage take priority,” Stout said. “Visitor services sometimes suffer because we have to divert funds to address health and safety needs.”
Mowery said she’ll keep visiting parks across the state – her next stop will be Neshaminy State Park in Bucks County – getting a firsthand look at things that are outdated, inadequate or simply falling apart.
“Whether its bridges, dams, buildings or even insufficient staffing, I am seeing a common theme at every park I visit. A lack of funding is taking a toll, and that’s causing under-staffed parks to be reactive with repairs rather than proactive,” Mowery said. “We need to invest in our state parks and forests.”
