News - Local
$13 Million In State Funds Build New State Park, But Will It Open
Posted: Feb 24, 2010 6:07 AM by Rob Kirkpatrick
Updated: Feb 24, 2010 6:07 AM
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - The state spent $13 million on Palmetto
Island State Park, a new park in Vermilion Parish that was supposed
to open later this year. But parks officials say Palmetto Island
won't be able to open at all, with the funding proposed in Gov.
Bobby Jindal's budget recommendations.
Stuart Johnson, assistant secretary of the Office of State
Parks, says the governor's budget wouldn't pay for the new park's
opening and would force other parks to shut down.
The governor proposed an $11.4 million cut to the Department of
Culture, Recreation and Tourism - which includes the state parks
office. That's about a 14 percent cut.
Members of the Senate Finance Committee complained Tuesday about
the possible cuts and asked about possible fee increases or local
government help to keep the parks open.
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