Legislature to cut park construction funding

Passed as a voter initiative in 1990, the Heritage Fund was designed to act as a steward of good relations between man and the environment: promoting parks, conserving habitats and protecting wildlife.

However, as the state faces a more than $1.4 billion dollar budget shortfall, the fund, which generates money through the sales of several Arizona Lottery games, could be one of the first casualties.

“It is important to protect during this difficult time core Arizona resources, our true capital: parks and wildlife, prehistoric and historic sites, trails and other cultural and outdoors amenities which will serve the citizens of Arizona during this bleak period,” said Janice Miano, director of administration for the Arizona Heritage Alliance, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created in 1992 to protect Arizona’s Heritage Fund and its objectives.

The Heritage Fund is structured so that money deposited into the fund through lottery sales divides equally between the Arizona State Parks Department and the Game and Fish Department.

The total amount the fund can take in is limited to $20 million a year, but in many years the fund fails to reach this maximum allowence. “When we fail to pull in the $20 million, it hampers the amount of projects the fund can help,” Miano said.

Since the fund’s inception, more than $338.5 million has been reinvested into the state’s natural resources. “I think almost every city in every county has received a portion of the Heritage Fund,” Miano said.

Maricopa is no exception.

One purpose of the fund is to provide grants to cities to help promote the growth of parks and other facilities.

In 2006 the city of Maricopa received a $775,000 grant from the fund to help with the construction of Pacana Park. “While this grant was for only $775,000 it ended up saving the city and the taxpayers almost $1.4 million,” said Maricopa Director of Community Services Marty McDonald.

“This fund is a valuable grant resource for construction of parks,” McDonald added.

Even though times are tough right now, Miano realizes that there are going to be cuts across the board. She said the fund is one thing legislators should try to keep intact. “Parks and wildlife programs have already been severely affected by budget cuts, and taking away this fund could prove to be a crippling blow,” she said, adding that this is not the first time state legislators have thought about diverting money from the Heritage Fund.

“It seems like every year they try to cut the fund one way or another, but I have a strong feeling this year it may happen,” she said.

To help ensure the Heritage Fund is not cut, Miano’s group has started a petition and is looking for all those in support of parks, trails and the environment to sign it.

For more information about the Arizona Heritage Fund or to sign the petition, visit
www.azheritage.wordpress.com/about-the-heritage-fund.

File photo