Some of the consequences of our country’s federal budget priorities are to be found in places no one would ever expect. Regardless of one’s political persuasions, it doesn’t take many visits to our national and state park systems to see the effects of the reduction in funds to support them. Sara and I first noticed this trend last year in several of the national parks of the West. We try to spend our camping fees at state or national parks whenever possible. At Joshua Tree National Park there was not enough staff to man the admission’s booth that collects entrance fees that support the park. The sign said, “Pay at the Visitor’s Center”. Imagine the number of people that just “drove through” with out stopping to pay. At White Sands National Park a scheduled night tour by a ranger was cancelled with over 15 people disappointed because there was not “enough” staff to man both the center and the tour. We were among the disappointed. At park after park, both federal and state, we saw broken roads, closed booths and floods of volunteers replacing normal park staff due to a lack of funding. In California, Governor Arnold, in an effort to help balance the state’s tremendous deficits, has raised the camping and entrance fees in the park system to a level that is unprecedented. It is often cheaper to stay in a private RV park than in a nearby state facility. In southern California in the San Bernardino Mountains, we listened to a father complain that his family couldn’t afford to stay in a park that his state and federal taxes were supposed to support. Our friends who work at Rocky Mountain National Park as park rangers tell us how the cuts in federal funding are seriously affecting the functioning of the park.

John Muir was quoted as saying that “a nation that does not protect its natural treasures, loses more than its land, water and wildlife, it loses its soul.” As we see more and more of the country, Sara and I are starting be believe that this prophesy may be coming true. In the Everglades this year camping fees have been increased and park tours decreased due to a lack of funds. The Emerald Coast which borders the Gulf of Mexico, from Tallahassee, Florida, to Mobile Alabama, has been bought up and developed to the point where public access to the beaches is next to impossible for mile after mile.

We are presently staying at the Gregory E Moore Top Sails RV Resort in Destin, Florida. We first heard about this park two years ago from a fellow camper in Naples, Fl. He admonished us, to under no circumstances, decline a chance to stay at this park. We tried to get reservations without success until this year. The increased cost to $39 a night was a surprise and is the most we have ever paid at a State or Federal park. We decided it would be worth it to see one of the five top rated state parks in the nation.

Topsails is fantastic. The park was privately owned until 1998 when the state of Florida purchased it. It is nestled in a beautiful pine forest bordering some of the most beautiful beaches and clearest ocean water we have ever seen. The sand is pure white and there are no buildings along the park shoreline. In the distance there are the high rise condos of Panama City to the east and those of Destin to the west. It gives one the feeling that you are on a small island rather than a national shoreline. You can almost imagine the development creeping closer as you stare at the deep blue green water.

The park’s campsites are huge with trees and bushes that offer privacy. Many sites border fresh water ponds. There is a club house, laundry and small heated pool. The park is clean and spacious. There is even a free shuttle that carries park visitors to and from the beach on the hour to avoid car traffic through the park. Every attempt is made to give the park visitor the feeling of nature without interference.

The reservation system never tells you if you are the first or the last one to get a reservation for a given period of time. They usually give you the impression that they are doing you a tremendous favor just to “squeeze” you in.

Well, guess what???? Out of the 160 available sites, about 25 are being used each day. There are no reduced rates for a weekly or monthly stay. It is a flat 39 bucks a night regardless of the length of stay or the time of year. When I spoke to the ranger about the situation, she explained, “Due to a lack of state funding, we have had to raise our day rates to a point where a lot of people are simply boycotting the park. We are having trouble just affording to keep the park open during the off season. Without the volunteers, I don’t know what we would do!!!!!!”

What a state of affairs. Our state and national parks are struggling to stay open, access is being denied to middle class families as shorelines are being bought and closed off by the wealthy. It is truly sad. This county’s natural heritage which belongs to every citizen is being sold to the highest bidder with no safety net to protect access.

For more on the subject read, Crimes Against Nature by Robert F Kennedy, Jr.

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