SierraScape September 2015 - February 2016
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by Caroline Pufalt
Conservation Chair
Eastern Missouri Group
Three significant MO parks issues require our vigilance now and into 2016.
County parks should not be up for sale: St Louis County has proposed selling half of Sylvan Springs Park. Thanks to all those who spoke up for this lovely, historic park. At this writing the final decision is uncertain. But the controversy has highlighted the need to develop a required protocol for the County to follow when considering the sale of park land.
Such a protocol should at minimum require public input, full transparency in process and options surrounding a proposed sale and ample time for consideration and feedback. A stronger option would be a required citizen vote of approval before parkland could be sold.
If you are a county resident and want to be part of the Sierra Club's involvement in this issue please send an email note to emg@missouri.sierraclub.org or phone the club office at 314-644-1011.
Historic Parks and Soils tax up for renewal in 2016: MO State Parks are popular and nationally acclaimed, with no entrance fees. That's not the case for many other states which envy Missouri's stable funding source from the 1/10 of one percent sales tax. The tax was established by popular vote in 1984 and has been reaffirmed three times since then, most recently in 2006. We will need support next year to get the issue back on the ballot so citizens can again show their support for state parks and soils conservation.
Funding backlog for state park repairs: The parks sale tax funds daily operation of the parks, but long term maintenance and capital improvements need additional funds from general revenue or dedicated bonds. For the past several years citizens who support state parks, along with like-minded state legislators, have worked to craft a bonding bill that included funds for state parks. Progress had been made and it looked like in 2015 it would be successful. But a separate state park related controversy diverted attention and muddied alliances so that no such bill passed in 2015.
The controversy that arose late in the 2015 legislative session was the status of a new state park in what was once Camp Zoe in Shannon County. That land was acquired by the state in mid-2014 with expectation that it would likely become a state park. But in April this year it appeared plans and contracts for such a park were completed and work actually begun – without formal public input and mostly behind the scenes decision making. The coalition supporting a park funding bill could not defeat opposition that took its frustration out on overall park funding.
Ironically the funding for the Camp Zoe site apparently comes mostly from the Ameren settlement regarding damage to Johnson's Shut-Ins state park, so cutting funding for park repairs had no impact on the project.