WHY ADVOCATE?
Contacting your elected officials is an effective way to convey your concerns to decision makers and advocate for solutions. This approach can be especially effective when many constituents write letters about the same issue.
Unlike most industries, institutions, professional organizations, etc., state park users have no organized lobbying effort or hired lobbyists. A grassroots effort on behalf of the millions of Wisconsin State Park visitors is the most effective way to gain the support of our elected representatives to properly fund the state park system.
Without advocacy your voices would remain silenced. Without advocates, we could miss out on critical support for our parks. This is a unique time as our elected officials are creating and will be approving the 2023-2025 state budget. As you probably know Wisconsin has a fund balance of over seven billion dollars. There will be extensive lobbying across the spectrum of budget items by organized lobbying and lobbyist competing for funds. This may be the best opportunity for some time to come for approval of a budget which includes the desperately needed funding for our state parks.
In conversations with members of the state representatives trails caucus they expressed that most legislators do not believe there is a need for additional funding for our parks and trails. This is due in fact that they do not hear this need from constituents. In 2015, Governor Scott Walker eliminated state support for the state parks operating budget, mandating that they become self-sustaining. It has been expressed that most legislators elected after 2015 when direct funding for our parks was eliminated are not even aware that there is no tax funding for our parks and that Wisconsin is the only state in the country that does not provide direct funding for the parks. Our parks are funded by park admission fees and trail passes with some limited government grants. When the tax funding was eliminated in 2015 it was the intent that they would be supported by increased fees. Independent analysis at the time showed that even with increased fees at the most popular parks, fees alone would fall far short of the funding required. Since 2015 our parks have accrued a huge maintenance backlog and have been significantly understaffed effecting the quality of the park visitor’s experience. The majority of our parks infrastructure across the state was built in either the 1930s or the 1960s and 1970s. Most of our restrooms, water lines, were built in the late 1960s. It’s all aging at the same time.
Other states had attempted the self-supporting approach as well, which ended in deteriorating park systems and eventually creating taxing solutions for support of their parks.
The economic impact of the over 17 million visits in 2022 to the Wisconsin State Park System drives more than $1 billion in spending per year. Wisconsin’s outdoor recreation industry’s strong foundation contributes $7.8 billion to the state’s gross domestic product. Over 93,000 jobs across diverse sectors – from tourism to manufacturing to retail and the arts – are supported by outdoor recreation and contribute $3.9 million in compensation to Wisconsinites. Our state parks provide healthy outdoor recreational experiences, conserve our natural resources, provide learning opportunities about nature and conservation, and advance Wisconsin’s outdoor recreational image. By utilizing any of the methods to engage your elected officials you can be part of the solution to maintaining our beautiful state parks and enhance the experience of all park visitors.
How to contact Wisconsin state legislators
- Legislature homepage; https//legis.Wisconsin.gov
- Joint Committee on Finance Public Comment Website (wisconsin.gov)
https://legis.wisconsin.gov/topics/budgetcomments/
