The Arizona State Parks Board will decide Friday morning whether to close all but one-third of Arizona's state parks and recreation areas -- including Tonto Natural Bridge State Park between Pine and Payson on Arizona Highway 87.
That's when the board will consider staff recommendations that 13 parks be added to the three that are already closed. Besides the bridge, parks that would be closed include Fort Verde, Homolovi Ruins, Lyman Lake, Riordan Mansion, Roper Lake, Tombstone Courthouse, Tubac Presidio, Yuma Territorial Prison, Alamo Lake, Lost Dutchman, Picacho Peak, and Red Rock. All would be closed by June 3.
If the recommendations are accepted, the only parks that will remain open are those that make money -- Buckskin Mountain, Catalina, Cattail Cove, Dead Horse Ranch, Fool Hollow Lake, Kartchner Caverns, Lake Havasu, Patagonia Lake, and Slide Rock. Parks officials hope that these parks can remain open, but that will only happen if the system gets a $3 million loan, hopefully from the state's general fund.
State budget cuts have forced the closures, even though numerous studies show that the parks system generates much more revenue than it costs.
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