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Woke up early this morning with a desire to go paddling along the Hillsborough River, through various portions of the Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Park, the largest regional park in Hillsborough County, located northeast of Tampa, east of I-75 and north of US 301. So we packed up our kayak and all our gear and headed on over to the canoe launch at John Sargeant Park with plans to paddle up toward Flint Creek. As usual, it was a lovely paddle along this semi-tropical, tree-lined section of the river with the usual gator, turtle and water fowl sightings. The one sight that was not eye-pleasing, however, was the following sign:
Of course my immediate emotional reaction was sadness and anger that the use of this area would be limited...but my underactive left-brain was also calling out to me, telling me that “It’s all about the Economy!” and that everyone has to make sacrifices (I think it was my left-brain…or was it Marc? Well anyway…). So I decided to investigate the issue further. As it turns out, the Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners, in a meeting held on July 16, 2009, discussed the proposed budget for the 2010 and 2011 fiscal years. Budget cuts abound and it appears that the Parks, Recreation & Conservation Department is being particularly hard-hit. The most relevant of these cuts in terms of this department include closing regional parks for two days per weeks and limiting park hours, which would eliminate 54 park employee positions (20 of which are currently vacant due to a hiring freeze) and thereby saving $2,463,517 in county funds. Additionally, it is projected that in 2011, a $500,001 reduction in conservation services resource management (which will result in the elimination of seven jobs) and a reduction in regional park operations by $2,500,000 (resulting in an elimination of 35 positions). Although I know that sacrifices must be made by all during these tough economic times, the consequences of such budget cuts unfortunately could really take their toll on the fine parks, recreation and wilderness areas in Hillsborough County (and other places in Florida as well). Since the Lower Hillsborough Wilderness area is only miles from our home coordinates, for instance, the idea that usage of this extensive area will now be limited is disappointing. When we first moved to Florida, we were so relieved to find geocaching opportunities in the 16,000-acre tract of under-developed wilderness area after what seemed like an endless supply of urban micros. This amazingly multi-faceted piece of land, which includes Dead River Park, Flatwoods Park, Off-Road Loop Trail, Morris Bridge Park, Sargeant Park, Trout Creek Park, Oakridge Equestrian Area and Jefferson Equestrian Area, not only serves a water storage and conservation function, it also provides numerous opportunities for the public to enjoy its natural beauty. This includes paddling along the 12-mile stretch of Hillsborough River, through the lilies and cypress swamps while enjoying the company of such creatures as wading birds, turtles and alligators, hiking/biking along the 60-miles of forest trails, fishing from riverside boardwalks or enjoying a relaxing picnic or cookout with family or friends. …and while you’re at it, you can even find a few caches. So, budget cuts or not, it is so important to keep these natural places beautiful and available to us all. So what can we as geocachers do to help? Here are just a few thoughts (which could apply to parks and recreation areas outside of Hillsborough County as well): * With fewer employees involved in park maintenance, a strong volunteer force becomes even more important. We can do this independently, making “cache-in-trash-out” a regular part of our caching experiences, or we can continue to find ways to work with the park service as volunteer groups through CITO events and coastal cleanups. * If you are hiking, when you arrive at a trailhead, check to see if there is a sign-in sheet. Be sure to sign in and indicate that you are geocaching. This advice actually came directly to us from a SWFWMD land manager who said that these sign-in sheets are saved and used to show the governmental-powers-to-be that the land is being used and hence funding to support the lands would provide a public service. * If you believe that these budget cuts can be prevented, make your voice heard. The contact information for Hillsborough County, for instance, is: - E-mail:
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- Phone: 813-307-8337 -Video: You can e-mail your YouTube question or comment video -Snail Mail: I know we missed the budget meeting, but if you want to send a postcard or letter, send it to BOCC Budget Hearing, P.O. Box 1110, Tampa, Florida, 33602
If you are interested in more specifics about Hillsborough County’s proposed budget, check out http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/budget/ for further information. |
