"We’re going to have to make some tough decisions because we don’t want to thin the soup any more," Johnson said. "It will mean shutting down the parks that don’t have as high visitation so we have the resources to maintain those parks that have higher visitation."

Johnson said the cut would mean the state parks won’t be able to hire maintenance workers, rangers, workers for fee collection stations and other employees needed to run all the parks. Johnson said his office would look at park closures and more limited hours, but he said it was too early to say which parks would be shuttered.

Read the Buisness Week article: Parks chief: La. gov’s budget would force closures.

Campground, Lake Fort Smith State Park, Arkansas, October 20, 2008

Located in a wooded valley in the Boston Mountains of the Arkansas Ozarks, the 259 acre Lake Fort Smith State Park reopened in the late Spring of 2008 four miles north of its original location, which was closed in early January, 2002.  As a park reborn, with totally new facilities, it has 30 camp sites, a group lodging facility, picnic sites, a pavilion, marina with rental boats, a double lane boat ramp, a swimming pool, playground, and an 8,000 square foot visitor center with exhibit gallery, gift shop, a meeting/class room, a patio with an outdoor wood burning fireplace, and a great view of the lake and mountains.  Activities for visitors include camping, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, backpacking, boating, hiking and mountain biking.  The park borders lands of the Ozark National Forest.

(click on image for larger version)

Gallery: Lake Fort Smith State Park

See more of our Image Galleries at Haw Creek.

The Nevada Legislature is thinking of closing state parks as it considers how to patch an estimated $900 million budget gap, a move that would save a few million dollars while killing the economies of rural towns and stunting tourism efforts across the state, opponents of the idea say.

Gov. Jim Gibbons has suggested a 10 percent budget reduction for a number of agencies, including the State Parks Division. But the Interim Finance Committee could take that a step further. At its meeting in Las Vegas on Thursday, the committee is expected to consider following the lead of cash-strapped states such as California and Arizona, that have closed some or all of their state parks.

In Nevada, the proposal is the brainchild of Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas, who says he is considering shutting down all state parks to save money.

Read the entire article: Would closing state parks to save money do more harm than good?

(click on image for larger version)

Class C motorhomes, Elkmont Campground, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, May 4, 2009

In today’s economy, smaller may just be the ticket, at least for the near term, for many who are interested in RVing. Across the country, many surviving RV dealerships are downsizing their inventory, both in the number of units they carry on their lots and the size and type of units.

As well, many of the newer recreational vehicles may be more economical to operate. For instance, the two class c motorhomes in the picture above are probably about the same size.  The Coachmen motorhome, with its v8 gasoline engine, will probably be lucky to achieve more than 8 to 10 miles per gallon.  The Winnebago View, on the other hand, with it’s 3 liter Mercedes Benz diesel can easily achieve 15 or more miles per gallon, even when towing a small vehicle.  Some without a towed vehicle have even achieved over 20 miles per gallon.

See more of our Image Galleries at Haw Creek.

The Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) today put forward a recommended list of closures and service reductions in order to achieve its 2010-11 agency savings target and help address the State’s historic fiscal difficulties.

Governor David A. Paterson issued the following statement:
"New York faces an historic fiscal crisis of unprecedented magnitude. It has demanded many difficult but necessary decisions to help ensure the fiscal integrity of our State. The unfortunate reality of closing an $8.2 billion deficit is that there is less money available for many worthy services and programs. In an environment when we have to cut funding to schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and social services, no area of State spending, including parks and historic sites, could be exempt from reductions. We cannot mortgage our State’s financial future through further gimmicks or avoidance behavior. Spending cuts, however difficult, are needed in order to put New York on the road to fiscal recovery. Going forward through the budget process, I look forward to a productive dialogue with the Legislature on parks and historic sites, as well as other issues."

OPRHP Commissioner Carol Ash issued the following statement:
"The 2010-11 Executive Budget included reductions to every area of State spending. As such, the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation has today put forward proposed closures and service reductions to meet its agency savings target. These actions were not recommended lightly, but they are necessary to address our State’s extraordinary fiscal difficulties."

###

A fact sheet on the proposed closures and service reductions is included below:
The Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) today put forward a list of closures and service reductions in order to achieve its proposed 2010-11 agency savings target and help address the State’s historic fiscal difficulties. As part of a comprehensive plan to close an $8.2 billion deficit, the 2010-11 Executive Budget included necessary cost reductions to each executive State agency, as well as cuts to education, health care, social services, and every other area of State spending.
OPRHP’s plan includes the closure of 41 parks and 14 historic sites, and service reductions at 23 parks and 1 historic site.
The plan also assumes $4 million in park and historic site fee increases that will be identified at a later date, and the use of $5 million in funds from the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) to finance OPRHP operations. These two actions were part of the 21-day amendments to the Executive Budget and are intended to reduce the number of parks and historic sites subject to closures and service reductions.

Specific recommended closures and service reductions are detailed below:
Long Island

Brookhaven State Park
Suffolk
Close Park

Bethpage State Park
Suffolk
Eliminate Winter Sports;
Reduce picnic area and polo field

Caleb Smith State Park Preserve
Suffolk
Close Park

Cold Spring Harbor State Park
Suffolk
Close Park

Connetquot River State Park
Suffolk
Close Weekdays

Heckscher State Park
Suffolk
Close Swimming Pool

Jones Beach State Park
Nassau
Close West Swimming Pool;
Eliminate July 4th fireworks

Montauk Downs State Park
Suffolk
Close Swimming Pool

Nissequogue River State Park
Suffolk
Close Park

Orient Beach State Park
Suffolk
Close Park

Trail View State Park
Suffolk
Close Park

New York City Region

Bayswater Point State Park
Queens
Close Park

Riverbank State Park
New York
Reduce Operating Hours;
Close Outdoor Swimming Pool;
Eliminate Seniors Classes;
and Community/Cultural Events

Palisades Region

Fort Montgomery Historic Site
Orange
Close Historic Site

Harriman SP– Anthony Wayne
Orange
Close Park Area

Harriman SP – Group Camps
Orange
Reduce Maintenance

High Tor State Park
Rockland
Close Pool

Knox Headquarters Historic Site
Orange
Close Historic Site

New Windsor Cantonment SHS
Orange
Close Historic Site

Schunnemunk State Park
Orange
Close Park

Stony Point State Historic Site
Orange
Close Historic Site

Tallman Mountain State Park
Rockland
Close Pool

Taconic Region

Donald J. Trump State Park
Westchester
Close Park

FDR (Roosevelt) State Park
Westchester
Reduce Swimming Pool Season

Hudson Highlands State Park
Putnam
Close Arden Point Area

James Baird State Park
Dutchess
Reduce Golf Course Season

Mills Norrie State Park
Dutchess
Reduce Golf Course Season

Olana State Historic Site
Columbia
Close 2 Days per Week

Philipse Manor Hall Historic Site
Westchester
Close Historic Site

Rockefeller State Park Preserve
Westchester
Eliminate Interpretive Programs

Taconic Outdoor Education Center
Putnam
Eliminate Interpretive Programs

Taconic State Park – Rudd Pond
Dutchess
Close Rudd Pond Area

Wonder Lake State Park
Putnam
Close Park

Saratoga-Capital Region

Bennington Battlefield State Park
Rensselaer
Close Historic Site

Hudson River Islands State Park
Rensselaer
Close Park

John Boyd Thacher State Park
Albany
Close Park

John Brown Farm Historic Site
Essex
Close Historic Site

Johnson Hall State Historic Site
Fulton
Close Historic Site

Max V. Shaul State Park
Schoharie
Close Park

Schodack Island State Park
Rensselaer
Close Park

Schoharie Crossing Historic Site
Schoharie
Close Historic Site

Schuyler Mansion Historic Site
Albany
Close Historic Site

Central Region

Chittenango Falls State Park
Madison
Close Park

Clark Reservation State Park
Onondaga
Close Park

Fort Ontario State Historic Site
Oswego
Close Historic Site

Helen McNitt State Park
Madison
Close Park

Herkimer Home Historic Site
Herkimer
Close Historic Site

Hunts Pond State Park
Chenango
Close Park

Oquaga Creek State Park
Broome
Close Park

Old Erie Canal State Park
Onondaga
Close Park

Oriskany Battlefield/Steuben SHS
Oneida
Close Historic Site

Pixley Falls State Park
Oneida
Close Park

Robert Riddell State Park
Delaware
Close Park

Selkirk Shores State Park
Oswego
Close Public Swimming Beach

Finger Lakes Region

Beechwood State Park
Wayne
Close Park

Bonavista State Park
Seneca
Close Park

Chimney Bluffs State Park
Wayne
Close Park

Newtown Battlefield State Park
Chemung
Close Park

Springbrook Greens State Park
Cayuga
Close Park

Two Rivers State Park
Tioga
Close Park

Buttermilk Falls State Park
Tompkins
Close Public Swimming Area

Seneca Lake State Park
Seneca
Close Lake Swimming Beach

Stony Brook State Park
Steuben
Close Public Swimming Area

Thousand Islands Region

Canoe Island State Park
Jefferson
Close Park

Cedar Island State Park
Jefferson
Close Park

Eel Weir State Park
St. Lawrence
Close Park

Keewaydin State Park
Jefferson
Close Park

Macomb Reservation State Park
Clinton
Close Park

Mary Island State Park
Jefferson
Close Park

Point Au Roche State Park
Clinton
Close Park

Sackets Harbor State Historic Site
Jefferson
Close Historic Site

Genesee Region

Hamlin Beach State Park
Monroe
Close Swimming Beach 3 Days per Week

Oak Orchard State Marine Park
Orleans
Close Park

Regionwide
Multiple
Eliminate Camper Recreation Program

Niagara Region

Joseph Davis State Park
Niagara
Close Park

Knox Farm State Park
Erie
Close Park

Niagara Falls State Park
Niagara
Reduce Interpretive Programs

Wilson-Tuscarora State Park
Niagara
Close Park

Woodlawn Beach State Park
Erie
Close Park

Allegany Region

Allegany State Park
Cattaraugus
Close Quaker Area Swim Beach;
Close Quaker Cabins Area on December 1st;
Eliminate Winter Trails Maintenance;
Reduce Recreation Programs

Long Point State Park
Chautauqua
Close Park

“Every region will be impacted. It’s not just small, fringe sites. Some of the largest parks might close because they’re the most expensive to operate — Jones Beach, Niagara Falls.”

Unfortunately, possible closings come at a time when people need parks most. Last year, statewide usage increased by2 million visits — from 54 million to 56 million — as residents sought inexpensive, close-to-home vacations. This year, Moreau Lake State Park’s campgrounds are already booked most weekends.

“When times are tough, people use state parks,” said Julie Stokes of Greenfield, former deputy state commissioner for operations. “The impact would be very large. A ton of people from Troy use Grafton Lakes. They bus kids out there. That park is absolutely jammed, seven days a week.”

Read more in the Saratogian: Proposed state budget imperils state parks

 

Despite the worst year for recreational vehicle sales in 18 years, industry officials are smiling on the eve of the 2010 Central Florida RV Show that starts Thursday at the Volusia County fairgrounds in DeLand.

They are seeing a turnaround from 2009.

Shipments of RVs from manufactures to retailers rose during the second half of the year, compared to 2008. And snowbird visitors to recreational vehicle parks and campgrounds are up across the Sunbelt.

"And attendance at the RV shows are up as is our walk in traffic," said Larry McNamara, chief operating officer of Giant Recreation World with sales and service facilities in Ormond Beach, Orlando and Melbourne. "(The RV industry is) seen as a rule as an economic indicator. When things are good, sales are up. But when things are bad, it’s very bad."

Read the rest of the Daytona Beach News-Journal article: RV sales revving up.

A Des Moines Register article says:

An estimated 15,000 people are expected to file through the Varied Industries Building this weekend to look at vehicles, from massive motor homes to 12-foot towable trailers. Industry officials and stock analysts said the once-ravaged RV business is still a long way from its 2004 peak. But signs continue to point skyward, at least slightly, after a disastrous 2008 and early 2009.

Statistics from the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association show wholesale shipments of RVs peaked at 390,500 in 2004, then fell 59 percent to about 159,500 in the next five years.

Shipments in December from manufacturers to dealers were up 150 percent compared with December 2008, according to a report from analysts R.W. Baird & Co. last week. Industry numbers predict deliveries will grow nearly 28 percent this year, from 159,500 last year to 203,500 in 2010.

Read the rest of the Des Moines Register article.

Prowler, Mallard, Gearbox and all the brand names that once distinguished Fleetwood travel trailers and fifth wheels now belong to Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC.

The towable manufacturer bought the Fleetwood trademarks from the bankrupt Fleetwood Enterprises for $306,000 in a transaction that was finalized this week. Heartland bought the rights to the names only as they pertain to travel trailers, explained Len McGill, in-house counsel for Fleetwood Enterprises, noting the RV maker would be limited in applying these monikers to products other than towables.

Company officials did not return a phone call Thursday, but in a press release Heartland stated it expects to begin manufacturing towables under the newly acquired brands within the next 12 months.

Read the rest of the Elkhart Truth article.

 

ELKHART, Ind., Feb. 3 /PRNewswire/ — Heartland Recreational Vehicles, LLC ("Heartland"), the fastest growing manufacturer of towable RVs in America, today announced that it has acquired the remaining active trademarks of the towable brands from Fleetwood Enterprises, Inc.  As one of the leading former manufacturers of towable RVs in North America, Fleetwood has some of the most recognized and iconic brands in the industry. 

"This is an exciting transaction for Heartland.  Fleetwood’s towable brands have long been among the most widely recognized names in the towable RV segment, with loyal customers and an extensive dealer network.  By acquiring the trademarks of Fleetwood’s towable products, we will enhance Heartland’s brand portfolio with industry leading names such as Prowler, Pioneer and Wilderness," said Brian Brady, CEO of Heartland.

Read the rest of the press release from PRNewswire.