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Budget Cuts Could Force Closing Of 19 Florida Parks

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Published: October 17, 2008

TAMPA - Gov. Charlie Crist's request for across-the-board budget cuts from all state agencies could force the closing of 19 state parks, including Terra Ceia Preserve State Park in Manatee County.

The 10 percent budget cuts proposed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection also include relinquishing management of Egmont Key State Park off Fort DeSoto Beach in Pinellas County.

If the cuts are approved by Crist and the Legislature, management of Egmont would be turned over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Agency, which owns the island preserve.

Fish and Wildlife officials could not be reached for comment Thursday afternoon.

The proposed cuts still have to be approved by the governor and the Legislature, which will take them up during the 2009 session starting in March.

The governor's press officer, Sterling Ivey, said the cuts were submitted to the governor's office Wednesday and haven't been reviewed.

"We haven't even started looking at all the proposals that were submitted by the state agencies, so we don't know whether those proposals would be accepted," Ivey said.

The parks proposed for closing were chosen based on low visitation rates, according to the DEP, which manages state land. The agency said the parks would reopen if the economy improves. Until then they will be supervised by a full-time caretaker.

Workers at the closed parks would be allowed to transfer to another park, according to a statement released by the agency.

"While this was a difficult decision, the proposal reflects our effort to reduce expenditure while protecting the greatest number of staff members," the department said in the statement.

Egmont Key State Park, southwest of Fort DeSoto, is primarily a wildlife refuge and can be reached only by boat. Visitors can hike, picnic, swim and visit a lighthouse built in 1858.

Terra Ceia Preserve State Park consists of 1,988 acres of uplands and wetlands in northern Manatee County, next to the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve. Fishing, boating, kayaking and bird-watching are popular activities at the park and aquatic preserve, which is just south of the Sunshine Skyway.

Crist has asked all state agencies to trim 10 percent of their budget to help the state deal with its budget woes.

Reporter Mike Salinero can be reached at (813) 259-8303.

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