House to consider bill encouraging private development of state parks

[PocketWater]

http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/06/bill_allowing_water_parks_golf.html#comments

Hell no to this!

 

[raftman]

Yeah.....definitely wary of any sort of private partnership when it comes to public lands. Thanks for posting Pocketwater. This is concerning to say the least.

 

[PocketWater]

I could see them considering to make some changes to update vacation housing for people as tent camping or rustic cabins isn't what everyone is into so make some updated cabins or things like that. But when you get into talking about making golf courses, water parks, and freaking office buildings!!! That is ridiculous.

raftman wrote:
Yeah.....definitely wary of any sort of private partnership when it comes to public lands. Thanks for posting Pocketwater. This is concerning to say the least.

 

[bigslackwater]

Isn't there enough private land out there? State parks account for 0.96% of PA's land area and they want to go mess that up!

 

[REDNECK_FLYFISHER]

I can see nothing positive coming from this. For the few people who want glamping in style it will destroy the parks for the rest of us. But when ever the government can make A few bucks they don't care what they screw up or who they screw over. Let DCNR decide how to run the parks , not the suits in Harrisburg.

 

[McSneek]

I see some advantages to it especially around upgrades to overnight facilities. Some West Virginia State Parks have golf courses. I used to make an annual trip to one. It was a great golf course and in no way impeded on the rest of the park.

I don't think people realize just how desperate this State is for revenue streams to help fund the pension burden....

 

[TimRobinsin]

it doesn't matter how desperate they are. they are always desperate, they will always find "emergencies" to use to try to manipulate the public into conceding what little we have left.

this cannot pass.

Wolf's sheep costume continues to dissolve. He has been a massive disappointment.

 

[bigslackwater]

They site Rocky Gap as a success story!? I can see it now, Casino at Caledonia State Park, minutes from Gettysburg!!

 

[raftman]

I really don't see how golf courses, water parks, etc would help our state parks lands at all. I mean, fiscally, sure, but you'd be destroying the basic premise of what a state park should be - a natural place preserved for the public to enjoy. I do see a place like the Inn at Bald Eagle as a pretty cool way to have a low impact private inclusion in a State Park, but that, I feel is an exceptional example, just based on my observations of other public/private partnerships. Look at places like the Grand Canyon - the rims have been marred by private businesses putting up hotels and places to shop all under the guise of profit (also - Yosemite, Yellowstone, etc). These public lands shouldn't be looked at as places to profit from in the monetary sense. They are preserved and made accessible for everyone to enjoy. That is where their profit lies, but yeah, I know, that probably sounds crunchy and idealistic.

McSneek - you're right in that I think they are doing this in order to raise money for other things they state needs to pay for, but there are WAY better ways to go about that.

I see this as just another way for private industry to make money off of public property that has been paid for and preserved through our tax dollars (another example - the push to allow drilling/fracking on state parks).

IF they could keep it low impact such as the Inn, then I may be OK with it, but I just don't trust the board and the intentions when things like golf courses and waterparks are mentioned.

 

[PocketWater]

McSneek wrote:
I see some advantages to it especially around upgrades to overnight facilities. Some West Virginia State Parks have golf courses. I used to make an annual trip to one. It was a great golf course and in no way impeded on the rest of the park.

I don't think people realize just how desperate this State is for revenue streams to help fund the pension burden....

Pennsylvania has 818 golf courses. That is a little over 12 per county. I think we are good on golf courses.

 

[FarmerDave]

I didn't read the whole article, but I can see advantages and disadvantages.

Not all State Parks are the same. Take Bald Eagle State Park with the new lodge. I can't see that as a bad thing.

Punderson State park in Ohio has a golf course. I can see it in places like that. That park was "donated land" Some rich guy started building it a long time ago and never finished it. Ran out of money, or died. Can't rememver, State finished it and expanded it into a fancy inn with added cabin rentals, pool, tennis courts and down the road a GC. Nice place. Across the lake is a Camp Ground with everything from primitive to full hookups. Rowboat and canoe rentals to the North. Even a sled riding hill. And the lake is stocked with large trout. Did I just spot burn?

Anyway, I can see places like those being enjoyed by a lot of people and maybe even make a few bucks if not Government ran.

But taking a pristine area and cutting down trees to make a GC or fancy CG? Oh [d]hell[/d] heck no.

 

[bigslackwater]

Why cant these private developers just buy up farm land nearby state park lands? Put in your golf courses and hotels, plant a few trees, and in time it looks like it's part of the state park.

 

[tomitrout]

Why cant these private developers just buy up farm land nearby state park lands? Put in your golf courses and hotels, plant a few trees, and in time it looks like it's part of the state park.

Because that would cut into the bottom line. Why purchase it yourself when you can just grift off the public?

 

[PocketWater]

bigslackwater wrote:
Why cant these private developers just buy up farm land nearby state park lands? Put in your golf courses and hotels, plant a few trees, and in time it looks like it's part of the state park.

Because then they would have to pay market price where with state lands, rich people with political connections will get land for pennies on the dollar, and probably get the infastructure built for them on taxpayer dollars.

 

[pro4mance]

Think this would be a better fit in the #Conservation or #Off Topic or the #ContinualHijackedThread Forum

 

[PocketWater]

If the state is so hard up, legalize and regulate Marijuana like Colorado where they will get a huge tax haul from sales, stop spending money on people in prison, and provide an opportunity to farmers to grow. Legalize hemp while they are at it considering it isn't even a drug and provide even more jobs and revenue for the textile industry. Henry Ford made an engine that ran on hemp oil for crying out loud. So many common sense things they could 'allow' us to do.

Nah, let's develop public lands on 25 year leases.

 

[pro4mance]

Is it wild or stocked ?
attachjp.jagoff30inchtroot.com

 

[raftman]

pro4mance, not sure where you see this thread as being hijacked, to be honest. Your comments are the only ones that seem to be off topic?

 

[pro4mance]

My comment was directed to this, being in the wrong thread. The #Hijack comment was directed at the many, many, far too many threads that have been hijacked. Any more info you'd like please ask.

 

[PocketWater]

This isn't really 'conservation'. This is the PA government trying to hijack public lands for private development. How many miles of public access streams are in our state parks, state forests, wild areas, etc. This is a big deal.