Visitors up, yet parks funding down
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FARMINGTON, Pa. -- Scattered with golden foliage and surrounded by hills draped in mist, the historic grounds of Fort Necessity National Battlefield were visited by about 197,000 people last year, 70,000 more than the previous year. Still, like many public facilities, the park faces a proposed funding cut next year -- one that would slash more than $30,000 from its budget.
The Fayette County battlefield is one of many national parks with rising visitorship that could lose funding in fiscal year 2011, according to a report released Thursday by PennEnvironment, part of the national organization Environment America.
On average, national parks saw a 4 percent spike in visitorship from 2008 to 2009, according to the report. They face a combined $22 million reduction in funds in the Obama administration's proposed 2011 budget.
With a nearly 55 percent visitorship increase and a 1.9 percent budget cut, Fort Necessity is an extreme example, but it follows the national trend.
The mountainous site marks an early clash in the French-Indian War that was then-22-year-old George Washington's first military defeat.
"This was kind of like the testing ground of a young man that became our first president," said Fayette County Commissioner Vincent Zapatosky, who added that the park is a key source of tourism dollars and jobs for the rural county.
National Park Service officials challenged the report's dire prognosis, though.
"We've actually been pretty lucky compared to most civilian employees," said David Barna, a park service spokesman, noting that the department's total budget is about $2.5 billion. "They talk about a $22 million reduction this year, which is not very significant."
The report's focus obscures long-term shifts in visitorship, which can swing wildly, said regional park service spokesman Phil Sheridan. (In 2007, 353,000 people visited Fort Necessity.)
First Published October 15, 2010 12:00 am
