Dr. Sam Polles, Mississippi Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks

• Came to the system 7 years ago and it was in a disarray with lots of mistrust, work not being accomplished, and communications poor and we have changed this to a positive growth organization focusing on the needs of the people of Mississippi

Jerry Belson, SE Regional Director, National Park Service

• 65 million of 275 million visitors last year - 1/4^th of total park service visitation nationwide • 378 NPS sites (3 new last year - authorized by Congress - Oklahoma City, Tuskogee Airmen, Little Rock Memorial HS NHS, AK)
• $1.7 billion for operations in FY99 • ISTEA money reauthorized, along with allowed to keep significant portions of money
• Fee demonstration program most significant item occurred - completed first 3 years and Congress will extend 2 years - proved to be a tremendous source of new funds for the NPS
• Was authorized at target areas to test and funds were allowed to stay with the site (100 parks) - raised fees by a small amount and raised new fees • $140 million in new fees with all money marked for improvements • 80% stays in park and 20% to sites who do not collect fees • SE expects $37 million over next 5 years
• Do visitors accept new fees? Yes, along as we keep the money in the parks!
• Partnerships • Everglades - joining partners with Corps and State of Florida - largest single ($7.8 billion over 20 years) project to ever restore an environmental site - $226 million appropriated this year • POW museum in Andersonville, GA - former POWs contributed money to the project - is now open - is considered the Holocaust museum of the South - not just for Civil War, but for all wars • Natzchess, MS - Has state, local and federal people all working together • Most parks have friends groups that really extend our ability to accomplish what needs to be done • More cooperation going on between state and federal groups / organizations
• LWCF may be reenergized this year - it looks more positive than at any time in recent years

Al Caccese, - Coca~Cola Sales - New York State Parks

• Public Private Partnership Program
• $87 million infused in state parks via partnerships since 1995 • has involved small to large projects ($10 million)
• Important to come up with guidelines right up front and stick to them • tied partnerships to our mission statement • have a mandate to stewardship of areas we • partnerships are designed to supplement and not to replace state appropriations • long list of guidelines • Resource Management Group approves all of the guidelines (team of 10 or 12 people that look at every proposal and look at the impact for their areas as well as all within the system)
• Coca-Cola • advertised throughout the state via a variety of means • only 2 responded and had oral presentations • real differences occurred when talking about marketing & promotion, return to state, support for existing vendors, and the like, level of services, return to the state, etc.
• A year before the contract went out told existing concessionaires in their contracts that the state reserved the right to determine the soft-drink concession
• $200k year in cash plus 27% of gross from vending machines (337k yr) plus 360k in promotional support (state park guide). • Coke says they are giving value of $2 million a year additional (we don’t count this) • have joined in with other programs (e.g., Empire State Games - added an additional $50k to support this)
• Had very good press on this • we were providing this service before, but now we have organized it • have taken control of the program and made it more accountable • State Controller said "based on public private partnerships in place it appears Parks has begun to… and should be commended for bringing these additional resources into the parks"
• Had meetings with constituency groups, staff groups, commission to get feedback before we moved forward
• Problems: turnover in management at Coca-Cola; local route salesmen need to know what is expected of them; had corporate management intercede on a few occassions • need to be sensitive to your concessionaires

Glen Clark - Cooperating Associations - National Park Service

• 64 cooperating associations within the NP system
• Operationally there are 3 partnerships - one is volunteer coordinator in D.C. • A partnership office (rather new) working with NP Foundation and work with the friends groups and cooperative associations (began in 1920 in Yosemite) which are our oldest • Contractual relationship with our concessionaires - all signed the same agreement (currently under revision)
• Cooperating associations earn revenue • in 1997 earned $90 million and returned almost $19 million to the NP system • they become an educational arm of the NPS (sales of publications, support items, etc.) and are a significant contribution to the success of the cooperating associations
• Bring a number of items to the table • marketing skills • interpretive skills • business skills • workshops and institutes • whole tours (Alcatraz)
• There are sometimes problems (stresses and strains) that include moving into concessionaire areas, personalities, etc. • some of the conflict is with wanting to sell items that are more souvenir than educational - they are responding to what people want • SW Parks and Monument Association has an agreement with Texas State Parks at the LBJ site where both state and federal agencies are partners • In Colorado all of their bookstores are operated by the Cooperating Association out of Rocky Mountain State Parks

Bill Dokken - Americorps: Idaho State Parks in Education - Idaho

• Started asking "how we could use this" 6.5 years ago • interprevtive projects • school programs • other support items8 put together a program to address the issues
• Goal - get youth in the program and get their parents and families into the parks to assist us
• In the 5^th year of the program with a shared budget of $214k including $90k of in-kind support from IDPR

Jim Henaham - Ohio State Parks Volunteer Program - Ohio

• Started in 1982 and now have 4,000 volunteers in most of the 72 state parks • in 1997 received some 2 million hours of service • decentralized the program out to park managers with most of the responsibilities now at that level • all volunteers receive a handbook and quarterly newsletter
• Levels of volunteers - individual • campground host • green teen • junior • groups
• All volunteers sign a formal contract - includes duties, responsibilities, and length of service • director also signs and this brings employees under workmen’s comp • have a volunteer recognition program • volunteers cannot take the place of employees and because they are decentralized levels of work and opportunities will vary
• Park Manager’s perspective: the volunteer program is successful because • they are well organized • core of group of dedicated volunteers • diversified talents among our volunteers • they receive a lot of support from the top on down • they do a whole variety of tasks from maintenance, to herb garden operation, to trail development, to construction, to a grant source (able to secure it) • park manager is the direct supervisor of all activities

Linda Lopez - North West State Parks Ambassador Program - Oregon

• Developed and managed a pilot volunteer program to get volunteers into RV shows in the southwest (snowbird areas)
• Two fold • taught customer service and how to work at RV shows • in a sense they go out of state to recruit people to come back to Oregon State Parks • had an exhibit for the NW states and passed out cards to potential park users • At the largest RV show they gave out 35k cards in 6 days • they wear their own identification tags (based on state they represent) and then all wear the same shirt • pay mileage from home to show site (if necessary) and for one meal • do 3 hour shifts
• Goal 1) to increase camping in the off season (shoulder season)
• Target: more mature, retired groups • talk about quietness, exploring nature when no one else around, fishing, for a time when there is less confusion
• Hope to take the group on a tour of the 3 states next year
• Developed a reference manual for all the states, decals for the users, signs, material to pass along as they travel
• Budgeted $7,500 for each of 2 years - most costly portion is entrance into the RV shows, but the 2^nd year is closing and funds remain

Linda Lopez - The Oregon State Parks Trust - Oregon

• The Oregon Parks Trust • have moved from 4 (1970s) to 12 organizations • raised $1.2 million annually for parks • do lots of interpretive efforts
• Looked to make the group larger and more responsive to state park needs • used hospital foundations and other foundations as an example • hired a person to do this .5 FTE
• Considerations: 1) what can it do for us we can’t do now; 2) are we reinventing the wheel; 3) what would the staffing issues be • spent 6 months in researching the structure and needs • the final structure has specific goals • department maintains an arms-length approach because of non-profit status • found people to serve who really understood the system rather than big names •
• Functioning since 1994 and has raised $2 million in grants and sales of merchandise (not originally planned to do this) to employees and volunteers and land donations exchanged for other land adjacent to parks (function like a land bank)
• Oregon state parks now receives 15% of lottery funds ($40 million biennium, but may lose this amount from the general fund)

Rick Messinger - Assistance from Other Resource Divisions - Illinois

• Comprehensive Management Resource Planning Process
• There were significant problems in getting work done at properties within the natural resource system • a change in the management process allowed the sites to begin doing their own planning, working with other stakeholders in the system
• A plan or work, annual report and project plan are all prepared and reviewed at regional and site level
• The number of conflicts has been reduced significantly • most are resolved at the site or regional level
• Brings people together in a positive way and allows for integrated input into the planning process

Ray Murray - California - National Park Service Roundtable on Parks and Tourism and Partnerships at Redwood Parks - National Park Service

• In California 54% of the state is in public ownership • lots of different people are providing park and recreation services
• Goal was to bring all of the diverse groups to the table so they could be a single power block to impact upon issues at the state and federal level • some of these folks were at odds with each other • use the forum to find a common ground
• Major blocks to bring together: Major user groups, manufacturers, providers, land providers
• Spent the first 3 meetings getting through mission statement and 3 year goals - hired an external facilitator to do this • focus was on sustainable outdoor recreation • 3 year goals focused on marketing efforts; improved communications with the media and public; increased political support, securing funding for operations, maintenance, capital and acquisitions; and develop understanding of needs and expectations of the public
• Biggest frustration has been the recreation equipment manufacturers • too busy to come to the table
• Co-chaired by private sector and public sector representatives. California State Parks has taken the lead. There is a dues system to maintain the process.
• Have had a number of products including trends workshops, annual symposium, AHR, California Outdoor Recreation Guide

Ray Murray - California State Parks • Redwoods National Park Partnership - National Park Service

• Created in 1986 and includes 3 state parks • In 1993 there was a major standoff between the 2 agencies
• Created 5 people from each agency and have them convene and make a presentation about who should be in charge • It made more sense to work as a partnership then to integrate one system into another • management team worked well together, but at the local level it was a more significant problem (perceived as a threat)

Helen Tenner - The Case for Having Friends Groups - Maryland

• Have gone from zero groups just a few years ago to 30 groups today • there are some problems with individual friends groups
• Be clear with the "friends group" they are a support group and not an advisory group. Found they wanted this role and 2 actually run small parks.
• Allow them to partner with us on lots of special events • normally don’t receive entrance fees, but some funds generated with special events
• Camper cabins are very useful fund raising facilities (no electricity, but has bunks). Friends group have purchased the first ones for us then used the money to purchase more. Have also helped us to purchase property.
• Legal issue - very concerned about insurance and liability - wouldn’t sign the agreement initially and worried that they would not be protected by the state • in fact, they must have their own liability insurance • there is a national organization that fills the insurance need
• Pitfalls: • tend to think it is their park and want to set the priorities • they do get to determine how they want to spend their dollars and it’s not always what we need or want • had trouble getting them to sign a legal agreement that gives state parks oversight as to how they do fundraising • Agreement says that if they dissolve any funds remaining in the organization must be turned over to the state park
• Have a volunteer mounted patrol • are going to incorporate themselves
• Biggest challenge is to integrate local friends with the state-wide friends groups

Gentry Davis - The Washington Monument Restoration Partnership - National Park Service

• Had to rewrite the donation policy for the NPS • a new policy where we can do more
• The Washington Monument and National Mall • automatically became sponsors of the memorials • specifically the WWII memorial • 3 partners in the memorial - NPS, Corps of Engineers, and …
• Over $5 million was raised just for the Washington Monument • Some of the groups tried to use a lot of political pressure to put their logos on the site and literature related to the site - for the most part this was resisted
• No group want to give money with "no strings attached" and when these are attached it makes it difficult to accept the money

Jim Cassidy - Museums at Prophetstown: A Unique Partnership - Indiana

• A long history of partnerships with federal agencies and private organizations, including base closure expansions
• Put together an Prophetstown advisory council early in the process • along with input from local and regional leaders & politicians • provided space within the park for museums and interpretation • indicated that there would not be fiscal support due to existing budget commitments •
• The Museums at Prophetstown, Inc. will operate on a 300 acre campus • estimating a $30 million investment by the Museums, Inc. • the 300 acres will be leased by the state at no cost • State Park Director is on the Board of Directors - this enhances communication and cooperation • operating costs will be handled through fees and donations • Museums, Inc. will continue to operate and the state will not have to carry the burden of operations

Phillip Werndli - Partnerships in Florida State Parks - Florida

• Partnerships is not a program, but an attitude • volunteer program was equivalent to 31% of the state park workforce • partnerships defined "cooperative efforts between the Florida Park Service and private and public sector organizations to carry out projectss which would otherwise be impossible due to funding / staffing limitations."
• Created a paradigm shift in how staff pursues and work with partnerships
• Types of partnerships include 1) public/public agencies and 2) public/private agencies
• Successful partnerships include • "Deep Woods OFF! Take OFF! To Florida State Parks Campaign" • The Real Florida Magazine • Myakka River State park and Southwest Florida Water Management District for management of prairie and wetlands include exotic weed control • State park concessions are a $1.3 million partner
• Partnerships in Parks established in 1996 provide matching funds for state park projects sponsored by CSOs

John Winters - Michigan Civilian Conservation Corps - Americorps - Michigan

• Year round program modeled after depression era program
• Goals: 1) Accomplish conservation related work and 2) provide training for young adults
• Began an education awards program in 1998 - must stay in the program to earn the education awards program
• Successful enough that state funded an additional 50 positions and site • the operating budget is $3.6 million and spend the interest of an endowment ($20 million) plus general fund and partner with department of labor

Sandy Spicer-Lee - Prison Labor Connections - Georgia

• Initially received inmates for free, but now pay for them • is a win-win situation for everyone • projects inmates work on wouldn’t get done if they weren’t there • helps the tax payers • helps the inmates
• Georgia has a broad range of prison options ranging from prisons to detention centers to boot camps (mostly for younger guys) to probation (community service workers)
• Types of work include inmate construction from people who already have construction skills (savings is about 50% of the project) • have done lodges in 4 parks and add cottages to existing parks • Inmate work details do some construction (trails, bridges over streams, raking and mowing) and must now pay for ($40,000 in salaries and $3,000 to 5,000 for transportation plus tools) and generate about 10,000 man hours per crew per year • averages $4.00 per hour • $5,700 trail construction compared to contractor cost of $20,000 • community service workers respond to their probation officer • to get these people have to work with the local judge • have hired off the community service program before, but not often • very little impact upon park users - most don’t know that inmates are there • usually work crews Monday through Thursday

Kevin Good - The Lone Star Legacy Fund - Texas

• Program to establish endowment funds for all of our state parks, wildlife areas and fish hatcheries • been around since the 1950s •
• First park endowment fund was established in 1994 within the Parks & Wildlife Foundation of Texas • this first fund started with $15,000 and it is now over $150k because the local friends group has worked hard and a local foundation is giving $10,000 a year
• Former commissioner gave $200k to start endowment funds for each site (about $1,000 each) • the effort has been pretty successful
• Policies: Had enabling legislation for the agency to accept donations and used that as the entry to facilitate these efforts • have determined appropriate to use agency resources to support these efforts since all efforts will come back to the agency • All site funds are pooled together for investment purposes
• What’s in it for me? When do I start to get my money back. A limit has been established that they must have in the endowment fund before they can gain access to it. The threshold point is $100k to $150k level • only 90% of funds available will be given to the site and 10% must be rolled back into the fund to keep it growing
• Raised about $300k since it was kicked off this year • had a $1,000 a plate fund raiser outside of Amarillo (was carefully selected because of the community connection with the site) • Foundation members are able to provide good levels of support to the foundation • sometimes get money quite unexpectedly • recently a person who particularly identified with the site gave a large donation
• Have to make sure donors know they money will stay on the site • these monies are outside the control of the legislature • the foundation board sets the policy for fund management, but actual management is done through investment bankers who are under contract (the fee is not charged back to the endowment account - the foundation raises money to pay for management of the fund) • there has been some training for managers on how to work with in planned giving, but this is a real need area
• No other state reported anything similar to this

Glen Gessley - Strange Bedfellows: The Missouri Coalition - Missouri

• Missouri has a dedicated tax for state parks • how did it come to be and how is it maintained
• Have a volunteer program and it is good to convert hours to Full-time Equivalents (FTE) • divide the hours by 2080 and get the actual FTE
• 85% of operating costs from sales tax revenues • rest from fees and charges
• In the early 1980s during budget cuts • two unusual groups got together to push for funding - farmers and environmentalists • farmers were concerned about soil loss and environmentalists were concerned about loss of funding for state parks •
• Missouri Parks Association and the Missouri Farm Bureau put a plan together • first went to MO General Assembly • proposal was for 1/10th cent tax for 5 years - it passed and worked for the period, but the legislature couldn’t agree how to put it on at the end of 5 years • had to have the ballot put on by a petition the 2nd time and passed with a 67% vote - that expired this year • By 1996 when it was time to renew the Farm Bureau had become an adversary and the local park and recreation agencies were looking for the state to supplement funds lost in the Land & Water Conservation Fund • All the groups got together and worked as a team to pass the renewal of legislation • this required a petition drive that took almost a full year and collected 277k signatures (most ever in the history of Missouri) • passed the last election (1997) with a 68% affirmative vote

Open Discussion

1. How do you get a citizens advisory group started & achieve accountability • 1) need to make sure whoever you recruit to the board understands the mission of the state park system and of the friends organization • 2) understand what the goals of that organization are • 3) there needs to be a broad representation of your community and constituents rather than a narrow focus of individuals • boards need to understand their roles in terms of accountability - they have a role to be responsible and accountable for how programs are being managed and operated
2. Unions - Can pay a small cost of paying volunteers for travel and union won’t support. How do other states handle this? • Others did not report on having this particular problem • None of the collective bargaining contracts have any provisions preventing volunteers from doing park work, but as a matter of practice we don’t do this and has maintained a level of good relations with the union • In Florida where positions were lost volunteers were effective in getting those positions back and increasing the number of positions
3. Ray Murray, NPS, stated they are allowed to co-mingle money with state and local agencies anywhere in the country • only applies to the NPS at this time
4. Yurts (at $8,000 to $12,000 each) are being put in the system and rented for $25 a night year-round and experiencing an 85% occupancy rate
5. How successful have people been in getting foundation monies? • Florida - very successful • Colorado has matching-funding to renovate Bureau of Reclamation grants ($11 million) and now writing legislation to do the same thing with the Corps of Engineers • NPS is training their program people in basics of grantsmanship
6. Does Florida have a central clearinghouse for grants? • Every grant must go through a main office, but doesn’t always do it • goals is to make sure the main office knows that a manager is trying to get the grant -- part of the reason is to communicate this information to the director • Indiana does not ask for federal grants because of the paper work, but do encourage managers to get corporate grants for special projects and don’t require a formal approval - utility companies seem to be a good source • If the package is prepared properly then the potential for funding has the potential to be considerably higher
7. How do we get the word out on positions? Use the e-mail page on the State Park Director’s page on the World Wide Web.
8. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) - law enforcement officers cannot volunteer to do the same job they get paid for • another state reported the same problem with interpretation and another state said it applies to all employees • How are nonexempt employees compensated - it is the choice of the person • case law in each state will be different and each state must work within their case law
9. Do you have interactive web sites? • Missouri has a volunteer application • NASPD has done this for a couple of years
10. For the Coca-Cola bid in New York both the corporate headquarters and local bottlers were worked with.

Notes taken by Dr. Dan McLean, Project Director, Center for State Park Research at Indiana State University