Problems in the Park

Problems in the Park

Last week central Virginia was surprised by an announcement that the Shenandoah National Park was planning to close two-thirds of the Skyline Drive for six months. Responding to immediate pressure from the state’s Congressional delegation and from surrounding communities, the National Park Service delayed any action until midDecember.

While politicians try to pressure the park service, they need to understand a few simple facts. The Shenandoah National Park has a budget this year of $7 million — $200,000 less than last year. Further reducing funds for the Park is the need to meet $100,000 in mandated raises, for which Congress has appropriated no additional funds.

While the money coming in is less, certain expenses have risen, especially land fill fees from the surrounding counties. It doesn’t take a degree in mathematics to figure out the two possible solutions: cut services at the Shenandoah Park or increase its budget by cutting the budget of another park in the National system.

Bowing to pressure from Rep. Frank Wolf, the National Park Service has decided that it will attempt to meet its budget crunch by creating a system-wide plan of possible closures and program cutbacks. That decision is expected in the next two weeks or so.

Unlike Congress, which makes its own rules, Shenandoah Park Superintendent J. W. Wade must balance his budget. Unless his budget is padded by at least $300,000, he will be forced to cut something, somewhere. Wade’s original idea was to close the northern and southern sections of the Drive for six months from Dec. 1,1992, until June 1, 1993.

For administrative purposes the Drive is divided into three sections. The northern section runs from the entrance station near Front Royal to the intersection with U.S. 211 at Thornton Gap. The central section runs from there to the intersection with U.S. 33 west of Stanardsville. The southern section goes from there to Rockfish Gap where Interstate 64 and U.S. 250 cross the Blue Ridge.

The northern and southern sections of the Skyline Drive already are closed from dusk to dawn during the hunting season to curtail illegal hunting within the park. This seasonal closure has been in force for the past 10 years and does not appear to have slowed the flow of Park visitors.

According to Park records about 200,000 visitors (10 percent of the annual total) have entered the Park at Front Royal and Rockfish Gap during the December to June time period. Wade’s office has estimated that by leaving only the central section of the Drive open for six months road maintenance costs and personnel costs would be reduced by about $200,000.