Politics skew park budgets

The Cuyahoga River in Cleveland caught on fire in 1969, or at least the pollution in it did. But it has been cleaned up, and Congress even made its scenic upstream valley a national park in 1974. But that park isn't well-known nationally, and few faraway families would plan summer vacations specifically to see it.

Still, the Cuyahoga park has a bigger base budget ($9.5 million this year) than some of the true icons of the park system, including Grand Teton National Park ($9.35 million), Mount Rainier National Park ($9.29 million), Utah's Lake Powell ($9.28 million) and Zion National Park ($6 million) among many others.

Why?

"I believe it's politics," said former Rep. Jim Hansen, R-Utah, who served in Congress for 22 years and retired as chairman of the House Resources Committee.

He said former Rep. John Sieberling, D-Ohio, "had a farm in that (Cuyahoga) area, and he wanted the park there. He was chairman of the Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee." Not only did Sieberling win the park, but Hansen said powerful Ohio members of Congress worked through the years to ensure prime funding for it.

In fact, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility released documents it obtained last month showing that since 1999, the park service has spent $475,000 to build a winery at Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It has yet to actually produce any wine. "This project is both an absurd and improper use of taxpayers' money," said PEER executive director Jeff Ruch.

Hansen adds about Cuyahoga: "It's a pretty area. But to me, it would be like saying that Cache County in Utah or dozens of other pretty areas around the nation should be national parks. I don't think that's what the national parks are meant to be."

A Deseret Morning News analysis of park budgets nationally shows many cases of parks with apparently powerful congressional connections that have bigger budgets than other more renowned areas. It raises questions about whether park spending matches national priorities and if politics drains needed money from the best parks.

In an interview with the Deseret Morning News, Assistant Interior Secretary Lynn Scarlett did not concede that politics overly influence park budgets and said they are determined "through a collaborative process" that looks at needs and visitation.

However, consider the following examples:

• Gateway National Recreation Area includes urban beaches in and around New York City and became part of the National Park System in part because local governments had trouble funding them. While well used, few faraway people would cancel trips to Florida beaches in favor of that New York beachfront.