State Parks: Investments paying off across the board
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West Virginia residents already knew our state parks were a treasure, but with the help of a LOT of funding and work over the past couple of years, those parks are now attracting positive attention across the country.
"So far, we're at $87.1 million in special appropriation, grant funded, and parks bond and repair projects," Matt Yeager, deputy chief of Planning Engineering and Maintenance for the State Park system, told lawmakers during their recent interim session, according to a report by WV MetroNews.
We're talking about everything from roof and HVAC repairs to mountain bike trails and new cabins. According to Yeager, campsites at our state parks are becoming a hot commodity.
MetroNews reports Paul Redford, deputy chief of operations, said visitors are pleased, and the return on investment has been enormous.
"In Fiscal Year 2023 visitors to West Virginia State Parks spent about $483 million in the state, of that a little over 57%, or $279 million was generated from out-of-state visitation," he said. "For every one dollar of general tax revenue provided to the State Parks, $18.54 on average was generated in fresh money that likely would not have been there if it were not for our West Virginia State Park system."
So, if we build it (or, in this case, maintain and improve it), visitors will come to the Mountain State and enjoy themselves enough to book return trips and recommend our parks to their family and friends.
Such news is even better when we consider the fruits of the investment of OUR money can be enjoyed by West Virginians, too (and relatively affordably, at that).
Take the Department of Commerce's advice and make reservations before you travel, as competition for rooms, cabins, campsites and experiences is a little fiercer than it once was. In the meantime, let us hope lawmakers are ready to consider whether some of that return should be reinvested in keeping up with maintenance and continued improvements. We know now our state parks are worth it.