State Parks and Watchtowers crumbling since Scott Walker Eliminated State Funding!!! Sand pit anyone?

Tax surpluses sure sound nice, but the way we got them will haunt Wisconsin for decades and destroy our vibrant parks and tourism industry. 

In 2015, Gov. Scott Walker eliminated state funding for the state park system, more than $4.5 million per year, with the goal that the parks become "self-sustaining."

Well, that didn't work. Big surprise, since state lawmakers were warned similar cuts haven't worked anywhere else in the country. By the way, did you know park and camping fees increased in the last four years?

Republicans are now suddenly backfilling those cuts, by plundering the $10 million operating budget used to run the parks so they can supplement the $1 million already being spent so they can eliminate potential health hazards and replace the parks crumbling infrastructure without falling too far behind. Jakes Wisconsin Funhouse:

An additional $2.2 million would transfer in the 2017-18 fiscal year from the balance of the parks account to the appropriation to be used for parks infrastructure projects ... (replacing) vault toilets in campgrounds ... failing water lines, day-use flush toilet building upgrades, replacement of indoor group camping siding ... ADA-accessible restroom ... renovating plumbing at various shower buildings ... improvements to beach and swimming areas...

Disappearing Watch Towers No Big Deal? If Scott Walker had his way, the watchtowers in many of our state parks that give visitors those majestic views of Wisconsin's incredible countryside...would just disappear forever:

WHA: Visitors to Potawatomi State Park have caught the same view since 1932: a sweeping panorama of Sawyer Harbor, Sturgeon Bay and Green Bay, broken up by miles of green, auburn or yellow forest, depending on the season … the park’s 75-foot-tall observation tower built when Herbert Hoover was president ... the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (will) permanently closed the tower, citing significant wood decay that made the tower unsafe … there are no plans to replace the tower.

Walker has no plan to replace the tower, who cares right, it's not a priority?  And this wasn't the first time a tower would have been lost to time under Walker's watch:

Ironic, former Sen. Frank Lasee voted to defund our state parks, but then became a victim of his own bad policy decision. You can read his pathetic email newsletter response at the bottom of this post. Question; conservative voters trust Republicans to run the government?

Its removal comes just two years after the DNR removed Eagle Tower at Peninsula State Park near Fish Creek. In that case, the DNR also cited decaying wood. But there are plans to replace Eagle Tower. A final design was selected in November, but construction has yet to begin. An independent nonprofit group, Friends of Peninsula State Park, is working to raise half of the funds required for that tower, which would include a ramp.

But some, like state Sen. Robert Cowles, R - Green Bay, are concerned about both the slow pace of the Eagle Tower replacement and the impending removal of the Potawatomi State Park tower. Cowles says the loss of the towers could have a "chilling effect" on local tourism. But he says they’re just a piece of the problem. "I am concerned about the observation tower, but I am also concerned about the broader situation with maintenance of our state parks ... These parks are not to be taken for granted, and I think to a certain extent, our government has done that. And because of that, there’s not enough money to maintain that."

But as Cowles argues, that hasn’t happened. He says the state’s eroding towers and trails, and the need for private funding for a state-owned tower, is proof.

Here's Lasee's email newsletter response from September, 2015...yea, he's a real hero:

On May 20th the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources closed Eagle Tower following an engineering report that highlighted minor structural deficiencies.

Over the past several weeks my office has heard from many constituents and business owners concerned about the DNR’s closure of Eagle Tower and future plans for this historic site. With an economic impact to the local community that totals nearly $37 million, it is essential that all park attractions at Peninsula remain open to the public.

The DNR has not yet made a final decision on the future of Eagle Tower – their initial indications have been negative. To encourage the department to repair or replace Eagle Tower and to show community support, I have scheduled a public listening session I fully support the rehabilitation or, if necessary, replacement of Eagle Tower so that future generations may enjoy this historic site and share in the grandeur of Wisconsin’s State Parks.

Having Eagle Tower closed is unacceptable. With your help we can convince the DNR that Eagle Tower is an irreplaceable local treasure. 

Northern Wisconsin Republicans get what they deserve...and goodbye tourism!

It won't necessarily pollute our waters or foul up our air, but loud motorized ATV-UHV's traipsing through our beautiful northern forests, campgrounds, bike paths, and around our expensive vacation homes is the perfect ironic fate of our "stand with Walker" Trumpian voters. And good riddance to them all.

Finally, rural voters are getting something they deserve...they want, after voting for their "small" government Republicans.

I can't wait till our big government overlords force mining operations on rural communities, neighborhoods, and schools, destroying their quiet rural utopias and roads. Big business is knocking, and they're not there to help anyone but themselves:

It’s no secret silent sports types in Wisconsin have been taking it on the chin. From a new law making it harder for cities to build bicycle paths to the erosion of public water protections, state policy has not trended eco-friendly over the past years.

And now the DNR (has approved) adding more than 200 miles of trails for ATVs and other motorized off-road vehicles in the Northern Highland–American Legion State Forest in northern Wisconsin. That forest is home to some of the best wilderness camping and paddling in the state. This comes even as planners admit that promoting motorized vehicles could drive away those who visit for the peace and quiet.

Advocates of quieter outdoors experiences said the state was bowing to a vocal, well-funded special interest. “The majority of public input really was not supportive of the increased motorized use,” said Mike McFadzen, who owns a vacation home a few miles outside the state forest. “If it’s approved, you may not find a place in the whole 240,000 acres where you won’t hear a motor.” Two-thirds of the public comments gathered by the DNR in the spring were opposed to motorized access.

Why...just why?

But big monied special interests, the same kind of lobbyists Scott Walker claims he's fighting, got just what they paid for:

Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent in the past decade persuading state politicians to accommodate ATVs. Randy Harden, president of the Wisconsin ATV-UTV Association, has been fighting opposition to ATVs since the 1980s. He’s had help from ATV manufacturers in persuading state legislators and governors to enact a series of ATV-friendly laws ... officials said the move was driven by demographic trends and the growing popularity of ATVs and a similar type of vehicle known as utility task vehicles, or UTVs (4 wheelers).

Property rights Republicans don't even mind, even though those same private interests said no many times:

Private landowners have been reluctant to allow access. They sign agreements with snowmobilers because the snow and cold protect the soil from being torn up, and the owners aren’t outside as much in the winter. A few years ago, the state discontinued a program that offered money for access to private land. There had been no takers.

Noise and dust from ATVs, and their speed, are likely to upset nearby homeowners and drive away some campers, hikers and canoeists, experts say. But there could also be an increase in motorized users, the DNR proposal says. Engine-powered vehicles are likely to cause erosion, spread invasive species and displace wildlife by destroying natural habitat, the proposal says.

Walker's Hunting, Fishing, Parks Tourism Mess!!!

In a way, I'm loving this. It looks like Wisconsin sportsmen may have to spend more of their hard earned money just to enjoy fishing, hunting and playing with their non-motorized watercraft such as canoes and kayaks.

State Parks: Never-mind the other growing deficit, our state parks system, a Scott Walker created disaster as well. Odder still is how Republicans brag about park attendance being up, despite higher fees. I'm just guessing, but that means the problem is even worse than we thought:

Republicans removed all state support for Wisconsin’s parks in the 2015 budget, leaving the parks to survive on fees alone. They raised admission and camping fees ... but the DNR still projects the lack of state support will leave a $1.4 million annual deficit in the agency’s parks account.

Hunting and Fishing: Now, after Scott Walker dramatically cut the size of the DNR, they're facing a $5 million budget shortfall.

A $5 million budget shortfall could be fixed temporarily through higher prices for hunting and fishing licenses, new admission charges for non-hunters using natural areas, new registration fees for paddlers, and a smaller annual boosts tied to inflation.

Yup, one of the states biggest bragging points, tourism and outdoor sports, could soon be priced out reach for your average Wisconsinite. And this is only the beginning of the problem. These shortfalls will only keep growing as the state moves from a state supported funding system to an individual user fee, which as anybody can tell you, is much more expensive.  

Scientifically conducted household surveys in 2016 found that a majority of the public would support having everyone pay something for fish and wildlife management, the report said ... others collect sales tax or lottery revenue dedicated to wildlife management, the report said. 

You may want to get your owned framed copy of the following policy statement so often reported in the media, because to tightwad Republicans its an oldie but a goodie: 

The Legislature has resisted requests from the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation for higher fees, and Walker has opposed tax or fee increases unless they are paired with decreases in other budget lines.

Walker's Deer Hunting Debacle: I've been covering this for awhile now, and ever since Walker brought in a Texas "deer czar" pushing game farms, and not science, deer hunting has hit the skids. Nothings working guys, hunting near schools, in local parks, getting rid of the minimum age to hunt, blaze pink clothing, nothing. Funnier still, the DNR blamed the "cold" and "wind" for the low turnout of our rugged outdoors-men: 

Notably, hunter participation also was down. The agency sold 598,867 gun licenses, a 40-year low and the first time the number has dipped below 600,000 since 1976. Hunters registered 196,785 deer during the 2016 Wisconsin gun deer season, the lowest total in 34 years.

What can be done?

A longer term solution may involve looking beyond user fees ... (fees have the) potential to harm state efforts aimed at reversing a decline in hunting ... The DNR outlined other alternatives that include cuts to wildlife and fish-stocking programs and new efforts to attract more people to hunting and fishing.

Cuts to wildlife and fish-stocking seems counter-intuitive, ya think. 

Walker Mind-blower: Low unemployment, high participation rate now hurting businesses - not enough workers!!!

Wisconsin is a wonderful four season recreational wonderland for tourists. 

But tourism is now on the back-bench, playing third string to factory farms and mining. More on that below, but first…

...Walker's efforts to get government out of the way of business has made Wisconsin too successful!!!

That’s right, despite being in the middle of the pack on job creation, to being last when it comes to business startups, Walker is faced with a unique problem. This will blow your mind…:

Figures, a guy from Minn.

Walker spokesman Tom Evenson said … other factors contribute to (job) vacancies (at the DNR).

“State agencies actively seek to fill needed positions. Wisconsin’s low unemployment rate and high labor force participation are not only making it difficult to hire for the state, but many employers as well.”

No wonder Walker still hasn’t fulfilled his failed campaign promise of creating 250,000 jobs…a low ball number he said was just a starting point.

So the message to business: Stay away from Wisconsin, we don’t have the labor force? Big and bold admission.

Back to the original story, where Walker is dismantling another of Wisconsin’s biggest money makers (besides the UW); tourism. Eliminating taxpayer support of our state parks was outrageous enough, but..:

From 2005 to 2011, the water program dedicated most of its staff time inspections and enforcement, auditors said. After Walker took office, more time was spent on writing permits that spell out legal limits on discharges.

State job vacancies (at the DNR) have been linked to weak regulation of pollution … began climbing again last year … after Gov. Scott Walker took office … the DNR had held off on filling enough positions for the rate to rise to 14.2 percent, surpassing the average for the 14-year period.

It started with a huge wave of retirements that swept through state government after the 2010 election and into 2011 as elected officials eliminated most public sector union rights. The 246 retirements at the DNR in 2011 left the department a vacancy rate exceeding 20 percent.

Walker had proposed reducing the DNR’s authorized workforce of 2,647 full-time equivalent positions by 67. The Legislature increased the cut to 92 positions. The agency wrote notices of violation to municipal and industrial polluters in only 33 of the 558 cases. 

Doh! After Killing State Funding for State Parks, Republican Lasee now begging for money, or lose $37 million in District Tourism Revenue.

If the Republican guardians of taxpayer money keep making ideologically driven "small government" spending cuts, they're going to find themselves in the same place State Sen. Frank Lasee (la-say) found himself in recently. He's behind the eight ball with his constituents and business interests, who are hopping mad about the possible impact of losing tourism cash, $37 million to be exact.

Republicans went merrily along with Scott Walker's bizarre attack on our state parks, defunding them completely, and relying only on entrance fees. That hasn't worked anywhere in the country, and now, Lasee is finding out why. But Lasee does mirror conservative voters statewide who hate to see the poor using their tax dollars to enjoy life just a little:

An "I told you so" is in order Frank, as you grovel for money to save Eagle Tower:

Peninsula State Park located near Fish Creek in Door County is one of Wisconsin’s greatest treasures. visited by approximately 1 million visitors annually drawing tourists to Door County and surrounding communities.

The park’s crowning jewel is Eagle Tower, a 76 foot observation deck located atop Eagle Bluff. 

I'm hoping Lasee succeeds in getting Eagle Tower rehabilitated, but I also hope he and his legislative plundering pirates decide to return public funding to the parks. Fat chance:

On May 20th the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources closed Eagle Tower following an engineering report that highlighted minor structural deficiencies. 

Over the past several weeks my office has heard from many constituents and business owners concerned about the DNR’s closure of Eagle Tower and future plans for this historic site. With an economic impact to the local community that totals nearly $37 million, it is essential that all park attractions at Peninsula remain open to the public. 

The DNR has not yet made a final decision on the future of Eagle Tower – their initial indications have been negative. To encourage the department to repair or replace Eagle Tower and to show community support, I have scheduled a public listening session I fully support the rehabilitation or, if necessary, replacement of Eagle Tower so that future generations may enjoy this historic site and share in the grandeur of Wisconsin’s State Parks. 

Having Eagle Tower closed is unacceptable.  With your help we can convince the DNR that Eagle Tower is an irreplaceable local treasure.

The Devil has left the Lake? Will Walker or E. coli be the first to kill the park?

Scott Walker did what no state has been able to do without big problems; defund our state parks.

Walker, hell bent on cutting government, oddly went after one of the states biggest money makers, the parks. Now taxpayers, off the hook thanks to Walker, won't have any "skin in the game," and can leave our parks trashed.

As Walker's loosely run DNR looks on, Devil's Lake State Park had to close the north beach for a few days for high levels of E-coli. Thankfully...

WKOW: The North Shore Beach at Devil's Lake is back open. Wednesday and Thursday's samples were back within the "safe" zone. Following heavy rains earlier in the week, samples from the north shore beach showed E. coli levels...indicates recent sewage or animal waste contamination inside.

This has happened in the past, so I started checking into it, and found this little tidbit from The Progressive: Scott Walker's visit in 2011 for the 100th anniversary of the states largest park.

An hour before Walker spoke, about 80 protesters gathered at the entrance of the park and walked in a procession. When the procession arrived at the lake, more protesters joined in. There were about 200 protesters surrounding the 100 people who were seated in front of a podium, with the lake as a backdrop.

But it wasn’t a great backdrop for Walker because there were 12 boats— kayaks, canoes, a couple motorboats, and a large sailboat—in the water with signs that read: “Walker Smells Fishy,” “Walker Jump in the Lake,” “Civil Consternation Board,” “Walker Crimes Against Nature.”

When he was introduced, he got a big round of boos from the protesters and applause from those in the seats. He spoke for about fifteen minutes, blathering on about his time as a Boy Scout at Devil’s Lake … But when he was through, he got more shouts of “Shame” and someone from out in the lake yelled, “Take a hike, Walker.” And as he sped away, a protester yelled: “The devil has left the lake.” 

Walker's other big cuts, not on taxes, hurting Wisconsin business climate.

This will be one of the many news reports we'll see disappear under the avalanche of Scott Walker spin encouraged by the media. They love a horse race don't they?

Reuters News actually took a look a the results of Walker's "Open for Business" scam/giveaway to corporate welfare recipients, and cuts to basic services and transportation. It's not good:

On the Wisconsin border, little enthusiasm for Walker's tax cuts: Walker has cut state taxes by $2 billion as his state has climbed out of recession. Unemployment in Superior now stands at 4.6 percent.

Ask local officials and business leaders, and they will say Walker's policies have little to do with a turnaround that has moved in tandem with the national recovery. Tax cuts haven't lured many businesses across the bridge from Duluth, Minnesota, they say, while the loss in revenue has prompted steep spending cuts to education, harbor maintenance and road construction.For some, the tradeoff is not worth it. "We should put the $2 billion in roads or education," said Superior Mayor Bruce Hagen, a self-described conservative.

Taxes are a secondary consideration to more tangible concerns like real estate and road conditions, according to six local officials and seven business executives who spoke to Reuters. There are plenty of vacant storefronts along Superior's main street, where one bar advertises "BINGO EROTIC," and space is also available in weedy plots near the waterfont.

Here's where the normally envious conservative voter should get angry. Will they like seeing manufacturers and Big Ag paying almost no tax, unlike themselves, while essentially freeloading off everything taxpayers have to build and maintain?

The tax difference between the two cities is dramatic. Manufacturers will see their corporate tax rate drop to 0.4 percent in Wisconsin in coming years, compared to 9.8 percent in Minnesota. Wisconsin firms also pay less in unemployment insurance (another Walker scam), workers' compensation and sales tax. Yet Superior isn't pulling ahead … Private sector-employment in Superior grew by 5.6 percent ... between January 2011 and September 2014 … In Duluth's St. Louis County, jobs grew by 9.8 percent during that period.

Meanwhile, the number of businesses in Douglas County declined by 6 percent - double the rate in St. Louis County.

Do we have to say it again: Taxes not the driving factor. The chart compares Democratic Minnesota to a Republican Wisconsin:

Heavy-equipment manufacturer Exodus Machines considered expanding in Minnesota but opted to add jobs in Superior after Walker's economic-development agency secured a loan, said chief executive Kevin Boreen. The tax difference between the two states wasn't a factor, he said. 

Private-sector employment grew by 6.4 percent in Wisconsin between January 2011 and March 2015, lagging the national pace of 10.7 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Along the waterfront, Mike McCoshen surveys huge piles of limestone and road salt unloaded from freighters plying the Great Lakes. His company, Hallett Dock, tapped state harbor-maintenance funds to expand its operations in Wisconsin in the years before Walker took office. The program was all but eliminated in Walker's latest budget proposal - an unwelcome development for other shipping businesses. As for Walker's tax cuts? "They haven't made us grow or recede at all," he said.

UPDATE: 7/3/15:  

The Joint Finance Committee voted Thursday to restore funding for maintenance and improvement projects at Wisconsin ports. The Harbor Assistance Program received around $17 million in segregated fees and bonding in the last state budget. That funding was almost completely stripped under Gov. Scott Walker's budget proposal. The program helps pay for public and private dock repairs, shipbuilding and more.

Closing Observational Tower in State Park Ironically Symbolic for Shortsighted Republicans.

Scott Walker’s decision to cut all public funding for our state parks is already paying dividends for conservative voters everywhere who don’t want to pay for someone else’s vacation. And with the self-imposed deficit due to overzealous tax cuts, we’re just going to have to do without. Walker did the same thing when he was Milwaukee County executive. Let the neglect begin...:

The observation tower located in Peninsula State Park, known as Eagle Tower, will be closed immediately because of public safety concerns related to structural deficiency issues according to Kelli Bruns, park superintendent.

The 75-foot tall tower offers extraordinary views of Green Bay and even the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It stands 225 feet above the water. Considered Wisconsin's most complete park, Peninsula offers 468 campsites, three group camps, a summer theater, an 18-hole golf course, sand beach, bike trails, a lighthouse and 8 miles of Door County shoreline. 

From WBAY:

We've been living beyond our means, so Walker is taking our state parks away.

In recent polls, Wisconsinites appear angry over the recent plundering of at least 1 major economic driver, our state parks. 

State parks bring in $580 million annually from visitors. That's big time cash and a proud Wisconsin bragging point. We're also a major employer:

On average, individual trip spending of visitors to these state properties ranged from almost $41 per day (State Forests) to over $90 per day (State Trails). When combined, the local economic impacts of this private sector stimulus within these regions accounted for over 8,200 jobs and $350 million in income for residents of the state of Wisconsin.

They're not "our" state parks anymore: Republican efforts to cut away our public parks will only further divides us. And I believe that's the point. They're not ours anymore. It psychologically distances us from being a part of Wisconsin. We're all getting disconnected and no longer have any skin in the game. All we have left is what we personally own.

On WPR the other day, Rick Esenberg, President and General Counsel of the GOP lawsuit mill Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, clearly articulated the conservative approach to a more "free market" public parks system. If this all seems like an unnecessary and senseless reworking of our public parks, you're not alone. Lon Newman, Executive Director Family Planning Health Services in Central Wisconsin, argued against Esenberg's jaw dropping disregard for anything that reeks of socialism. The caller in this audio clip absolutely nails it.

This is the prevailing attitude by republicans in Scott Walker's Wisconsin. What's frightening? We're powerless to stop it:

Esenberg makes the absurd argument that those in southern Wisconsin shouldn't have to pay for northern state parks. Um, there are parks everywhere in the state the last time I looked, the south too?

Esenberg: "You know, if in fact, these parks are such an economic boon, and if in fact, they attract people to come to, you know northern Wisconsin and spend money on all these things, then they aught to be willing...these people who come to use these parks, aught to be willing to pay for them."

We're all paying in now, and we're all benefiting from the money generated by our parks. Public funding also keeps the entry costs down considerably. Here are a few graphs that show how those local business owners and employees, residents, who no longer have to support our parks, reap all the benefits. 

"Moving to more of a user-based system is very appropriate," said Sen. Tom Tiffany (R-Hazelhurst), a member of the Joint Finance Committee that recommended the changes.

Shift to Wisconsin state park self-sufficiency … could include more alliances with the private sector and naming rights at some park venues. Nationally, state parks haven't been able to fund their entire operations with money collected from campers, hikers and other users. Instead, other state park systems have had to tap tax dollars or other sources of public funds, according to data from the National Association of State Parks Directors. In Wisconsin, 28% of parks operations are currently funded from the state's general fund … $16.7 million in annual funding of all types.

"The people who use the service should pay for the service."

Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green), the author of the changes, said market forces should dictate price increases. This is especially so in the most popular parks, such Devil's Lake and Peninsula, where occupancy rates in the summer are above 90%. 

Rep. Chris Taylor (D-Madison) failed in a motion to persuade the committee to prohibit the DNR from selling state park land or naming rights to for-profit companies. "They don't want an Exxon-Mobil park," Taylor said. "They don't want a Koch Industries park. They don't want a McPark."

Just came across this audio from the Devil's Advocates radio show where the same "philosophical" argument was being made. Too bad about everyone else:

Corporate Naming rights for state parks wasn't bad enough for Democratic Party of Wisconsin?

This isn't the first time the DPW resorted to a mindless, provably wrong statement to make a point. It's as if corporate naming rights for state parks wasn't bad enough to begin with. Democrats don't need to be deceptive or hyperbolic to make Republicans look bad. We just need to honest:

GOP's own Budget Crisis allows Walker to cut funding from State Parks...all just part of the "we can't afford it" plan.

In a state known for its parks, lakes, hunting and other recreational activities, tourism would seem like the last place to make dramatic cuts. But that’s what Scott Walker has in mind, and I think Wisconsinites are just waking to that reality this morning. WSJ:

Gov. Scott Walker wants to remove state tax money from the operation of Wisconsin’s state parks and make them self-sustaining … proposing to remove all general-purpose revenue to operate Wisconsin state parks, trails and recreation areas - 46 state parks, 14 state trails, four recreational areas and two national scenic trails; a cut of $4.6 million, or nearly 28 percent, of their current $16.7 million operational budget … In place of tax revenue, the governor is proposing that operation of the state park system be funded by entrance and campsite fees.

The Greater Public Good: Let me get this right; "stand with Walker" freeloading Wisconsin residents can soak up and enjoy the benefits of our revenue generating tourism industry without ever paying for that public benefit? We all gain directly or indirectly don't we? Relying on user fees will only result in year after year hikes, instead of keeping prices down by spreading the cost to every Wisconsin resident. The same goes for public schools and universities. And of course Walker wants to shift that entire burden away as well, to please his cheap freeloading conservative voters. I mean lets be honest here.

Walker and Big Money donors tried this in Milwaukee County: What about parks that don't bring in enough revenue or need to much maintenance? Sell them off? Of course. After Walker nearly bankrupted Milwaukee County...:

Oct. 9, 2010: Milwaukee County government is in such dire financial shape that state lawmakers should push through legislation that would allow it and other local governments to file for bankruptcy.

Several recommendations included in a super-secret report drafted by the Greater Milwaukee Committee … doing away with the elected county executive's post, spinning off the zoo, the parks and much else under separate commissions.

Did Walker get behind these ideas? Yes. In fact, he didn't think they went far enough believe it or not:

Walker said the draft recommendations are consistent with what he has been saying since he was first elected county CEO in 2002. Specifically, the GOP nominee said the business committee didn't go far enough … Walker said: “To me, the better example is to eliminate the government entirely." The draft recommendations call for … selling off or leasing county properties … spinning off the parks so they are run by separate authorities or commissions.

There it is. This is what Walker is pushing statewide with our revenue generating parks systems. And his Borg-like party pirates in the legislature love it:

Two area legislators whose districts include Lake Wissota State Park said they don’t consider reductions to state park funding in Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed 2015-17 state budget as a threat to parks or a barrier to users. Even with those increases, using Lake Wissota State Park would still be a bargain, said state Rep. Kathy Bernier, R-Lake Hallie.

The point isn't whether people still have access to the parks at current bargain rates, at least for now. 

The point is these are our state parks, and everyone should contribute to their maintenance and improvements...even when we add new parks. It's the only way to keep prices low enough for everyone. Bottom line: Fee increases won't be enough:

Just 18 of Wisconsin’s 74 state recreational properties took in more money than they cost to operate in 2012, according to an analysis … the DNR and UW-Madison in 2013 estimated that the state parks generate $1 billion in economic activity annually.

And the other states that have tried defunding their parks?

Philip McKnelly ran the North Carolina state parks system for 15 years and served as the executive director of the National Association of State Park Directors for 10 years until his retirement in late 2013. McKnelly said only a handful of states have tried to make their parks systems self-sustaining, but in his opinion, those efforts largely failed. Removing general fund support from Wisconsin’s parks, McKnelly predicted, “would have a significant impact on the system.”

Self imposed Budget Crunches, now and in the future: Of course none of this would be an issue if tax cut madness didn't create biennial shortfalls:

Budget crunches, such as the one Wisconsin is experiencing, have prompted states to use a variety of funding sources, including corporate sponsorships, to keep parks open...