Silver Sands State Park Likely To Suffer Due To State's Massive Budget Deficit

By Jack Kramer, Correspondent

MILFORD, CT – Lovers of the state beach already felt their had a target on their backs before Gov. Dannel P. Malloy came out with his latest budget plan this week to try and deal with Connecticut’s skyrocketing deficit.

But, a bad situation for the parks, including Silver Sands State Park in Milford, now even looks a lot worse.

Malloy’s budget would cut an additional $8 million from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and most of that, about $6.4 million, would saved by converting most state parks to “passive management.”

This news comes after last year’s bad news when, again due to budget cuts, lifeguards were cut back at all state parks, including Silver Sands. In addition, staffing for maintenance and lawn-mowing has been reduced at all state parks.

Last year lifeguards at Silver Sands, Hammonasset, Rocky Neck and Sherwood Island were cut back from seven days a week to Wednesday-Sunday, due to budget cuts.

The state’s explanation, last year, was that beaches were less crowded on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Eric Hammerling, executive director of the Connecticut Forest and Park Association, said all the layoffs at the state parks only leave 35 full-time staff to manage 110 state parks.

“The governor’s recommendation would close campgrounds and leave even fewer services available to the public,” Hammerling said. “‘Passive management’ means that visitors will enter at their own risk and witness shameful neglect of the most precious natural resources.”

Hammerling has suggested that state should look at adopting a proposal that would require the state Department of Motor Vehicles to levy a $10 fee on vehicle registrations, which would be used to help fund park maintenance.

Anyone with a Connecticut license plate could then enter and park at a state park for free.

“Connecticut’s State Parks generate more than $1 billion, support over 9,000 private sector jobs, and are visited by eight million people every year,” Hammerling said. “Every dollar spent on the parks generates $38 for Connecticut’s coffers. It makes no sense to continue to target them for cuts.”

“Passport to the Parks’’ would raise $14.5 million per year through a $10 vehicle registration fee to be paid every other year.

The “passport” would allow drivers with Connecticut plates to enter state parks for free, while visitors from other states would have to pay entry fees.

Another bill proposed by Sen. Ted Kennedy, Jr., would create a nickel tax on plastic bags.

The more than $16 million annually would be set aside to help maintain state parks.

Currently, about 9 million visitors come through the parks each year, and operating costs are about $18 million, which funds everything including salaries for 70 staff and 500 seasonal workers.