REPORT # 00-02 OFFICE OF THE LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR OO LL AA STATE OF MINNESOTA PROGRAM EVALUATION REPORT State Park Management Photo courtesy of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources JANUARY 2000 Photo Credits: Page Source Description Cover Department of Natural Resources Headwaters of the Mississippi at Itasca State Park 10 Department of Natural Resources Campers at Wild River State Park 22 Office of the Legislative Auditor Nature Store at Fort Snelling State Park 29 Department of Natural Resources Skiers at Wild River State Park 47 Department of Natural Resources Interpretive sign at Maplewood State Park 52 Department of Natural Resources Prescribed burn at Itasca State Park 55 Department of Natural Resources Park officer on bicycle 70 Office of the Legislative Auditor Black-topped trail at Father Hennepin State Park 74 Office of the Legislative Auditor Observation deck at Hayes Lake State Park 76 Office of the Legislative Auditor Contact station at Bear Head Lake State Park 78 Office of the Legislative Auditor Low-water crossing in Beaver Creek Valley State Park 91 Department of Natural Resources Camping at Interstate State Park Evaluation Report Summary: PE00-02 OFFICE OF THE LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR OOLL AA STATE OF MINNESOTA State Park Management January 26, 2000 Major Findings: • DNR has a well-defined process for identifying capital improvement projects in state parks. The state park • Overall, the Parks and Recreation 2000-2001 operating budget was Division of the Department of Natural increased to fund the operating costs Resources (DNR) manages of new buildings funded in the 1998 Minnesota’s state parks reasonably state bonding bill. (p. 77) well given the resources available to the division. (p. 26 in the full report)* Key Recommendations: • Park visitors have consistently • DNR should continue to analyze the expressed satisfaction with current state park system, develop Minnesota’s state parks (p. 12) and baseline data using criteria proposed would accept small increases in park in its Minnesota State Park Land DNR does a good fees. (p. 89) Study, and based on that analysis, examine possible modifications to job of managing • DNR uses reasonable standards and a Minnesota’s state park system. (p. Minnesota’s state fair process for setting priorities and 61) parks, but there allocating staff and operating budgets is room for to individual parks based on park • DNR should ensure that its process of improvement. activity information. (p. 33) assessing the condition of buildings and estimating repair costs is • DNR has not emphasized resource consistent across regions. Once management and preservation in state implemented, the department should parks as much as providing report the results to the Legislature. recreational and interpretive services. (p. 71) (p. 53) • The Legislature should require DNR • The department’s building to continue estimating operating and maintenance database is of limited maintenance costs for new building usefulness for evaluating building construction projects contained in conditions and accurately estimating state bonding bills and including repair costs for state park buildings those estimates in the state park because data are unreliable, not operating budget. (p. 80) updated, and inconsistent across DNR regions. (p. 67) • Although data are limited, most *For the full evaluation report, State Park buildings and facilities in Management (#PE00-02), which Minnesota’s state parks appear to be includes the agency’s response, call in good to fair condition. Roads and 651/296-4708 or download from: sewer systems in some parks need www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us/ repair. (p. 69) ped/2000/PE0002.htm. Room 140, 658 Cedar Street, St. Paul, MN 55155 -- Tel: 651-296-4708 -- Fax: 651-296-4712 -- E-mail: [email protected] x STATE PARK MANAGEMENT Report Summary: DNR Uses a Reasonable and Fair Process to Set Funding Priorities he Department of Natural Resources for Individual State Parks T(DNR) does a reasonably good job of managing Minnesota’s state parks, The department uses many reasonable although there is room for improvement. practices to manage Minnesota’s state parks. It uses rational standards and a The Parks and Recreation Division of fair process for allocating resources to DNR manages and operates 66 state individual parks, sets priorities for parks, 4 recreation areas, 1 trail, and 8 interpretive services based on an waysides. The division employed 235 assessment of resources, uses a full-time staff and 550 seasonal and well-defined process to identify and part-time employees and had an rank capital improvement projects, operating budget of approximately $24 solicits public input, and fosters positive million in 1999. The budget increased working relationships with other 13 percent between 1990 and 1999, after agencies. being adjusted for inflation. Revenues from park visitors represented 31 The process used to set priorities, make percent of the state park budget in 1999. budget decisions, and allocate staff and operating budgets to individual parks is Park Visitors Are Satisfied with based on park activity information and is Minnesota’s State Parks reasonable and fair. The department has not tracked the extent to which park There were an estimated 8.6 million staff accomplish the tasks outlined in its total visits to Minnesota state parks in park operating standards since 1998, of which about 914,000 were implementation of the statewide overnight visits. Total visits to state accounting system in 1996. parks rose 10 percent and overnight visits increased 7 percent between 1990 The most heavily used state parks are and 1998. Most park visits (62 percent) assigned a high priority and are least occurred during the summer and most affected by budget shortfalls. DNR’s (60 percent) occurred on Friday, decision to close fall through spring Saturday, and Sunday. Overnight visits camping in the 20 least used state parks were even more concentrated during the because of a fiscal year 2000 budget summer (81 percent). shortfall affected relatively few park users (16,000) statewide. For some Since 1987, over 90 percent of park individual parks, however, the impact visitors surveyed by DNR responded was more significant because fall that they were satisfied with their visits through spring camping represents a to state parks. The most important park large share of total camping activity. features to visitors were clean facilities and grounds, a natural setting, and The recent reduction of services at state well-protected natural resources. parks and an anticipated future budget shortfall highlight the need to consider alternatives to the current financing of state parks. There are several options for the Legislature and DNR to consider for addressing state park financing including: maintaining the status quo; reducing the size of the park system by SUMMARY xi transferring, converting, or mothballing assessment of natural and cultural some state parks; cutting administrative resources and park use. Twenty-six costs of the parks division; and parks provided year-round or seasonal increasing funding for state parks. interpretive services in 1998, and these programs served nearly 188,000 park The department’s recent study of the visitors. Interpretive staff in 14 parks state park system (Minnesota State Park were not able to meet school groups’ Land Study, 1999 public review draft) demand for environmental education includes a decision-making framework programs or the public’s demand for and criteria for evaluating new park specific naturalist programs. proposals. DNR could use this approach to examine existing state parks and To help preserve natural resources, DNR suggest modifications to the current park has specialized staff, conducts research system. and resource assessments, funds special projects, and develops park management In many respects, DNR has tried to plans. But DNR has not emphasized manage seasonal parks staff efficiently. resource management and preservation In 1998, it saved about $364,000 in as much as providing recreation and seasonal staff costs by using a work interpretive services. Much work training program and it used over remains to be done on developing 155,000 volunteer hours in 1998. baseline resource data and indicators of However, the department’s ability to environmental condition before DNR reduce the cost of seasonal staff has can adequately monitor the impact of been limited by the terms of an recreational use on natural resources in agreement it negotiated with an state parks. According to DNR, employee labor union. Similarly, resource management has been assigned department guidelines, state law, and a lower priority because of public bargaining unit contracts limit the use of pressure on the department to provide volunteers in state parks. park recreational and educational activities. Resource Management in State Parks Has Been a Lower Priority Most State Park Buildings Appear for DNR to Be in Fair to Good Condition The department’s goals for managing Minnesota’s state parks contain 1,483 state parks are to provide outdoor buildings (excluding about 300 pit recreation and education services and to toilets), of which 1,247 are actively manage and preserve cultural and maintained by DNR. These buildings natural resources in the parks. There are range from vault toilets to visitor over 4,300 campsites in 63 state parks centers. DNR estimates that state park that offer camping. Campground facilities have over $13 million in occupancy for all parks averaged 72 deferred