Could Skidaway go away?

By John Bennett

September 14, 2008

Concerns about how budget cuts will affect Georgia’s state parks are being voiced all over the the state from Rome to Bainbridge to Albany. A letter to the editor in today’s Savannah Morning news (Sorry I can’t provide a link. For some reason, letters from certain days never make it to savannahnow.com) frets about the future of the Skidaway Island State Park swimming pool. I agree with Kevin Clark that closure of the facility would be bad news. In his letter he writes, “The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is threatening to close it and several other lesser-used state parks because of budget cuts.”

I’m not sure if Clark’s “it” is the pool or the park as a whole. If he is talking about the park as a whole, is it true that it could be closed?

According to an Atlanta-Journal Consitution story on the budget cuts, Skidaway Island State Park is the third most profitable park in the state. That would seem to work in the its favor. It’s not one of the five most visited, but it’s not in the five least visited either. Will this be enough to protect Skidaway?

While it’s true that Fort McAllister Historic Park, near Richmond Hill, is not too far away, I think Skidaway’s position just minutes from Savannah makes it a resource too important to lose. The park’s value will become increasingly evident in times of high gas prices. It allows city residents to spend a night under the stars without having to spend an arm and a leg on fuel. After all, if you pour all your money into a hole on the side of your car, how will you afford s’mores ingredients?

Interestingly, high fuel prices might actually endanger the park’s future, while simultaneously making it a better place to visit (at least for the kind of camping I like to do). If you’ve visited Skidaway Island state park, you may have noticed the campgrounds are often dominated by mammoth recreational vehicles. Climbing diesel prices could reduce the number of Class A motorhomes and fifth wheels circulating up and down I-95 and hurt the park’s bottom line. Still their absence would certainly leave a more natural and enjoyable environment for tent campers.

Either way, as funding for parks is reduced, the importance of volunteers increases. Those who want to get involved at Skidaway should check out upcoming opportunities to get involved.

Posted in Advocacy, Public Space, Transportation