State parks in Mississippi surviving on slim budgets
Published 12:43 pm Saturday, April 13, 2019
Mississippi state parks are attracting a steady flow of visitors, but tight budgets are creating problems for maintenance.
Officials say about 1 million people have visited the state parks for each of the past five years.
The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports that the number of full-time park employees at the 25 parks has been sharply reduced in recent years, from 193 workers to 110.
Jennifer Head is the state parks’ liaison to the state Legislature. She says the parks need improvements to water and sewer systems and electrical upgrades in RV camps.
She also says more than 600 structures, including cabins and pavilions, are “in desperate need of repair or replacement.”