Photographers Gather for Friend of the Hocking Hills State Park "Shoot the Hills" annual competition, 2009
Photographers from various states gather for The Friends of the Hocking Hills State Park's annual "Shoot the Hills" competition, April 2009
Ohio State Park superintendents have been directed to drop another three-and-a-half percent from their current budgets. For the Hocking Hills State Park operations, that means about $70,000 less for services this year. Superintendent Tim Archer says he'll have to determine from what areas the cuts will come, so the impacts on both visitors and the region's major tourism business remains to be seen....so stay tuned. Or better yet, let your voice be heard in the legislature.
It's estimated that about three million people visit the Hocking Hills State Park each year (including Old Man's Cave, Ash Cave, Cedar Falls, Cantwell Cliffs, Lake Logan and Rock House). Visitors spend an estimated $180-million in Hocking County (not to mention neighboring counties such as Fairfield, Vinton, Ross, Jackson and Perry), and local tourism-related businesses employ almost one-thousand workers.
The state is also considering elimination of Ohio's Tourism Division by the end of next year. According to the Ohio Tourism Roundtable, the state's tourism industry brings in $1.5-billion in state taxes revenues, and $1.1-million for local taxes. Ohio tourism provides jobs for more than 450,000 workers, estimated on a full-time-equivalency basis.
Ohio Senator John Carey represents the 17th District, and sits on the legislature's key Budget Conference Committee. You can give his office a call at 614-466-1856. Email address is sd17@senate.state.oh.us
You can also gather more information from the Hocking Hills Tourism Association and The Friends of the Hocking Hills.
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