From Our Friends at Riordan Mansion

We wanted to share the email we recieved from Anne Stewart O'Donnell regarding the closing of Arizona's Riordan Mansion scheduled for February 22. Very sad news.

All,

Deja vu -- it was just about this time last year that I wrote to you about funding cuts that would result in drastically-reduced hours and staffing at the 1904 Riordan Mansion, an Arizona State Park in Flagstaff. Those cuts DID come about, but at least the mansion remained open.

This year the news is much worse. Arizona legislators have now slashed the Parks budget further. THE RIORDAN MANSION WILL CLOSE ON FEBRUARY 22. In all, by June 3rd, only a third of the State Parks will still be operating. There's also a very real danger that the entire AZ State Parks system (which includes wilderness areas and historic sites) will be DISMANTLED COMPLETELY by the end of 2010.

In that event, sites would likely be sold to private concessionaires, who might or might not have a concern for historical accuracy and good preservation practices, for responsibly maintaining the sites as part of our local, regional and national heritage, etc. The presentation of the stories told by these sites cold well be "dumbed down." Wilderness lands or historically significant areas could be compromised by the building of hotels or developed in other invasive ways.

What happens in the next month is crucial--and not just for Arizona.
While Arizona would be the first state in the nation to shut down its park system, State Parks sources tell me that Idaho and Montana may well follow suit if Arizona sets the precedent.

Concerning the Riordan in particular: Even a temporary closure means the risk of deterioration, vandalism, or looting. If the closure lasts more than a year (which is likely), then the mansion reverts to the family, which has already stated that it does not have the resources to keep it up. So the components of this remarkable time capsule, which includes family records and belongings as well valuable A&C antiques (all still in their original architectural setting), may be dispersed. What would happen to the house and grounds? No one knows at this point.

The Arizona economy is in trouble, but to jettison the Parks would be a false economy. The following is from the Arizona State Parks home
page: "According to research by Northern Arizona University, Arizona State Parks attract, when open, 2.3 million visitors annually. Those visitors produce $266 million of direct and indirect economic impact in Arizona, PLUS $22.7 million in STATE and LOCAL TAXES. Arizona State University's Morrison Institute on Public Policy has provided an analysis estimating that it costs $32 to $34 million to operate our state parks - about 1/10th of their economic contribution - and none of the operating funds come from Arizona state general fund taxes."

SO WHAT CAN WE DO???

-- As soon as possible, please write to the state legislators listed at the end of this email, expressing your concern for the Riordan Mansion and other Parks. For instance, let the lawmakers know that heritage travel is important to you and that sites like these draw you to places like Arizona as a tourist.

-- Spread the word.

-- Make a donation to the AZ State Parks Foundation, the non-profit partner and advocacy group for the State Parks, to help them fight to keep the Parks open:
https://app.etapestry.com/hosted/ArizonaStateParksFoundation/OnlineRegistration.html

-- If you're a journalist, contact Ellen Bilbrey at (602) 542-1996 or
(602) 228-8518. She's the information officer for the Arizona State Parks and can give you all the details you need.

Many thanks!
Anne

Anne Stewart O'Donnell
4813 Guilford Road
College Park, MD 20740
571-201-1709

SOME WEBSITES:

--Riordan Mansion: http://azstateparks.com/Parks/RIMA/index.html

--AZ State Parks home page: http://azstateparks.com/

--AZ State Parks Foundation home page: http://arizonastateparksfoundation.org/

--Press release on park closures: azstateparks.com/press/2010/PR_01-15-10.html

--Writeup on closures from the National Trust for Historic Preservation:
www.preservationnation.org/magazine/2010/todays-news/arizona-to-close-state-parks.html


AZ STATE LEGISLATORS TO CONTACT:

Representative Tom Chabin
Arizona House of Representatives
1700 W. Washington, Room 318
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone Number: (602) 926-5160
Fax Number: (602) 417-3002
tchabin@azleg.gov

Representative Christopher Deschene
Arizona House of Representatives
1700 W. Washington, Room 325
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone Number: (602) 926-5862
Fax Number: (602) 417-3102
cdeschene@azleg.gov

Senator Albert Hale
Arizona State Senate
1700 W. Washington, Room 313
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone Number: (602) 926-4323
Fax Number: (602) 417-3160
ahale@azleg.gov

The Honorable Jan Brewer
Governor of Arizona
1700 West Washington
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Toll Free 1-800-253-0883
Fax (602) 542-1381 Read more

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