Faced with the prospect of crippling budget cuts, the Alabama State Parks System plans to close 15 of the state’s 22 parks by next year, including Joe Wheeler State Park in Rogersville.

The move stems from a legislative proposal to transfer $11.4 million from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ 2016 budget, with $10.4 million being directly from the park system’s budget.

State Parks Director Greg Lein said Wednesday the closures would definitely happen if the Legislature approves a budget heavy on agency cuts, versus Gov. Robert Bentley’s plan to generate $541 million in tax revenue.

Lein said he’s not optimistic about the future of state parks.

“(The Legislature) has transferred money each of the last four years,” he said. “This isn’t something that’s new; we’ve seen it before. We had reserve funds that created a cushion, but that money is gone.”

Park closures are slated to start in May, even though the park system is currently operating off its 2015 budget. On May 1, the system will close four parks — Bladon Springs, Chickasaw, Bucks Pocket and Paul M. Grist — and two golf courses at Roland Cooper and Lakepoint.

Beginning June 1, five other parks will be put under an emergency operations plan that requires the park to operate profitably or close. Those parks include Florala, Blue Springs, Roland Cooper, Rickwood Caverns and Frank Jackson.

When asked why the closures are necessary, considering the system is operating on a budget good until Oct. 1, Lein said the move is designed to put the system on a more sound financial footing moving forward.

“All these parks that will be closed are ones that consistently lose money from one year to the next, so let’s stop the bleeding now and we may be able to keep the other parks open,” he said. “The Legislature hasn’t told us when the transfer would happen; it may be incremental, or it may be all at once. That’s what will govern the schedule of the remaining 15 parks.”

Joe Wheeler State Park is among the parks the system is looking at closing by 2016, as is Guntersville State Park. The seven parks that would remain open are Chewacla, Monte Sano, Cathedral Caverns, Meaher, Wind Creek, Oak Mountain and Gulf State Park.

“We take the threat seriously, and we have to prevent this from happening,” said State Rep. Lynn Greer, R-Rogersville, who spoke by phone Wednesday from Montgomery. “There’s no money to operate the parks, but the Legislature has the responsibility to generate revenue. We’ve got to have enough backbone to run state government, and we’ve got to step up to the plate.”

Greer said he’s not a proponent of Bentley’s tax increases, but he added the state doesn’t have much choice at this point. He called during a break between budget committee meetings, and said several other agencies stand to be hurt as badly as the parks system.

When asked about the lasting effects of the park closures, considering several parks are experiencing diminishing financial returns, Greer said efforts have been made in recent years to update and improve many of the state’s parks, including Joe Wheeler.

“We’re doing some things to bring the park back up to standards, but we’ve got to have some operating money,” he said.

What is particularly upsetting to Lein is that more than 300 people stand to lose their jobs, many of which are career parks employees. Lein sent a letter yesterday, telling employees to talk to their managers about the system’s plans.

“None of this is (the employees’) fault,” he said. “They’ve done their jobs, and done them well for years.”

Lein spoke in January about the prospect of a paid park pass system that would have generated revenue for the system, but he said there is no way such a plan could be rolled out in time to save the parks.

“There’s no time to implement the new, progressive plan, and I don’t know how we could do it by Oct. 1,” he said. “We’re going to be in crisis mode the rest of the summer. When you shut down a park, it’s not like it’s not going to cost money. We have to move equipment and secure property from theft. We’ve got to develop plans on the fly and transfer staff where we can from one park to another. We’re doing the best we can, but it’s a disaster.”

When Lein visited Joe Wheeler State Park in January, he was in the midst of a six-month educational tour aimed at sharing information about the system, talk revenue ideas and to receive feedback from parks users.

Lein repeated a sentiment he shared in January, only this time with more emphasis.

“We’re a user-pay system, and we need people to come out and use the parks,” he said. “If people want to keep the parks, use the parks and bring 10 friends. They should also call their elected officials and make their voices heard.”

A Facebook page supporting the parks system has been established at www.facebook.com/ALStateParksPartners. The Limestone County Legislative Delegation can be reached at 256-262-9038.

The Athens News-Courier is a member of Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. in Montgomery, the parent company of The Cullman Times.