Tennessee's state parks are one of the finest investments citizens can make | Opinion

Summer has arrived and with it comes warmer weather, longer days and welcomed opportunities to enjoy the outdoors.

Not surprisingly, the diverse ecosystem and stunning landscapes that exists within our state’s borders makes Tennessee a popular vacation destination for families.

Whether you enjoy fishing in the cypress marshes of Reelfoot Lake out West, exploring the caves and waterfalls of the Cumberland Plateau or horseback riding in the mountains out East, Tennessee’s 56 state parks provide something for outdoor adventurers of all interests and pursuits.

Best of all, Tennessee has one of only seven state park systems in the nation that is free to access and no citizen is more than an hour’s drive from one of these unique parks. Established by the General Assembly in 1937, these places embody what it means to be a Tennessean.

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State parks preserve our history and culture

They are the common ground that preserve and connect us to our state’s history, culture and natural resources. Places like the David Crockett Birthplace, Fort Loudoun, Sycamore Shoals and Old Stone Fort tell the story of our state’s forefathers and allow us to walk in the footsteps of the first people to inhabit these lands.

The Tennessee State Parks system is consistently ranked among the top four park systems in the country by National Recreation and Park Association. These pristine 200,000 acres of public lands are visited by more than 30 million people each year and generate $2.1 billion for our state economy and $24 million in local sales tax revenue.

Incredibly, our state parks have no designated funding source, such as the gasoline tax that pays for the maintenance of state roads. User fees for certain optional activities, like golf or lodging at cabins, go towards supporting park operations and expenditures over and above the annual appropriations received.

In all, our parks cover approximately half of their operating expenses from revenue generated for lodging and certain activities. Fiscal responsibility and good stewardship are how we do business in Tennessee.

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We invest in ourselves. We plan for the future. At a time when other states around the nation are cutting their budgets resulting in jobs loss for parks staff, shorter visiting hours and sadly, the closing of some state parks. We are making sure that never happens in Tennessee.

Tennessee Republicans have continued a tradition of maintaining a zero-debt budget since becoming the majority party in 2010. I was proud to partner with Gov. Bill Lee and his administration to reinvest $405 million of surplus tax dollars in deferred maintenance and critical facility improvements at our parks.

These funds provided renovations and rebuilding of some of our oldest and most dilapidated park facilities.

This year, it was my honor to work with the governor’s team to ensure these resources never fall into neglect and disrepair again with the passage of the State Parks Funding Act of 2022.

Proper funding is essential to maintaining our public parks as well as the ecosystems and history they preserve. This important legislation allows our state parks to efficiently save and plan for upkeep in perpetuity. It also helps keep the state from having to charge access fees or raising user fees for optional activities.

I believe establishing our parks system in 1937 was one of our state’s finest investments. This year, we will celebrate this milestone when we mark the 85th anniversary of Tennessee State Parks.

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As Tennesseans, we have always committed ourselves to protecting what we value and hold dear. Those of us living today must carry on that tradition, so these public lands may continue to provide healthy, educational and inspirational opportunities for future Tennesseans.

William Lamberth is the House Majority Leader for the 112th General Assembly. Lamberth, R-Portland, represents Tennessee House District 44, which includes part of Sumner County. 

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee parks: Why preserving these treasures is a fine investment