Lake Maria, Other State Parks Close Shop As Minnesota Government Shuts Down

Though it was a downer of a day, Mark Crawford still could find a smile. 

The longtime park ranger at Lake Maria State Park, Crawford was preparing to do something he's rarely done in his 30 years in service - shut the park down. 

And on a Fourth of July weekend. 

"Everything was full. Traffic has been really good since the spring gave way to summer, finally. Now this," he said. "You wish they could get it figured out."

Lake Maria State Park isn't a place to go if you're looking for a crowd. About 25 minutes west of St. Michael, it's rustic, with just 17 campsites (all at least a half mile from a paved road) and three sleeper cabins. There's no water hookup or electrical for your "big rig." 

Still, the park requires "a lot of maintanence," as it's a favorite for hikers, horseback riders, and, in the winter, cross-country skiers. 

Lake Maria is a rare state park that's actually open in the winter, as well. 

Crawford said he's told those camping this week that this was a possibility. Those coming Saturday, however, "might be a bit surprised" to find the gates to the park closed. 

"There are still a ton of people who have no idea it's even going on," he said. "There's bound to be some that show up. But the media has been doing a good job getting word out." 

The park will be accessible by foot. But, rangers are saying, it will be enter at your own risk. 

It's the first time in history Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources has ceased virtually all of its operations after the governor and state Legislature were unable to reach a budget deal before a midnight deadline.

Just about all of the DNR’s 2,500 employees will go without pay for the duration of the shutdown, and no fishing, boating, hunting or ATV licenses will be issued until state government resumes operation.

The Fourth of July is traditionally the busiest week of the year for state parks, campgrounds and recreational areas, but all were locked at 4 p.m. Thursday and will remain closed until further notice. Statewide, 73 State Park and Recreation areas will close—17 in the DNR’s central region—as will 40 State Forest campgrounds, according to Courtland Nelson, director of the DNR Division of Parks and Trails.

The shutdown will also mean 996 State Park employees will be furloughed until the shutdown is over.

Including Crawford, who will retreat to his home near Clearwater, he said. 

The DNR will lose $2 million dollars statewide in the first two weeks of July and just under $1 million dollars during each of the third and fourth weeks of July, Nelson said.

“In a circuitous route that money comes back into our operating budget, so we spend that down the road,” Nelson said. “That’s one of the most difficult things we face. This will exacerbate the general fund problem because somewhere down the road we will not have these monies that are starting to slip through our fingers. Hundreds and hundreds of people have canceled reservations and that money is gone.”

Parks maintained by counties, such as the Minnewashta Regional Park in Chanhassan, and those operated by independent bodies like the Three Rivers Park District will remain open and be largely unaffected.

But William O’Brien State Park will be empty, Rich Bruns, the operations manager of the DNR Parks and Trails Central Region said. The utilities are shut down, administration buildings are closed and the gates are locked. The popular Boom Site just north of Stillwater will remain open, but without services.

Most state forests will remain open for “disbursed activity” such as bird watching and hiking, but trails and access roads will not be maintained. Public boat accesses will remain open but likewise won’t be maintained.

“If a tree falls across a boat landing, no one will be there to clear it,” Bruns said. “If there are washouts due to heavy rain, no one will be there to clean it up.”

“We are discouraging people from coming into the parks while we’re closed because there won’t be emergency services, no staff to respond to injuries, no water or sanitary facilities,” he said. “While we discourage activities in parks while we are gone, some people will come in, so hopefully those people will be kind to the parks and not cause damage.

If vandalism does happen in State Parks, DNR staff will deal with it when they come back to work, Bruns said. “That’s just an added cost at a time when we certainly don’t need additional costs to operate a park”

Inspections for invasive species, a top DNR priority this summer, will come to a halt (Pelican Lake near St. Michael was a prime target with milfoil), as will environmental impact studies, monitoring of protected waters, non-game wildlife programs, biological survey programs and ground water monitoring. In addition, more than 60 private contractors performing work for the DNR will instructed to suspend their operations.

While most services and personnel will cease, some operations will continue at a “minimal level of staffing and operating expense,” according to DNR communications spokewoman Colleen Coyle. In a decision largely in line with recommendations filed by the governor and attorney general, a Ramsey County judge ruled yesterday that some services provided by the DNR are “essential” and will continue during a shutdown.

This includes conservation enforcement, such as fish limit and slot regulations, bison herd care, hatchery maintenance and tree nursery care.

“We are in the process of determining the final number of staff necessary to perform these functions,” Coyle said. “The court decision approximates the number of staff at 220, which is likely pretty close to what we’ll need. Of those, 186 are conservation officers.”

In general, no one will be at the state parks to enforce trespassing issues, Bruns said. Some conversation officers will be touring through the facilities on occasion to see how things are going, but there will be no regular DNR  presence.

“I don’t think we are looking at penalizing people for that,” he added. “We just encourage them not to for their own safety. We would rather not see people in the news because they were injured in a Minnesota State Park during a shutdown.”

If people do decide to trespass in closed parks, it is at their own risk.

“If someone does come in and is hiking around and breaks an ankle or leg and are caught out there by themselves and can’t get out, hopefully they have a cell phone and can get reception,” Bruns said. “If that’s the case, call 911 and local law enforcement will respond, because we won’t have anyone on site to respond quickly. There’s always the chance they could lay there until someone else comes along, and depending on where they are in the park, that could be a reality.”

The DNR made contingency plans for a state shutdown back in 2005, but implementation was not needed because the DNR’s budget was approved prior to state government shutting down.

“We are hopeful there will be an accord reached and we will be back in business,” Nelson said. “Our people protect places and put smiles on faces and that’s what we want to do.”