N.J. Governor Unveils Plan to Privatize State Parks

Nearly 40 percent of the cost of operating New Jersey’s parks system would be picked up by nonprofit and commercial entities by 2015 under a program announced Wednesday by Gov. Chris Christie, says The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The governor said the partial privatization will keep New Jersey’s 440,000 acres of state parks open and state-controlled but with greater financial stability and improved services provided by corporate and nonprofit contractors. The park system costs $39-million a year to run but brings in only $8-million annually through facility leases and fees for camping, boat rental, and other services.

The proposal reflects the recommendations of a committee appointed by the Republican governor last year. Critics charge the plan is part of a larger conservative agenda to privatize government functions and turn public facilities into corporate assets.

Jeff Tittel, head of Sierra Club of New Jersey, said the state could instead tax the use of all-terrain vehicle in recreation areas, among other approaches to raising money.

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