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Some state parks may close and many are certain to see cuts in hours and services.
Lawmakers shaved $3 million from the parks budget. And more trimming could take place next year.
The Legislature's cuts come on the heels of an audit that recommended some rural parks — such as the Green River Golf Course, Edge of the Cedars Museum in Blanding, the Utah Field House in Vernal, Frontier Homestead Museum in Cedar City and the Territorial Statehouse in Fillmore — be shut down.
"We get the impression that state parks are not valued by the Legislature," State Parks Director Mary Tullius said.
Activists were waiting to hear whether Gov. Gary Herbert would sign HB399, the Legacy Highway backlash bill. That measure would require a bond be posted by anyone seeking to stay a final decision by the Department of Natural Resources, Department of Transportation and the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration. If objectors lost their court case, they would be required to pay any costs of delay suffered by a developer.
Lawmakers approved HB51, a bill sponsored by Rep. Roger Barrus, R-Centerville, that would exempt SITLA from certain state rules, including one requiring state agencies to report proposed fees to the Legislature. SITLA argued all of its fee revenues go into schools. Barrus also won approval of a resolution asking Congress to give Western states 5 percent of the federally owned lands within their borders. Lawmakers approved a measure creating an Office of Energy Development, but legislation to combine the Departments of Environmental Quality and Natural Resources fizzled.
Tom Wharton, Judy Fahys and Brandon Loomis