The stalactites at Kartchner Caverns and the quail at Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge have something in common. Inadequate budgets are threatening them. Two of Arizona's premier systems of recreation and preservation are at risk. Our Arizona State Parks agency has developed a huge maintenance backlog, because budget cuts have forced it to use up capital funds for everyday operating expenses. Our eight federal wildlife refuges are losing 16 percent of their staff. It's part of a national cutback by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to make up for shortfalls in funding. In both cases, we risk long-term damage from shortsighted penny pinching. The colorful formations at Kartchner Caverns State Park depend on constant moisture. But pumping from the park's wells is jeopardizing the water supply to the cave, a geologist warns,especially in this time of drought. We can eliminate the risk if the park hooks up with the city of Benson's water line. But that would require laying six miles of pipe at a cost of $3.4 million. With its border location, the Buenos Aires refuge already has to pour resources into dealing with the impact of illegal immigrants, drug traffickers and law enforcement activities. Forty percent of staff time goes into fixing fences, repairing erosion from foot traffic and picking up vast quantities of litter (fortunately with volunteer help). [Note: To read the full article, click here.]
