State Considers Closing John Gorrie Museum

November 17, 2008

State budget cuts may force the temporary closure of some state parks in the state including a few in our area. Earlier this fall, Governor Charlie Crist asked all state agencies to come up with a way to cut 10 percent of their operating costs from their proposed 2009-10 budget requests. The cutbacks would be needed if state revenues continue to decline, which they have. The Division of Recreation and Parks has proposed temporarily closing 19 state parks to meet the 10 percent cut; the parks were chosen based on low visitation numbers and revenue compared to relatively high operating budgets. Some of the parks being considered for temporary closure include the John Gorrie Museum State Park in Apalachicola, the St. Marks River State Park in Leon County and the Constitution Convention Museum State Park in Gulf County. It’s likely the 19 parks potentially facing closure would re-open when the state's economy improves. If they are closed, the parks would still remain under the supervision of a full-time caretaker.

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