State parks in Ohio turn to volunteers, donations to make needed repairs

DELAWARE, Ohio (AP) — Private donors and volunteers are stepping up to help maintain state parks in Ohio, where budget cuts have left the parks system with more than $550 million in unmet repairs.

Throughout Ohio, 54 nonprofit groups are raising money and recruiting volunteers to help make the parks better, said Jim Henehan, a spokesman for the system. They raised a total of $600,000 last year.

At the Alum Creek State Park in Delaware, private funds maintain a sailboat marina, which has a new $87,000 shelter house available to the public to rent. Volunteers maintain mountain bike, horse and hiking trails. Eagle Scouts have planted flowers, and a new disc golf course comes courtesy of players’ groups that are raising money for targets, concrete tee pads and signs.

“Our partnerships, friends groups and volunteers have dramatically helped us weather the economic storm right now,” said John Hunter, acting chief of Ohio state parks.