The Mississippi PEER Committee is releasing its report titled A Review of the Mississippi State Park System.
The report can be accessed here.
Some of the Committee’s major findings include:
- Without an annual general fund appropriation, state park operations are not self-sustaining.
- The state park system relies on contract workers for 39% of the state park workforce, which creates a revolving door of staff within the state park system.
- Internal challenges facing the state park system include a lack of prioritization in maintenance planning, a lack of strategic marketing, and a lack of accountability for cash payments made at park entrances.
- Many of the internal issues facing the state park system could be addressed if department staff used available financial and programmatic data to guide decision-making.
- Mississippi’s state park system faces competition from other state, federal, and private competitors that affect the state park system’s market share of outdoor enthusiasts.
- The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks and the Legislature have options available to improve existing park operations and/or to improve the economic and intrinsic value of Mississippi’s state parks.
