ADVOCACY
ALERT - SB 1241 and HB 2701, both State Parks Heritage Fund bills, move
forward. Please contact your Senators & Representatives
Janice Miano, President, Arizona Heritage Alliance
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Dear Friends of the Heritage Fund
Arizona
voters approved the creation of the Arizona Heritage Fund in 1990; The
Heritage Fund originally allocated $10 million per year of Lottery
monies to Game & Fish and another $10 million to State Parks. From
1991 to 2007, the State Parks Heritage Fund served our state well with
its dedication to parks, outdoor recreation, open space, non-motorized
trails, outdoor and environmental education, and historic preservation
awarding 579 grants totaling $24,179,567 and supporting projects in every County in our State. However, as many of us remember, the State Parks portion of the Heritage Fund was defunded and eliminated from statute during the Great Recession.
The Arizona Heritage Alliance
was formed in 1992 to help protect and educate about the Heritage Fund
which was passed by Voter Initiative in 1990 with nearly a two-thirds
majority of the vote. For the last decade the Heritage Alliance has been
fighting to reinstate the State Parks Heritage Fund which was
eliminated from statute in 2010 during budget negotiations, after 20
years of successful projects!! That’s a decade of lost income to
Arizona’s communities. Game & Fish has continuously received their
$10 million without a stop.
The Arizona Heritage Alliance Legislative Task Force has been working closely with our Sponsors Senator Kate Brophy McGee (LD28) and Representative Joanne Osborne
(LD13). It is our hope that this Legislature restores the Fund after
satisfying all other current encumbrances, and to bring the Fund back to
effect in a responsible and deliberate manner.
Senator Kate Brophy McGee’s Senate Bill 1241 (state
parks; heritage fund) puts the State Parks Heritage Fund back into
statute. There is no dedicated funding attached to this bill, however
when Lottery encumbrances are repaid and removed, it will receive its
$10 million from the Lottery as intended. It will also open the door for
grants, donations, and direct appropriations. This Bill flew through the Senate with a vote of 30-0. It is now in the House.
Representative Joanne Osborne’s House Bill 2701 (state
parks; lottery;heritage fund) would restore the State Parks Heritage
Fund with $10 million in annual funding from the Arizona Lottery as
originally supported by Arizona voters in 1990. HB2701
went through the House and is currently in the Senate and will be
included in the Budget process, because it has funding attached.
With the success of HB2701 & SB1241,
the State Parks Heritage Fund will be back in statute which was the
Voters’ original intent and the Fund will once again be whole and
functioning, providing countless jobs, community pride, and potential
for increased tourism to both city and rural areas.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact us at mail@azheritage.org or call 602-528-7500. Thank you for all your support. We can’t make this happen without you, so let’s do this!!!
Janice Miano
President, Board of Directors
The Arizona Heritage Alliance
azheritage.org
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ARIZONA HERITAGE ALLIANCE
P.O. Box 16282, PHOENIX, AZ 85018 • 602-528-7500
The Arizona Heritage Alliance is a 501(c)3 non-profit with the mission
to preserve and enhance Arizona’s historic, cultural, and natural
heritage. To accomplish our mission we actively:
 Protect the integrity and voter intent of the Arizona Game & Fish Heritage Fund- Pursue
sustainable and dedicated funding sources for Arizona’s historic,
cultural, and natural initiatives, programs, and activities
- Educate Arizonans on the benefits of our state’s wildlife, open space, parks, and historic and cultural resources
- Monitor state legislative and agency activity
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