Some state parks across Pennsylvania are in crisis.

Butler’s are not — not yet anyway — according to representatives at Moraine State Park and Jennings Environmental Education Center.

But our local parks do have infrastructure and maintenance needs that should be addressed to continue to steer clear of the “crisis” that other state parks are seeing.

According to a recent statement from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Pennsylvania has a documented need for more than $1.4 billion overall for “infrastructure repairs and improvements” in the state park system. These needs include addressing regular wear-and-tear, dealing with the impact of extreme weather and climate change, and keeping up with an increased demand for outdoor recreation.

Shikellamy State Park, for example, needs $56 million in upgrades. It faces serious operating challenges because of its infrastructure needs, which include a deteriorating marina building, parking lots in disrepair and more, according to the DCNR.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, state parks have reported increased activity. It began in summer 2020, but increased visitations have continued into this past summer, too.

Additional visitors certainly result in additional wear-and-tear on trails, but the extra people also affect park infrastructure. Parking lots, restrooms and buildings are impacted by the extra traffic.

Here in Butler County, Jennings Environmental Education Center park manager Wil Taylor said while Jennings may not have a large dam or wastewater treatment plant in need of imminent intervention, the price tags of other smaller projects add up.

Jennings currently isn’t in what he called “dire straits.” The building has a reliable roof and plumbing is “intact.”

But the park’s leadership must be “frugal” in its spending and does rely on volunteer efforts, Taylor said.

Dustin Drew, manager at Moraine State Park, laid out a similar scene.

The park has a “long to-do list.” Projects are completed based on prioritization. A special project may be nearing the top of the list, but if a more urgent need arises, that special project would be postponed to first address the more immediate need.

Drew said there are plenty of improvements that the park would like to make, but they haven’t reached a high enough priority level yet.

Fortunately for Butler, both Drew and Taylor report a giving community that helps complete some projects. Some additional funding for projects is provided through the Moraine, McConnells Mill, Jennings Commission (3MJC) nonprofit, a “friends of” group that collects donations for the three state parks.

At Jennings, the dollars often fund smaller-scale maintenance projects, according to Taylor.

In regards to projects funded locally, Drew highlighted the recent creation of an accessible kayak dock funded by the Leadership Butler County group.

That being said, daily operation funds come from the state.

Right now, Butler County’s state parks are not in crisis. Let’s keep them that way.

— TAL