Walton considers taking over Deer Lake State Park

SANTA ROSA BEACH, FL - Walton County commissioners have agreed to consider taking over management of Deer Lake State Park, one of 19 state parks that could be closed indefinitely to help ease the state's financial crunch.
   
"We do not want Deer Lake closed," said Marsha Anderson, chairwoman of the Coastal Dune Lakes Advisory Committee.
   
Deer Lake is one of the rare coastal dune lakes that lie along the 26 miles of coastline in the county.
   
Anderson has asked the county's staff to contact state officials to find out whether it is possible for the county to take over the park from the state.
   
Commissioner Sara Comander said the research should include finding out whether the county could lease the land, how much insurance would cost and whether county inmates can perform maintenance instead of the county contracting with an outside company.
   
Jessica Kemper, public information officer for the Florida Parks Service, said the Florida Board of Trustees owns the park land and leases it to the state Division of Recreation and Parks.
   
If the county wanted to take over management of Deer Lake, the agency would have to relinquish the lease and the county must work out its own lease, Kemper said.
   
However, she said the recreation and parks division "does not sublease whole state parks to be managed by other entities," so the commissioners instead must get approval from the board of trustees.
   
Kemper said the 19 parks slated to be closed were selected based on the number of visitors compared to the cost of keeping them open.
   
According to state figures, 5,370 people visited Deer Lake in fiscal 2007-08. Its operating budget was $45,479.
   
Anita Page, director of the South Walton Community Council, estimated the lake's annual operating cost at about $5,700. However, Kemper said that figure only takes into account expenses, not staffing.
   
She confirmed that Deer Lake and Grayton Beach state parks are managed together because they are close to one another, but said Deer Lake has its own full-time ranger.
   
State officials already have said that even if some or all of the parks are closed, no rangers will be laid off, although they might be reassigned.
   
Page said that if "none of the rangers are going to be laid off anyway, then we're back to $5,700."
   
"My question is, if it costs $5,700 to operate Deer Lake State Park, what will be the potential impact on Walton County if a gulfside state park is closed?" said Page, who added that the park offers a pristine and undeveloped setting that many other parks lack. "I think it would be much more than $5,700."