Firefighters, Facebook Group Fighting To Keep Park Open

July 17, 2010

Citizens across the area are lining up online and an Alabama firefighter’s groups is organizing a meeting Monday, to support Little River State Forest.

Little River, formerly known as Claude D. Kelley State Park,  is located north of Atmore along Highway 21 on the Escambia -Monroe county line. It includes about 2,100 acres of longleaf pine forest with fishing on a 25-acre lake, hiking, swimming and camping.

The Alabama Forestry Commission, which manages the park, has announced that it will close September 30 due to a $5 million shortfall in the department’s overall budget.

That closure announcement led to public outcry, including a Facebook page “Keep Little River Park open”, which boasted almost 1,750 members as of early Saturday morning. And now, the Alabama Association of Volunteer Fire Departments (AAVFD) has joined the fight, announcing a public meeting Monday in Monroeville.

The AAVFD and the Alabama Forestry Commission’s public meeting will be held at 5 p.m. Monday at the Monroeville Water Tower and Conference Center on East Claiborne Street. The area’s legislative delegation has also been invited to the meeting.

On the Facebook page, person after person has shared their memories of the park as well as photos. Here are a few posts:

  • Winnie Nichols: Closing Little State Park would be destroying memories yet to be created. I would love for my great grand-children to be able to visit, enjoy and learn to love nature so abundant in this park. To allow it to close would be destroying a living treasure which we so cherish and really need in lower Alabama. Please find a way to keep it open.
  • Alisha Linam: My grandparents got engaged while parked in the spillway one full moon night back in 1950 and I have many fond memories of childhood Saturday afternoons spent there. It would be a tragedy if it is closed.
  • Mary Wood: Keep Little River Park open, there are too many memories there to just let it go.
  • Patty Helton Davis: I cannot imagine this park closing. It is hard to believe that cannot come up with travel trailer park or something to raise additional cash. They do it at George Stone Park on Highway 4

To visit the “Keep Little River State Park open” Facebook page, click here.

Comments

6 Responses to “Firefighters, Facebook Group Fighting To Keep Park Open”

  1. allen on July 29th, 2010 2:00 pm

    I read in the local paper the annual budget for the park is $170,000 per year. This is equal to the cost of $3,500 per week every week year round. I would like for someone to post the make-up of this budget. To keep the park open the park has to make a profit. A profit equals income less expenses. It must increase income and decrease expenses.

  2. David Huie Green on July 20th, 2010 12:00 am

    It’s a nice park. I only go every few years, so I understand I am part of the problem but hope they are successful in keeping it open and well used.

  3. Lauren Lowe on July 19th, 2010 11:49 am

    Facebook is taking over the world.

  4. A proud Army Parent on July 18th, 2010 10:40 am

    Little River is an amazing park with so many things to do. My husband and I often took out 3 children tent camping. One night it stormed so badly in the middle of the night.we had to take the kids and park under a picnic pavillion till the storm passed. Those are wonderful memories of close family fun. It would be a shame to close the park and have other families miss out on the memories to be made. As it was it was sad when the raft had to be removed and never replaced. The park needs to stay open it is a haven to the people who live in the area and those beyond.

  5. Atmore Girl on July 17th, 2010 11:19 am

    The Alabama Forestry Commission could raise the day use fees to$3.00-$5.00 for adults and $1.00 for children. THEN, they could have someone at the booth to collect this money. The “honor” system doesn’t work in today’s society. However, the AFC isn’t well known for proper management of money.

  6. T on July 17th, 2010 7:24 am

    So sad to see something like this happen to such a beautiful place.
    What can the community do to help?

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News