Friend: admirer, booster, supporter, champion, advocate

We all have friends in our lives. Those people that stick by us and help out when we need them most. Our 38 Virginia State Parks have an amazing group of Friends called the Virginia Association For Parks (VAFP), and nearly all of the individual state parks have a group of Friends as well.

Often Friends start as park visitors and then become volunteers. Along the way, their support grows to a degree where they become committed to support Virginia State Parks in a variety of ways.

VAFP President Tim Kennell, presents
the Legislator of the Year award to Delegate Kilgore

Volunteers are a valuable resource for our Virginia State Parks, contributing more than 245,000 hours annually. Camp hosts, spring break groups, scouts, and a dedicated cadre of folks local to our parks add countless hours of work and represent the equivalent of an additional 118 full time employees.

As important as these volunteer efforts are, our Friends take that to the next level. They plan and coordinate special events and programs in our parks and they raise funds to support park initiatives. And, Friends do something that we can’t do for ourselves – they advocate on our behalf about Virginia State Parks to elected officials.

While our Friends support these advocacy efforts year round, they are particularly visible during the General Assembly session. They spend countless hours in Richmond meeting with legislators, their staff, and following up on budget bills and general legislation to support parks.

VAFP Executive Committee members with State Parks Director Seaver
and Delegate Kilgore. From Left to right, State Parks Director Craig Seaver,
Delegate Terry Kilgore, National Parks Chair Lynn Davis, Secretary Mike McCarthy,
Past President and Founder Robert Williams, Treasurer Diana Ramsey,
and President Tim Kennell. Absent is State Parks Chair Jim Klakowicz
and Past President Johnny Finch

We aren’t talking about lobbying – that word certainly stirs up negative connotations. Rather, Friends are committed citizens, taxpayers, and voters, who are dedicated to bringing the needs of our parks to the attention of those who can make a difference by determining funding and staffing. There are many competing priorities needing state funding. The VAFP and individual park “Friends of” groups work tirelessly to make the case that our Virginia State Parks need more money to provide places to recreate and relax in nature.

They have some powerful ammunition. Not only are parks good for Virginians’ physical and mental well-being, they also contribute a healthy economic impact. The Virginia Tech Pamplin College of Business analyzed park visitation in 2018 and determined that for every $1 of general tax revenue provided to state parks, $14.06, on average, was generated in fresh money that would not be there if not for the operation of Virginia State Parks. Moreover, $1.26 in state and local taxes were generated for every dollar of tax money spent on the park system.

Jo and Johnny Finch, Past Secretary and Past President, respectively,
at High Bridge Trail State Park

Yet, we have aging infrastructure, a maintenance backlog, and are at staffing and funding levels from when we had fewer parks, far less attendance, and less complicated operations. And state parks are not immune from inflationary costs, the same costs that consumers encounter, so do parks and the cost of doing business continues to increase. The demand for our parks is great and we have many that have to turn visitors away due to lack of facilities to support the demand of the public.

Although our Friends just finished their efforts at the 2019 General Assembly session, they are starting their plans and advocacy efforts again. Meeting legislators in their home district absent the frenzy of the General Assembly session can be the most effective way to find the time to make the case for supporting parks.

The VAFP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is all volunteer run with no salaries or facility overhead. Find out more about the Virginia Association For Parks on their website. There are a variety of membership levels including a free one. Links to contact information for individual park “Friends of” groups can be found on our website and there is also a link to those groups on the VAFP site here.