Hodges Gardens State Park in Sabine Parish will keep its gates open for now, after it was announced that funds to maintain all Louisiana parks were recently secured.
The threat of closure began looming over the park this spring after a $7.1 million budget deficit forced lawmakers to take a hard look at some of the parks throughout the state whose revenue and attendance might not validate operating expenses.
“In a list of all state parks, the lowest 12 in rankings of revenue and visitation were facing possible closure, and Hodges Gardens found itself in that bottom 12,” park membership board president Chris Nolen said.
After several legislative meetings, lawmakers agreed to spare parks, and state park representative Sharon Broussard said the outcome was “nothing unusual.”
“We were able to retain a budget sufficient enough to operate all of our parks for the new fiscal year,” she said.
Park members are not letting out their sighs of relief too soon though, and Nolen said the Friends of Hodges Gardens membership panel will continue to focus on ways to increase attendance numbers.
“The state continues to make ends meet,” she said. “So we never know when there will be another budget cut that threatens the garden.”
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