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Governmental agencies within Canada are systematically destroying the park systems of that nation.
Governmental agencies within the USA are following in Canada's footsteps.
In Canada, the Libertarian think-tank known as the "Fraser Institute" has led the transformation of that nation's public parks into market based test-beds for a  larger privatization agenda.
In the USA, the Libertarian think-tank known as the "Reason Foundation" has led the same charge.
Pasted below is an editorial from this morning's Canadian press keyed to tomorrow's Canadian Parks Day. IT is a plea for help for Ontario's parks.
THIS message is likewise a plea for help --- help for our parks. All of them.
Scott
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Editorial - July 20, 2007
Ontario's parks need help
by Smokey Thomas
Tomorrow is Parks Day across Canada. It's a great time to reflect on
the role parks play in our lives and in the life of our planet. And
with a provincial election just 12 weeks away, it's a great time to ask
where Ontario's political parties stand on the great outdoors.
No party has earned any bragging rights for protecting our natural
heritage. In April, Ontario's environmental commissioner said that four
different governments have cut environmental protection over the last
15 years. Gord Miller reported that, in 2006-07, the ministry of
natural resources' budget was down 18 per cent compared to 1992-93. The
ministry of environment's budget was down 34 per cent.
Those are hefty cuts. Both ministries are "starved of funding for core functions," Miller said.
What does this mean for environmental protection? Well, let's take a look at our protected areas.
Ontario now has 329 parks, 292 conservation reserves, and 10 wilderness
areas. These areas cover about nine per cent of the province. They
attract about 10 million visitors a year.
What does the province pay to protect these lands and waters? Just over $15.3 million a year.
You read it right.
It's not as if park users aren't paying their share. Ontario's park
system raises 78 per cent of its total budget from user fees and other
charges. This is by far the highest rate of any province in Canada.
Our parks pay for themselves, and then some. Every year they generate
$390 million in economic activity and 14,000 person-years of
employment. Based on MNR reports, this activity puts at least $46
million in taxes into provincial coffers.
Compare this to what the province puts in, and you get an interesting
fact: For every dollar the government spends to run our parks, it gets
back three. But David Ramsay, the Minister of Natural Resources, says
his long-range goal is full cost recovery for park operations.
He wants to stop funding them.
Talk about abandoning a sacred trust! Our provincial parks benefit all
of us, even if we never set foot in one. They provide recreational,
educational, social and economic benefits to the whole province. They
combat global warming, protect endangered species, and provide a host
of other environmental benefits.
Our parks are part of who we are. We need them. We need to take care of them.
This week, Minister Ramsay put out a news release about Parks Day.
"We're continually working to enhance the park experience for
visitors," he said.
This is a joke. In 2005 and 2007, the minister raised park user fees. In 2006, he cut summer jobs in the parks by 19 per cent.
Park staff are the key to protecting and enjoying nature in our parks. Our parks are in desperate need of:
more park wardens to patrol wilderness areas and keep campgrounds and day-use areas safe;
more maintenance staff to clean bathrooms, pick up garbage, maintain
trails, and cut down the dead trees that pose a hazard to campers;
more natural heritage educators to teach children and adults about the natural world we all depend on; and
more administrative staff to help visitors find campsites, buy supplies, and find their way around parks.
But instead of funding these services, the current government is
running the other way. This week, the province handed over control of
W. J. B. Greenwood Park, north of North Bay, to the town of Latchford.
This is a travesty. Downloading the cost of our parks to municipalities
and private companies is not the answer. Adequate funding is. That's
why our union is calling on all political parties to commit to a major
boost in provincial park funding.
Parks funding must be an issue in the upcoming provincial election. We
are asking all Ontarians who care about our parks to help make it
happen.
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Smokey Thomas is president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union.
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- Privatization 
