Investigation sought after state park leased to private company
HINTON — A year after state tourism officials warned lawmakers that half of Oklahoma's state parks could be shuttered if the department saw drastic budget cuts, one of those parks is now being operated by a private company.
Earlier this year, the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation turned over operations at Red Rock Canyon State Park to a company owned by Rick Thiel, a Hinton businessman. Thiel says he wants to make sure the park remains open for years to come. But the park's former manager is calling for an investigation into the deal.
Under an agreement that took effect Nov. 1, the state tourism
department leased the park to the city of Hinton, which then leased it to Thiel's company. Although the state retains ownership of the park, the agreement allows Thiel to sell merchandise and make improvements to the park. It also bars his company from using the "state park" designation. The park is being rebranded as Red Rock Adventure Park.
David Sutton, who served as park manager from 1986 until he retired earlier this year, said he's concerned the change will lead to reduced hours and diminished services. He worries that Thiel eventually will begin charging visitors an entry fee.
Sutton said he'd like to see an investigation into whether the arrangement is legal. Regardless of the legality, though, Sutton said he doesn't think it's appropriate for the state to lease a public park to a private individual who plans to operate it as a for-profit enterprise.
“It’s never happened before in 80 years of state park operations," he said.
Thiel's daughter, Jordan McSperitt, who serves as the park manager, said she understands why Sutton and others who live in the area and love the park might be concerned about changes there. But McSperitt said she and her siblings grew up in the park. They don't want to do anything that would make the park feel overly developed or commercial, she said. They also don't plan to reduce hours or charge an entry fee, she said.
"It’s going to be the same park that everybody loves," she said.
Parks director argued against Red Rock agreement
In the near future, McSperitt said the family plans to clear brush from overgrown areas of the park, improve bathroom facilities and build a camp store where campers can buy supplies. Eventually, they're considering hosting events such as movie nights, concerts and a farmers market.
Thiel said he and his family began looking into the idea of taking over the park after he heard reports last year that state officials were considering closing it. Last year, lawmakers asked state tourism officials to put together a list of closures they would need to make in response to a hypothetical 15 percent budget cut. Red Rock Canyon was one of 16 parks on that list.
Those cuts never happened, and tourism officials have never closed any of the parks on the list. Still, the hypothetical closures caught people's attention. Thiel said he worried about the impact the park's closure would have on the community.
Kris Marek, director of Oklahoma State Parks, declined to comment on the change. But in a May 30 memo, Marek urged Dick Dutton, executive director of the state tourism department, not to enter into the agreement, saying Red Rock Canyon is one of a group of core state parks with "unique natural resource significance" that highlight the diversity of ecosystems in the state.
State park staff are best equipped to preserve and care for the park appropriately, Marek wrote.
Dutton declined to comment on the memo. But in an emailed statement, Dutton said the arrangement was a good opportunity for the state, the park and the city of Hinton. Dutton noted that the state retains ownership of the park, and the lease agreement includes a review clause that allows the state to end the agreement and take over operations of the park if the state sees fit.
On a recent Friday morning, Michelle Smith, of Oklahoma City, sat in a camp chair at the base of one of the park's signature red bluffs, while her daughter and her boyfriend poked at a campfire nearby. Smith, 52, said she and her family have visited the park many times over the years. She likes the quiet, and the stars at night.
Although she's glad the park is still open, Smith said she worries about some of the changes the new managers are considering. She doesn't mind the idea of movie nights, as long as they're held at the top of the hill, near the park's entrance. She worries too many changes would spoil the park's natural feel.
But McSperitt, the park manager, said she hopes families who visit the park will leave feeling reassured about its future.
"We want it to thrive and continue to be the park that everybody loves," she said.