NJ Parks to Stay Open?

According to the Asbury Park Press, the nine state parks slated for closure will probably stay open:

"It's pretty obvious," the governor said, when asked if cuts to municipal aid and the Agriculture Department, and the closing of nine state parks, were likely to be reversed in the horse trading over the budget with the Legislature between now and July 1.

All three of those cuts have met with howls of protest. The governor reiterated that any spending cuts restored by the Legislature must be replaced by reductions elsewhere.

This seems to be good news for NJ naturalists. What remains to be seen is how those cuts will be replaced. As I have written previously, there are programs where cuts would be worse, so we should not be completely relieved until we know what those are.

One New Jersey union suggests laying off political appointees first since park closings hurt low-income employees more than anyone else.