In Oklahoma, the job of protecting the state’s beautiful rivers has long been the domain of the Scenic Rivers Commission. But on July 1st, reports StateImpact Oklahoma, the state will say goodbye to the agency. With a 1.3 billion budget hole, Oklahoma simply can’t afford to support the commission anymore.
On May 11 Gov. Mary Fallin signed a bill disbanding the small state agency.
The Scenic Rivers Commission has been dealing with a shrinking budget for several years. This year, the agency was only able to afford one full-time ranger to oversee the thousands of tourists that float the state’s rivers in the summertime. That ranger was also doubling as a maintenance person. In addition, staff were responsible for monitoring water quality, picking up trash, and regulating commercial float businesses. Not to mention rescue and recovery during flood events. These tasks will now be folded into the Grand River Dam Authority.