While one agency is reporting the closure of Red Rock State Park this summer will result in a loss of more than $10 million spent in Sedona, the city thinks impacts will be minimal.

Ellen Bilbrey, public information officer with Arizona State Parks, said 69,000 visitors came to the park last year, but added how many were residents is unknown.

The operating cost of this state park is estimated at $358,000. Bilbrey said another $190,000 would need to be raised to keep the park open.

Bilbrey said rural towns and counties could help fund the parks in their areas to keep them open.

Sedona Assistant City Manager Alison Zelms said the city is trying to find out what it would cost to keep Red Rock State Park open, but pointed out it is only for informational purposes.

Bilbrey said the state park system allows locations receiving a lot of revenue to fund other places.

The public information officer said the $7 charge per vehicle to visit the park is only a fraction of what it brings to the local economy.

“The parks are designed to bring people to the rural areas,” Bilbrey said and added Red Rock State Park has a $17 million impact on the city of Sedona. She also said Slide Rock State Park brings in close to $30 million, which is one of the reasons this park is staying open.

She said visitors to the state parks often stay at hotels and eat at local restaurants. They shop in the city.

One of the impacts, she said, is the loss of leisure jobs, such as when there are fewer

people eating out or staying at motels.

“Even if you camp, you are buying groceries,” she said.

Jodie Filardo, economic planner for the city, went to the visitors center in Sedona to get information to determine the impacts of the park closing and the information she received is different from what the state parks are reporting.

She said if every single visitor to Red Rock State Park stayed multiple days in Sedona hotels, the impact to the local economy would be between $8 million and $9.8 million, which would only result in sales tax revenue of $300,000.

She also wondered if the 69,000 visitors figure to the park is correct because only a little more than 15,000 passes were sold by the visitor’s center.

“The impact on Sedona will not be very dramatic,” she said, adding there are other nearby parks visitors can go to.

Employees at Arizona State Parks are also working on plans to secure closed parks.

Jay Ream, assistant director for the parks division, said the idea is to secure capital and non-capital equipment and possibly move them to other locations.

He also said volunteers living at the sites is being discussed. Volunteers could report trespassers to law enforcement rather than confront them.

Ream said even though parks will be closing, they still need maintenance and wondered if Arizona Department of Correction crews could do some of the work.

One Sedona group is trying to garner support to show lawmakers how important the park is to its residents.

The Benefactors of Red Rock State Park is sponsoring a free bus from Sedona on Monday, Feb. 1, to rally on the lawn of the state capitol in Phoenix.

For more information, call 282-0777.