State Rep. Elizabeth Porter

State Rep. Elizabeth Porter said Wednesday she would fight the closing of area state parks due to budget cuts.

“I can tell you the Florida House of Representatives is committed to tightening the belt on government budgets just like hard working families across Florida are doing in their households during these difficult times,” said Porter in a news release. “However, these parks provide us with a tremendous tourism draw and are a significant economic boon to several counties in North Florida and I will work tirelessly to see that these area parks, including the Olustee Battlefield Historic Park, remain open.”

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection, ordered to trim 15 percent from its budget, has tentatively proposed closing 53 state parks, among them: Peacock Springs in Luraville; Troy Spring in Branford; Big Shoals and the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail/Nature Heritage Tourism Center, both in White Springs; and Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park, Olustee.

“Closing these parks will not significantly affect the state budget but closing high profile parks like the Olustee Battlefield Historic Park could very well affect on our economy here in North Florida,” Porter continued.

A widely-cited 2008 DEP study shows that for every 1,000 visitors to a state park, $43,000 in revenue is returned to the community.

The list of possible closures, prepared in response to Gov. Rick Scott’s order that all state agencies trim tentative 2011-12 budget requests by 15 percent, was released last Friday.