NC Parks and Recreation start off busy summer season understaffed, underfunded

Park officials say there has been a record-number of visitors attending state parks. Most of the parks are seeing a 50% increase in visitation compared to 2019, officials said.

In 2020, more than 400,000 more visitors came to state parks versus the previous year.

Officials are concerned that parks will be overcrowded and they won't be able to provide people with the experience they are looking for.

Jay Greenwood, south district park superintendent of the state Division of Parks and Recreation, said they are already understaffed.

Officials said the more people that come to visit the parks, the more money it will take to maintain the facilities and staff the parks.

"We really are going to have a difficult time keeping up funding to maintain the facilities," said Greenwood.

He added that the department is working on budget requests, but did not share anything specific.