Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the State Parks Pstif topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
State parks, energy and cleanup funds highlighted in budget hearing; petroleum fund reports fewer active claims
Summary
The budget hearing covered State Parks' operating needs and federal grant authority increases; the Division of Energy's studies and tax-credit adjustments; and the Petroleum Storage Tank Insurance Fund reported a reduced backlog of open remediation claims and explained fee policy tied to a possible statutory sunset.
Committee members heard from the Division of Energy and the Division of State Parks, as well as from the Petroleum Storage Tank Insurance Fund (PSTIF) and the Environmental Improvement & Energy Resources Authority (EIERA).
Laura Hendrickson, director of the Division of State Parks, reminded members Missouri operates 93 parks that draw nearly 20 million visitors a year and noted the division's request includes authority to manage larger federal grants (LWCF, ORLP) whose award thresholds have increased. She confirmed the most recent campground fee increase was implemented in 2025 and said the division is actively recruiting volunteer campground hosts while adding three park rangers through a requested NDI.
Emily Wilbur, director of the Division of Energy, outlined smaller one-time items moved to reappropriation (HB17) and a voluntary core reduction. The division also reported progress on a statewide energy plan and a completed vendor selection; the vendor is expected to deliver a plan by September.
Kelly Ogletree, executive director of the PSTIF, described the fund's operations (funded by a per-transport load fee, currently $32) and said the Fund now has about 460 open claims, down sharply from near 2,000 at the program's peak. She said the board has used actuarial analysis to set fees and raised the transport-load fee modestly in recent years to ensure the Fund can meet long-term obligations (the statutory fee sunsets in 2030 under current law). "We have about 460 open claims, which is down significantly over the last few years," Ogletree said, and noted a renewed focus on moving older cleanups to closure.
Joe Bridal of the EIERA described the authority's role issuing bonds to support infrastructure, managing brownfields revolving loans, and building an energy infrastructure bank concept to lower financing costs for resilience-boosting projects.
Committee members asked for historical grantee lists, deferred-maintenance details for parks, and more specific PSTIF actuarial reports; agency staff agreed to follow up with data and spend plans.
Ending note: the committee asked agencies to supply the requested documentation; no votes were taken during the presentations.
