Logoly State Park officials are encouraging the community to take a break from their Black Friday hassles and visit the park for Green Friday.
Park Superintendent Corbin Merriott said Green Friday is a department-wide effort to get residents to focus less on Black Friday and get back to more traditional things, such as spending time with the family and loved ones.
“Skip the hustle and bustle that causes a whole bunch of stress around the holidays, trying to shop for Christmas presents, and take a day for yourself and your family to come out here and enjoy our state parks,” said Merriott.
Marriott was hired shortly after former Park Superintendent Jim Gann’s September 30 retirement from Logoly State Park after 43 years of service.
After Green Friday, outdoor enthusiasts can look forward to the First Day Hike, an initiative that Merriott said Arkansas state parks and national parks across the country take part in on January first to kick off the new year. These first-day hikes across the country are geared to individuals looking to participate in healthy activities as part of their new year’s resolutions.
Originally from Hot Springs, with a Bachelor’s in Parks and Recreation Management from Henderson State University, Merriott is in his ninth year of working in Arkansas State Parks. He previously served as the Assistant Park Superintendent at White Oak State Park, working primarily with maintenance and park interpretation. His service to Arkansas State Parks and in the field of wildlife management includes serving as the Assistant Superintendent of Moro Bay State Park and in the Texas state parks system at Caddo Lake State Park for a year and a half.
“Arkansas State Parks are better funded; it’s actually one of the best-funded systems in the country,” said Merriott, adding that his comment was not meant to diminish the Texas State Parks system. Merriott said that he came back to the state because it’s his home and that he found Arkansas to have a better parks system than other states, especially due to the one-eighth cent conservation tax that helps build onto and maintain parks.
Merriott explained that the one-eighth cent conservation tax funds several functions in Arkansas state parks, but its main function is to fund large renovations and construction of new facilities. This includes the visitor center at Logoly that was built in 2016, which received funding from both the conservation tax and a Natural and Cultural Resources Council grant. For day to day operations, Logoly relies on a general fund which collects revenue from services within the park.
“One of our biggest revenue-producing items are school groups. We see thousands of kids each school year and they buy souvenirs from us at our gift shop. Another source of revenue comes from our conference rooms,” said Merriott, estimating that the largest conference room could hold around 75 to 80 people once the COVID-19 pandemic ends and the mask mandate in Arkansas is lifted.
Merriott said that Logoly has a staff that thrives on having people at the park and that once a vaccine is distributed and the mask mandate is lifted, the park can get back to some sense of normalcy.
“I’m excited to be here and work with the staff here,” said Merriott. “We invite anybody in the local area, around the state and the entire country to come to Logoly State Park. Everybody is welcome at Arkansas state parks. You have a place here. We want you to feel safe here, we want you to feel invited and we want you to feel like part of the family.”