The Friends of Blue Springs State Park was established in 2009 as a citizen’s support group for Blue Springs State Park in Blue Springs, Alabama. The founders of the group formed it to protect, preserve, and support the Park. As one of Alabama’s smallest state parks, Blue Springs State Park has been greatly affected by the State Park System’s strained budget in the recent years of economic strife.
The Park’s natural cold springs is a place where citizens from across the state, especially those in the southeastern region in which it is located, have come to enjoy outdoor fun and recreation since before the turn of the 19th century. The Friends do not want to see this natural resource and unique place of recreation jeopardized due to economic difficulties. To that end, it has been and is the Friends’ desire to develop greater community support and additional resources for the Park through activities such as, organizing volunteer work days to help maintain the Park, holding special community events to promote the Park, and carrying out fundraising activities to generate funds to help improve the Park. Since its creation, the Friends have worked toward many of these goals. The group has coordinated with local organizations, such as the area Boy Scout Troops, and other citizen volunteers to help cleanup and maintain overgrown areas of the Park, especially in its campground area. The group has also held Special Events within the Park which have allowed citizens from the surrounding communities to enjoy the Park in ways they never have before and also encouraged them to increase their regular patronage. At these Special Events and on other occasions, the Friends have sold concessions in order to raise funds to go toward Park improvements. In 2014, the Friends obtained official 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, and was able to accept donated funds to complete the long held goal of putting a state-of-the-art playground in the main area of the park. The Friends have future goals that they are working toward such as, a permanent stage to hold concerts, an enclosed pavilion, and walking/biking trails. However, the continued budget cuts to the State Parks System has made it more difficult to reach these goals, as the Friends have stepped up to contribute funds to the Park system in order to supplement Park operational costs during the winter months, so the Park can remain open year-round. This will put a tight strain on our funds and hinder much of our efforts to help maintain and improve the Park. To this end we ask for the public’s increased support through donations, volunteering, attendance at a special events, and most importantly in visiting the park on a regular basis. By being a regular visitor, and supporting the Friends you can do your part in helping keep Blue Springs State Park open for future generations.
