Several towns and cities, including Yuma, Camp Verde and Payson, have begun negotiations with the agency to take over the operations of their parks and keep them open, said Ellen Bilbrey, chief public information officer for Arizona State Parks.

The city of Yuma was one of the first to begin negotiations when officials signed a lease with State Parks in October for the Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park. In exchange for paying the operating costs, State Parks gave the city control over the historic Army supply depot, which was used to store and distribute supplies to all the military posts in Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Texas in the mid- to late-1800s.

For the day-to-day operations, the city arranged a deal with the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area, a nonprofit organization, to oversee the entire complex. The Heritage Area and Yuma Visitors Bureau now work together to keep the park open seven days a week.

The city of Yuma contributes $160,000 a year to operate the park and employs one ranger from State Parks, who is stationed there six months out of the year.

After the success of their lease for the Quartermaster's Depot, the City of Yuma is now working with State Parks to lease the Territorial Prison State Historic Park, which is scheduled to close on March 29.

In northern Arizona, Camp Verde is working to lease Fort Verde State Historic Park from the state. Originally, the Indian Wars-era U.S. Army Post was scheduled to close on Feb. 22, in the State Parks Board's first wave of closures. After the closure was announced, however, Camp Verde Mayor Bob Burnside sent a letter asking that the town be allowed to pay $18,000 to keep the park open until March 29. The town was given the extension, and Town Manager Mike Scannell said he hopes they can use the extra time to work out an agreement.

The current annual budget for Fort Verde is $247,000, but town officials would like to use volunteers to cut the costs of running the park in half.

Nancy Floyd, the treasurer of the Camp Verde Historical Society, volunteered to step up and find a pool of volunteers willing to help run the park. "I'm very proud of our citizens," she said. "We've had 48 people who have stepped up."

Volunteers would work two four-hour shifts per month on a rotating schedule, "so that they don't get burnt out," Floyd said. "It's a long-term commitment."

Floyd said the Camp Verde Historical Society will be selling bumper stickers with the phrase "Don't privatize our parks!"

Payson, Ariz. is another town working to save its nearby state park, the Tonto Natural Bridge, but the citizens of Payson are really getting behind the effort. While Mayor Kenny Evans is working with the State Parks Board to negotiate a deal, the Payson Main Street Guild is raising money to keep the park operating.

The guild is leading a variety of fundraisers, including a prize giveaway. For five dollars, people can buy a ticket for a chance to win different Valentine-themed gifts.

The funds from this event and others will go toward the effort to operate the Tonto Natural Bridge.

Don Taylor, president of the Tombstone Chamber of Commerce, said the City of Tombstone is looking into a plan similar to Yuma's lease for the Quartermaster's Depot. If the state approves the agreement, the Chamber of Commerce would sign a service agreement with the city much like they did with Boot Hill.

"A lot of other communities are not able to do this," Taylor said. "Our record at Boot Hill has been tremendously successful. We are very, very fortunate to be in this position, and to be frank, I think the Courthouse will only get better in the years to come."

Judging by Yuma's success, Tombstone officials are hopeful that some sort of negotiation with the state can be found. "I don't have any doubt," said Mayor Dusty Escapule, "that on the 30th of March, the Tombstone Chamber of Commerce will be doing an excellent job of running the Courthouse."