As a result of state budget constraints, a popular state park in Charleston may close to the public.

Fox Ridge State Park was listed on as one of the several parks in Illinois which could be closed in order to conserve money for the budget, State Representative Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, said Monday.

Tim Schweizer, spokesman for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, said Friday the list was made to “identify possible cost savings.”

“We’re in the process of doing that and no decisions have been made,” he said.

The final decision on whether the park will close will accompany approval of the final budget, which can be expected “sometime before July 1,” Schweizer said.

If closed, the park will not allow the public to rent shelter or campsites inside the park and no person would be allowed to enter the park, said Glen Lyons, site superintendent Monday.

“It will be closed and the gates will be locked,” he said. “But that’s all subject to change. That’s beyond my control.”

Mayor Dan Cougill opposed the idea to close the park contesting that although the state may save money this year with the park closed, it would cost extra the year the park reopened.

“It costs more because you didn’t maintain it,” he said. “I think they’re being very short sighted in that.”

Instead, Cougill said that “if every department in the state of Illinois took a 5 percent cut, they could handle the budget.”

“To take something that you and I pay for and you and I enjoy and threaten to take it away, and then not deal with the issues they ought to deal with bugs me,” he said.

However, Righter stressed that the list is not “firm or solid,” and it was put together in order to “rattle the cages of some of the legislators.

“The government is trying to wake people up,” he said.

Cougill agreed saying although there is a threat that Fox Ridge Park will close that “I think they’re playing politics with that.”

In fact, Cougill said he felt the park was one place where students and Charleston residents were not labeled.

“It’s one of those places where you just become people,” he said. “You become preschoolers. It would be missed.”

Righter also said that in many cases similar to Fox Ridge, if the community would have voiced their opinions through “pure grass roots efforts,” they may have made an impact.

“It’s not because of any evil in Springfield,” he said. “They probably didn’t speak out and let their opinions be heard.

“If they’ve had an experience (at Fox Ridge Park) that’s positive they need to contact me.”

Although Righter would not commit to whether or not the park would close he said, “we’re not sure how serious the government is.”