After absorbing a total of 21 percent budget cuts over the past three years, Commerce Secretary Keith Burdette said department agencies are at the point where any additional reductions will require layoffs and elimination of services.
"We're at the point they're going to get more and more visible in areas of public interest," Burdette told the Senate Finance Committee Tuesday.
He cited the recent announcement of closures of recreational facilities at four Wildlife Management Areas in southern West Virginia, prompted by a 4 percent mid-year budget cut ordered by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin in light of severe state budget shortfalls.
That included the closure of swimming pools at Berwind Lake in McDowell County and Laurel Lakes in Mingo County.
With any additional cuts, Burdette said, "There are more pools, more parks, more wildlife areas we will need to make decisions about."
The department oversees a wide-ranging number of divisions, including the Division of Natural Resources.
Burdette said the department is in the process of consolidating administrative services, including accounting and human resources, for all 11 divisions into a Central Administrative Services Unit to reduce costs.
Overall, he said the department has eliminated 36 full-time positions.
The state Office of Miners' Health Safety and Training has more than 20 vacancies left unfilled.
Eugene White, director of the office, said most of the vacancies are for mine inspectors. However, he said the reduced number of inspectors is adequate with the closure of 64 active mines recently.
"Safety in the mines is not being jeopardized with these vacancies," he said.
Also Tuesday, the committee advanced a series of supplemental appropriations bills sought by Tomblin to close what is now projected to be a $354 million budget shortfall for the current budget year, which ends June 30.
That includes a $51.8 million transfer from one of the state's two Rainy Day reserve funds, and transfer of nearly $20 million of unappropriated state Lottery funds from the past two years.
Tomblin's plan to close the budget gap also relies on $148 million in spending cuts, including $94 million from the 4 percent mid-year spending cut Tomblin ordered in October.
Reach Phil Kabler at philk@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1220, or follow @PhilKabler on Twitter.