Wisconsin’s cash-strapped state parks are considering selling naming rights or sponsorships at some facilities, raising concern that pristine natural landscapes may be dotted with corporate logos.

​Wisconsin’s is one of a number of state-park systems looking for new ways to pay for operations as lawmakers reduce funding. From Alabama to Alaska, park administrators have cut costs, raised fees or formed public-private partnerships, despite record numbers of visitors. In 2015, the most recent year for which data are available, parks were visited 759.5 million times, up from 739.6 million in 2014.

In Wisconsin, lawmakers in 2015 eliminated all state tax support for the Department of Natural Resources, which oversees state parks. That led to a $1.4 million deficit and forced the department to seek new ways to earn revenue.

In December, it submitted a number of proposals to state lawmakers, including raising campsite fees. It also proposed what it called a “limited path” for “sponsorships and advertising.” Some think that could mean selling naming rights for parks or park facilities. Critics say that is akin to what sports stadiums do to raise money.

“I hope we don’t go that way,” said Democratic Wisconsin State Sen. Jon Erpenbach. “The less we invest, the more corporations will step in and take over. And that’s not the Wisconsin tradition. [We would be] selling a piece of who we are.”