COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A new Campground Welcome Center at Hocking Hills State Park in Hocking County was dedicated recently, reports the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The center is part of an $8.7 million commitment to the Hocking Hills region by the administration of Gov. Bob Taft."Hocking Hills State Park, along with nearby Conkle's Hollow State Nature Preserve and Hocking State Forest are among Ohio's premier outdoor recreation destinations," Taft said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. "More than two million visitors come to this region each year to camp, hike, fish, picnic, ride horseback or bike, and enjoy the spectacular scenery."The new 2,700 square-foot Campground Welcome Center was built at a cost of $1.9 million and encompasses a check-in station, a camp store and an office for park staff. Construction was financed through a state NatureWorks grant.An additional $400,000 in improvements continues at the Old Man's Cave visitor center, while another $437,000 is providing trail system upgrades at Conkle's Hollow State Nature Preserve.Last fall, workers reconfigured the park's campground entrance to accommodate larger recreational vehicles and allow more room for campers waiting to check in. They also upgraded primary electrical service in the 172-site campground and made additional trail improvements. A $4.1 million project to restore trails and bridges damaged by a 1998 flash flood was completed in 2002 at the park.Camping and tourism is a $153 million business in Hocking County, supporting more than 3,500 jobs and $45 million in payroll. Since 1999, the Taft Administration has undertaken several projects to enhance the region's growing tourism industry. In addition to the new campground welcome center, the administration has acquired an additional 559 acres at Hocking State Forest and a strategic 10 acres at the head of the Old Man's Cave Gorge in Hocking State Park."