Washington State Park System: Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox government agency |
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|agency_name = Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission |
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|logo = Centenniallogo.jpg |
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|logo_width = 128 px |
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|logo_caption = Logo in use for 2013 centennial |
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|formed = {{Start date and age|1913}} |
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|dissolved = |
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|headquarters = 1111 Israel Road S.W.,<br/>[[Olympia, Washington]]<ref name="agency"/> |
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|budget = $148.6 million (2011–13 [[wiktionary:biennium|biennium]])<ref name="agency"/> |
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|website = {{URL|www.parks.wa.gov}} |
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The '''Washington State Park System''' is a set of [[state park]]s owned by the state government of [[Washington (state)|Washington]], [[United States|USA]]. They are managed by the '''Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission'''. As of 2012, the parks are primarily funded through usage fees. There are over 100 parks throughout the state, including 19 [[marine park]]s and 11 Historical Parks. |
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==History== |
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{{unreferenced section|date=April 2011}} |
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The park system was established in 1913 by the creation of the Washington State Board of Park Commissioners.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://parks.state.wa.us/175/History |access-date=2020-09-05 |title=Washington State Parks History}}</ref> The first two parks were formed from donated land in 1915, and by 1929 the state had seven parks. In 1947 the State Parks Committee was renamed to the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission and given authority to oversee the state park system. By 1960 the number of state parks had increased to 130. |
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==Law enforcement== |
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{{unreferenced section|date=April 2011}} |
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Park Rangers are full-authority law enforcement officers while they are on State Park lands. Under state law Park Rangers are considered to be limited authority law enforcement officers since their law enforcement authority is only applicable on lands owned or managed by State Parks. However, Park Rangers can obtain additional law enforcement authority for use outside park lands from a city Police Chief or County Sheriff. Park Rangers attend either the [[Parks Law Enforcement Academy]] (PLEA) held each winter at [[Skagit Valley College]] or the Basic Law Enforcement Academy (BLEA) at the Criminal Justice Training Center. Park Rangers are usually dispatched by the [[Washington State Patrol]]. |
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==Budget== |
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In 2003, the [[Washington State Legislature]] introduced a $5-a-day parking fee, meant to fund park-related construction projects; more than a quarter of the fees collected went into the fee-collection system itself.<ref>{{cite news |title=Parks are fee-free again, as they should be |last=Judd |first=Ron |newspaper=[[The Seattle Times]] |date=March 30, 2006 |url= http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20060330&slug=nwwtrailmix30 |access-date=2009-12-24 }}</ref> Park use decreased more than 15% under the fees. The fee was rescinded in early 2006, returning the state park system to its status of the only system in the West without [[user fee|day-use fees]].<ref>{{cite news |title=$5 fee at parks is gone |last=Ammons |first=David |newspaper=[[The Seattle Times]] |date=March 21, 2006 |url= http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20060321&slug=stateparks21m |access-date=2009-12-24 }}</ref> |
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The sources of funding for Washington State Parks have shifted in recent years. The state's budget, which is enacted biennially (every two years),<ref name="budget process" /> has faced multibillion-dollar deficits. Washington's 2007–09 budget provided most of the funding for the state parks from the general tax fund, however with each successive budget that share has decreased. It is anticipated that this trend will continue into the 2013–15 budget.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.parks.wa.gov/agency/finance/ |title=Financial overview |publisher=Washington State Parks |access-date=2012-12-07}}</ref> |
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In an effort to make up for the lost funding, in 2011 the state legislature enacted a $10 [[user fee|day-use permit]] and a $30 annual pass, called the "Discover Pass", for vehicles to enter State Parks, lands owned or managed by the [[Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife]], and designated lands of the [[Washington Department of Natural Resources]].<ref>{{cite news| url= http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2014842210_stateparks22m.html | title= Bill for parks fee goes to Gregoire | date= April 21, 2011 |first=Queenie |last=Wong | newspaper= [[The Seattle Times]] | access-date=2012-12-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5622&year=2011 |title=SB 5622 - 2011-12 |publisher=Washington State Legislature |access-date=2012-12-07}}</ref> Funds generated from the sale of the Discover Pass are deposited into the Recreation Access Pass Account. The new fees did not raise as much money as was hoped, though another effort to encourage donation when renewing certain state licenses (including [[driver's license]]s) was more successful than officials expected. |
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The difficulty of funding State Parks with a one-size-fits-all pass system is highlighted by the situation at [[Lake Sammamish State Park]]. There are four other large parks on [[Lake Sammamish]]. [[Marymoor Park]], operated by [[King County, Washington|King County]] at the north end of the lake, charges $1.00 for parking. Marymoor is large - like Lake Sammamish, but routinely fills its lots and activities. In Idylwood Park, a Redmond City Park on the northwest shore of the lake with a swimming beach, parking is free. At Vasa Park, a private park in [[Bellevue, Washington|Bellevue]] at the southwest corner of the lake that also has a swimming beach, parking is $5.00, but the facilities are attractive and well-maintained. At Timberlake Park, an Issaquah City Park which is roughly one mile from Lake Sammamish Park and also has a swimming beach, parking is free. The combination of relatively high parking fees, relatively poor maintenance and service levels in the Park, and the fact that most revenues collected in the park go to Olympia and are not spent in the park itself, is a difficult obstacle to overcome.{{citation needed|date=April 2018}} |
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In the 2012 legislative session the state legislature adopted new laws to the "Discover Pass" program. These changes included allowing the pass to be used between two vehicles, creating the option for the three agencies to offer a family pass (it has not up to now been offered), and requiring the funds generated from tickets issued for failing to have a pass to be deposited into the Recreation Access Pass Account. Previously these funds went to the local county government and the state general fund. The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission has focused on reducing park staff to keep a balanced budget, worrying that closing parks would have a counterproductive impact on Discover Pass sales.<ref name="2012 cuts">{{cite news |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2012/09/budget_slashing_scorches_washi.html |title=Budget cuts scorch Washington state parks |first=Kari |last=Bray |date=September 2, 2012 |publisher=OregonLive |newspaper=The Oregonian}}</ref> One criticism of the Discover Pass program is that it is too expensive for a one-day parking pass and too cheap for an annual or seasonal pass. [[California State Parks]], for example, has a much wider range of fees, and does not try to charge the same amounts for urban parks like Lake Sammamish or [[Bridle Trails State Park]] as it does for rural campgrounds.<ref>http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=737</ref> On the other hand, in the three years of existence of the pass, participation in the program has steadily grown. The Discover Pass program is projected to generate nearly $20 million in 2015, making it the 5th highest income generating state recreational pass in the country.{{citation needed|date=April 2018}} |
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==See also== |
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==References== |
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{{reflist |colwidth=30em |refs= |
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<ref name="agency">{{cite web |url=http://www.parks.wa.gov/agency |title=Commission and agency information |publisher=Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission |access-date=2012-12-07}}</ref> |
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<ref name="budget process">{{cite web |
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|url=http://www.ofm.wa.gov/reports/budgetprocess.pdf |
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|title=Washington State Budget Process |
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|publisher=State of Washington Office of Financial Management, Budget Division |
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|date=June 2012 |
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}}</ref> |
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}} |
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==External links== |
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*[http://www.parks.wa.gov/ Washington State Parks] |
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*[http://wspf.org/ Washington State Parks Foundation] |
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*[http://www.experiencewa.com/ Experience Washington - Official Visitor Site of State Parks] |
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{{clear}} |
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{{Protected areas of Washington (state)}} |
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{{authority control}} |
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[[Category:State parks of Washington (state)| ]] |
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[[Category:State law enforcement agencies of Washington (state)]] |
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Latest revision as of 05:25, 10 April 2021
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