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|1913}} |
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|dissolved = |
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|jurisdiction = |
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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 21 [[marine park]]s. |
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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. 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. Park Rangers attend either the Parks Law Enforcement Academy (PLEA) held each winter/spring at Skagit Valley Community College or the Basic Law Enforcement Academy (BLEA) at the Criminal Justice Training Center. Park Rangers are dispatched by the [[Washington State Patrol]]. |
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==Budget== |
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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 |accessdate=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 and other recreational lands owned or managed by the [[Washington Department of Natural Resources]] and the [[Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife]].<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]] | accessdate=2012-12-07}}</ref> 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) were more successful than officials expected. 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> |
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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 |accessdate=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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|month=June |
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|year=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://washingtonstateparksfoundation.org/ Washington State Parks Foundation] |
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<br clear=all/> |
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{{Protected Areas of Washington}} |
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[[Category:Washington (state) state parks| ]] |
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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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