State Parks Saved!

Washington State Parks, and the hikers and families who enjoy them, won a hard-fought victory this week. The state legislature adjourned on Monday, sending a budget to Governor Christine Gregoire that keeps Washington State Parks open.

"The gates of Washington State Parks will remain open this summer," said Jonathan Guzzo, Advocacy Director for Washington Trails Association. "When hikers heard about the budget cuts and closures, they spoke up for the places they recreate in. We're pleased that the legislature listened to their constituents and realized that these Parks are an important part of our communities, particularly during an economic downturn."

"From hiking to picnicking to camping, Washington's State Parks are where many kids and families get their introduction to the outdoors. People need places to go with their families, and communities close to these parks need the funds that are generated by people visiting these Parks and enjoying the outdoors," he added.

The halt to the threatened closures of Parks assumes some new revenues included in the budget materialize. Among those revenues is a $5.00 fee attached to motor vehicle tab renewals, with the possibility of opting out at renewal. The legislature has projected that tab fee revenue will provide roughly $23 million to State Parks annually. The legislature also transferred $19 million from the Non-Highway and Off-Road Vehicle Activities (NOVA) and Boating Facilities Programs to keep Parks from closing.

This is a dramatic turnaround from the earlier assumption that up to 40 State Parks would be mothballed in response to the Governor’s proposed cut of $23 million from State Parks’ budget.

Washington Trails Association (WTA) closely tracked the State Parks budget news as it developed, and worked hard to make sure that the legislature supported a solution to keep Parks open. WTA supported the passage of HB 2339 and worked to ensure that any transfer of NOVA money be spent keeping Parks open rather than being shunted to non-recreation programs.

The 2009-11 budget has been sent to the Governor and we anticipate that she’ll sign it without vetoing critical sections.

Of course, we didn’t get to this great victory alone.  We worked hand-in-hand with a number of other organizations to make this happen.  And key legislators stepped up to help.  Senators Karen Fraser, Rodney Tom, Margarita Prentice and Eric Oemig all showed strong leadership on the Senate Ways and Means Committee.  Representatives Kelly Linville and Hans Dunshee, Chairs of the House Ways and Means and Capital Budget Committees respectively, stepped up to keep Parks from closing.

Most importantly, every WTA member who called or visited their legislator, every hiker who took the time to write a quick letter or hotline call, and everyone who attended WTA’s Annual Hiker Lobby Day was instrumental in making this victory a reality. 

During a session in which legislators faced a $9 billion budget deficit, your support made it possible for us to keep State Parks open this year. Thank you.