Running out the Clock in Olympia

Pausing to take in breathtaking views atop the summit of Mount Si, which is managed by DNR. By Deborah Richardson.

I'm trying to figure out how to summarize this legislative session, two weeks out from sine die--Latin for see you next year. I could type until I'm blue in the fingers and barely scratch the surface, so I'm going to just give you a quick rundown of the salient points while I have a few moments in front of my computer. 

The bottom line is that we need you to make some quick phone calls in support of HB 2480 and restoring the DNR Recreation cut. Scroll to the bottom of this post if you just want to take action and aren't in the mood for a tour of the sausage factory.

The House and Senate released their operating budgets this week. The House budget  cuts the $278,000 from DNR's Recreation Program and allocates $56,000 to implement HB 2480, which authorizes user fees on DNR lands. 

The Senate budget, as it pertains to public lands, could not be more different. Senate Committee members passed SB 6813, which would merge DNR, State Parks, and Fish and Wildlife into one agency under the heading of DNR. There would still be lands named under those separate categories and most line staff would be retained. The Senate assumes that the bill would save roughly $100 million by streamlining front office staff and consolidating field operations in combined facilities. For instance, they could create one combined maintenance shop to serve a DNR and State Parks property that share a boundary, rather than having two separate facilities. The Senate uses those savings to recover funds cut from both State Parks and DNR. (UPDATE March 1, 2010: SB 6813 has been removed from the Senate budget but the funds for DNR have remained intact.)

It's an interesting idea conceptually, and no one would argue that some streamlining couldn't occur at the agency level. Our concern is that this be done right. DNR, State Parks, and Fish and Wildlife have very different missions that must be respected. Any merger proposal to come out of the transition process has to honor that. Also, the process cannot be rushed. Given the plethora of moving parts involved, these agencies need ample time to set up a merger that starts and finishes smoothly and works when it hits the road.

We can't hang all of our hopes on what could turn out to be a Hail Mary pass.  That's why we need you to take a moment and call your elected officials.  Tell them that you expect them to support HB 2480 as it moves through the Senate and that you want them to fight to restore the $278,000 cut from DNR's Recreation Program. Call the legislative hotline at 1.800.562.6000. You can find your Senator and Representatives here.