Washington State Parks....go now or forever hold your peace

Well, maybe not, but damn I'm mad.

In talking with my dad, he pointed me in the direction of the list of potential Washington State Parks that may be "mothballed" due to budgetary concerns. What does this mean? According to the report published by Washington State Parks Department, the term "mothballed" means:

"The gate would be closed, and utilities would be turned off. Restrooms would be locked. The agency would provide minimal stewardship oversight. Rangers would not cite citizens who enter on foot."

Basically, it means that the funding, maintenance and oversight for these parks would go by the wayside in an effort to reach the budgetary constraints placed by the Governor's Office. Specifically, these parks all into this category:

Jarrell Cove
Fields Spring
Federation Forest
Sacajawea
Rainbow Falls
Beacon Rock
Lewis and Clark
Fort Columbia
Alta Lake
Columbia Plateau
Wallace Falls
Lake Easton
Yakima Sportsman
Maryhill
llahee
Dash Point
Potlatch
Twin Harbors
Ginkgo/Wanapum
Flaming Geyser
Saltwater
Ocean City
Fort Ebey
Wenatchee Confluence
Lake Wenatchee
Fort Flagler
Mount Spokane
Millersylvania
Sun Lakes-Dry Falls
Larrabee
Fort Casey
Saint Edward

That is in addition to the closure of such parks as:

Osoyoos, Brooks Memorial, Schafer, Bogachiel, Tolmie, Fay Bainbridge, Fort Okanogan, Wenberg, Fort Ward, Joemma Beach, Kopachuck, Lake Sylvia and Old Fort Townsend.

Below is an email that I wrote to as many State parks address I could find. I also sent it to the Govenor's office as well as the major State newspapers. I encourage everyone to weigh in on the decision to pull the funding from these parks. Granted, I have not been to all parks listed on the State's list of active parks and I realize that all parks have a local significance. That said, not all parks have a State, National, or general historical significance. Identify those that don't, reallocate them, and allow those that do to thrive.

Mrs. Gregoire,

I have seen many reports indicating the changing economic climate and how it affects us locally, but the report your office has put out is one of the most irresponsible I have seen yet. The list of potential "mothballed" State Parks is a disgrace. What the Department has done is take some of our most precious recreational and educational assets and put them aside at the expense of the Bureaucracy. Some of the parks listed (i.e. Sun Lakes-Dry Falls, Lake Wenatchee, Wanapum-Ginkgo and others) have to be the most visited parks in the State. How can you come to the conclusion that these parks must be closed in order to meet you budgetary restrictions? Where are the transparent traffic numbers? I assert there must be other alternatives.

I grew up in Tri-Cities and the annual family vacation was Sun Lakes. These trips not only fulfilled our family's bonding time, but it allowed me a glimpse into the awe-inspiring history of our State's geological history and to bask in the educational significance. After graduating high school, my parents moved to Cashmere, which led to pilgramiges to Lake Wenatchee, both in the summer and winter. People flock to these destinations. In some respects, like in the case of Lake Wenatchee, the State Park is one of the only ways to access to such incredible sites.

I know the economic climate is such that changes must take place. I take a look at your listing of State Parks and see many that are not affected. To that I say your decisions do not pass muster. Many of the parks unaffected should be closed while more visited and historically significant should be spared. Olmstead Place is one such park. I graduated from Central Washington University in Ellensburg. During my time there, I made many trips from Ellensburg to Tri-Cities to visit friends. Many times I have passed by the Park only to wonder about the historical signifigance since I never saw anyone visiting. I have fished Battleground State Park enough to find that the park is primarily for day use only and mostly by those that live within a stone's throw. While I do believe these spaces have significance, I believe their underlying importance must be weighed. Is Olmstead Place more or less valuable than Sacajawea State Park? Is Kinney Point more important than Wanapum-Ginkgo even though it is only accessible by boat? To both questions, I answer in the negative.

My point is that I believe your choices for discontinued funding are flawed. I understand that you have a magical number you must reach, but cutting expenses is not the only option. I believe that the people of today that visit State Parks fall into two categories. First, you have the families that visit the parks as a right of passage. Secondly, you have families that are visiting the parks, perhaps for the first time, because they cannot afford the luxuries of a traditional (and spendy) destination vacation. In both cases, I believe an increase of $2-$5 per night will not decrease revenues for the State, but rather will allow the State more flexibility. This is in addition to a proposed fee that would govern those day-time users. The "green" movement is such that people are learning to evaluate and cherise the resources our land has to offer. People are "getting back to their roots" and reaffirming their love of nature and all that it has to offer. Use this momentum to keep these opportunities alive.

I summarily ask that you reconsider your decision to "mothball" the listed properties and consider other alternatives. Washingtonians are blessed with the opportunity to view landscapes from the sea to the mountains to the desert. Allow them the opportunity to continue. Use the "fine-toothed comb" to find your way to that magic budget number, but do so logically. Look at both the overnight and day-use numbers. Consider raising the fees for such use $2-$5. I think you will find that the impact on the average family is palatable and will spare our most precious resource, our land.

Sincereley,

Jeff Hadley
206-450-7533

P.S. Direct email address would be helpful. Webforms are not what your constituents want. I would have added Margarita Prentice, Zachary Hudgins, and Bob Hasegawa to the distribution list but webforms require redundancy. I know you hate redundancy. Thanks.