Parks Aren’t Free

One of the great things about Palouse Falls State Park is that it's easy to take a spectacular photo. Even a photographic neophyte can do it (see Page 7).

One of the not-so-great things about Palouse Falls State Park - along with Lewis and Clark Trail State Park and the rest of Washington's state parks - is that it's a bit spendy to get in now. Day use at a state park requires a Discover Pass, which costs $10 for a one-day visit or $30 for an annual pass.

In 2011 the Washington State legislature created the Dis- cover Pass as part of a major transition in the way our state parks are funded. No longer would the majority of funding for state parks come from the state's general fund. The parks were going to have to pay their own way.

According to a report from the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the state's general fund sup- port for state parks dropped from $94 million in the 2007- 2009 biennium to $17 million in the 2011-2013 biennium. Discover Pass revenues and other park service fees make up much of the difference. The state parks have taken some major employment hits. Overall park service employment dropped from 595 perma- nent full-time employees in 2008 to 395 in 2012. Sixty-six of the 189 full-time park ranger positions were reduced to seasonal positions.

Discover Pass sales have been disappointing, the report says - about 50% of the level originally projected. The legis- lature's original plan was for the state parks to become fully self-supporting. But the report says that goal is unlikely to be met in the near future.

One downside of high park fees is lower usage. Those of us who drive by Lewis and Clark Trail State Park - between Waitsburg and Dayton - on a regular basis know that the day-use area on the south side of Highway 12 doesn't get used much. It's a beautiful and beautifully-kept spot. And it's a shame.

We wish there were some way to make that beautiful spot more accessible to residents of the Touchet Valley. But may- be spending $30 a year to take a carload of folks to a nice picnic spot several times a year isn't such a bad deal. And on top of that, you could use it to go see Palouse Falls, and take a beautiful photo that would impress all your friends.