State Parks to Create “Mega Area”

DAYTON - The Wash­ington State Parks Com­mission is planning a major change to the way it manages its parks in our area. The commission intends to form a "Mega Area," in which one manager will oversee a group of eight park facilities in southeast Washington.

Gary Vierra will serve as Area Manager for the Blue Mountain Area. He will serve as manager for the fol­lowing park facilities:

Field Springs

Camp Wooten

Lewis and Clark Trail andCampground

Lyons Ferry (to be open by2015)

Palouse Falls

Columbia Plateau Trail( South, Ice harbor toLamont)

Old Milwaukee Trail

Sacajawea SP (Pasco)

Vierra said that the Parks Commission is pleased to be able to re-open Lyons Ferry Park, which is popular with Columbia County and Walla Walla Residents. It is unknown whether the camp­ing area will re-open. Vierra said that no new staff can be added, because of funding restrictions.

The management change is a result of a large budget shortfall in the parks system.

"Washington State Parks took a huge hit a few years ago when Legislation took State Parks completely off the General Fund," Vierra said in an email. "State Parks Commission was forced to make cuts operationally to include employees and op­erating budgets to run parks and programs."

The Discover Pass system was set up to help fund the parks system. Vierra said that the parks also operate on camping, boat launches and other passes.

Lewis and Clark State Park, between Dayton and Waitsburg, will serve as headquarters for the local re­gion. An office will likely be set up there where members of the public can purchase Discover Passes and get other park information.

Vierra is currently as­sistant manager for another region of state parks, in Spokane. He said that no park ranger in the Southeast region will be eliminated, including the ranger at Lewis and Clark Trail.