Washington State Park System facts for kids
Logo in use for 2013 centennial
|
|
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1913 |
| Headquarters | 1111 Israel Road S.W., Olympia, Washington |
| Annual budget | $148.6 million (2011–13 biennium) |
The Washington State Park System is a group of amazing state parks in Washington, USA. These parks are looked after by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. As of 2012, the parks mostly get their money from fees people pay to use them. There are more than 100 parks across the state. This includes 19 parks by the water, called marine parks, and 11 parks that protect important historical places.
Contents
How Washington State Parks Started
The park system began in 1913. It started with a group called the Washington State Board of Park Commissioners. The first two parks were created in 1915 from land that was given as a gift. By 1929, Washington had seven state parks. In 1947, the group in charge changed its name to the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. This new group was given the job of looking after all the state parks. By 1960, the number of state parks had grown to 130!
Who Keeps Parks Safe? Park Rangers!
Park Rangers are special officers who help keep everyone safe in State Parks. They have the power to enforce laws while they are on State Park land. This means they can make sure rules are followed and help if there are problems.
Park Rangers go to special training academies. They learn how to do their job, like helping people and making sure park rules are followed. Sometimes, they can even get permission to help outside of park lands if a city Police Chief or County Sheriff asks them to. When you need help in a State Park, the Washington State Patrol usually sends a Park Ranger to you.
How State Parks Get Money
How Washington State Parks get their money has changed a lot over the years. The state's budget, which is planned every two years, has had money problems. In the past, most of the money for state parks came from general taxes. But this amount has gone down over time.
The Discover Pass: A New Way to Fund Parks
To help make up for less money, a new system was started in 2011. It's called the "Discover Pass." This pass lets vehicles enter State Parks. It also works for lands managed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and some lands from the Washington Department of Natural Resources.
You can buy a day-use permit for $10 or an annual pass for $30. The money from these passes goes into a special account to help the parks. At first, the new fees didn't bring in as much money as people hoped. But another idea, asking for donations when people renew their driver's licenses, worked better than expected!
Challenges with Park Funding
It can be tricky to fund all State Parks with just one pass system. For example, Lake Sammamish State Park is a large park. There are other big parks around Lake Sammamish that charge different fees or no fees at all. This can make it hard for Lake Sammamish State Park to attract visitors.
Some people think the Discover Pass is too expensive for just one day. Others think it's too cheap for a whole year. For example, California State Parks has many different fees. They don't charge the same amount for city parks like Lake Sammamish as they do for parks far out in nature.
Even with these challenges, more and more people are buying the Discover Pass. The program is expected to bring in nearly $20 million in 2015. This makes it one of the top five state recreational passes in the country for making money!
