Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
Logo in use for 2013 centennial
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| Agency overview | |
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| Formed | 1913 |
| Headquarters | 1111 Israel Road S.W., Olympia, Washington |
| Annual budget | $148.6 million (2011–13 ) |
| Website | www |
The Washington State Park System is a set of state parks owned by the state government of Washington, USA. They are managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. As of 2012, the parks are primarily funded through usage fees. There are over 100 parks throughout the state, including 19 marine parks and 11 Historical Parks.
The park system was established in 1913 by the creation of the Washington State Board of Park Commissioners. The first two parks were formed from donated land in 1915, and by 1929 the state had seven parks. In 1947 the State Parks Committee was renamed to the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission and given authority to oversee the state park system. By 1960 the number of state parks had increased to 130.
Park Rangers are full-authority law enforcement officers while they are on State Park lands. Under state law Park Rangers are considered to be limited authority law enforcement officers since their law enforcement authority is only applicable on lands owned by State Parks. Park Rangers attend either the Parks Law Enforcement Academy (PLEA) held each winter at Skagit Valley Community College or the Basic Law Enforcement Academy (BLEA) at the Criminal Justice Training Center. Park Rangers are usually dispatched by the Washington State Patrol.
In 2003, the Washington State Legislature introduced a $5-a-day parking fee, meant to fund park-related construction projects; more than a quarter of the fees collected went into the fee-collection system itself. Park use decreased more than 15% under the fees. The fee was rescinded in early 2006, returning the state park system to its status of the only system in the West without day-use fees.
The sources of funding for Washington State Parks have shifted in recent years. The state's budget, which is enacted biennially (every two years), has faced multibillion-dollar deficits. Washington's 2007–09 budget provided most of the funding for the state parks from the general tax fund, however with each successive budget that share has decreased. It is anticipated that this trend will continue into the 2013–15 budget.
In an effort to make up for the lost funding, in 2011 the state legislature enacted a $10 day-use permit and a $30 annual pass, called the "Discover Pass", for vehicles to enter State Parks, lands owned or managed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and designated lands of the Washington Department of Natural Resources. Funds generated from the sale of the Discover Pass are deposited into the Recreation Access Pass Account. The new fees did not raise as much money as was hoped, though another effort to encourage donation when renewing certain state licenses (including driver's licenses) was more successful than officials expected.
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