The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission has increased the amount of money it is seeking from the state general fund to operate the parks. In September, the agency submitted a request for $18 million for the two-year budget cycle that begins in 2013, but has since raised that amount to $27 million. Officials said revenue from the Discover Pass, which imposes a fee for vehicles entering parks, has fallen far short of expectations. Parks are receiving $21 million from the general fund in the current budget cycle, but that’s down from $98 million in 2007-09 and has led to severe cutbacks in staffing. State officials had hoped that the Discover Pass would raise enough revenue to make general fund support unnecessary, starting next year.
Leave a Reply