Recreation & Parks Task Force Final Report to the Governor

[bearpaw]

Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Parks and Outdoor Recreation Makes Final Recommendations

September 23, 2014
Recreation and Conservation Office

OLYMPIA, WA – Gov. Jay Inslee’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Parks and Outdoor Recreation today announced its recommendations to increase participation in outdoor recreation and to grow Washington’s outdoor industry.

The task force recommended 12 actions to be taken in the near future to increase participation in outdoor recreation and the resulting social and economic benefits.

more here: http://www.governor.wa.gov/news/releases/article.aspx?id=345

full report here: http://www.rco.wa.gov/documents/ORTF/ORTF-Recommendations.pdf

[bearpaw]

More information about the task force can be found at the office’s Web site at www.rco.wa.gov/boards/TaskForce.shtml.

The full report is on the task force’s Web site at www.rco.wa.gov/documents/ORTF/ORTF-Recommendations.pdf

Statements from the Task Force

 We’re very excited about the recommendations from the task force.

 They represent a significant challenge ahead for all levels of government, and all of us, but they are worth doing if we want to make sure Washington remains the great state it is for families and businesses.

 The task force recommended 12 actions to be taken in the near future to increase participation in outdoor recreation and to grow Washington’s outdoor industry. Some of them are:

1. Establish a high-level, focused coordinating council to serve as the state’s cross-agency outdoor recreation leader.

2. Fund more programs that expose kids to the wonders of the outdoors. The task force recommended that the state fund the No Child Left Inside grant program and include outdoor recreation in classroom curriculum.

3. Eliminate policy and tax barriers that prevent access to outdoor recreation, such as changing the state tax policy to encourage owners of large boats to stay longer in Washington waters.

4. Establish an outdoor industry sector lead at the Department of Commerce, just like the state does for the aerospace industry and the maritime industry. The task force also recommended that the state designate and support outdoor recreation as a specific industry cluster within Washington’s economic development strategy. This will encourage policy-makers to work with businesses to evolve economic development strategies that more deliberately grow employment and outdoor businesses.

5. Recognize that outdoor recreation is an essential government service and needs to receive more funding. The task force recommended several potential sources of revenue to fund state parks, state recreation lands managed by other state agencies and the other recommendations in the report.

6. Retain current law that allows local agencies to use real estate excise taxes to maintain local parks.

 Outdoor recreation is important to Washington: It directly supports 227,000 jobs and generates more than $22 billion in annual spending on things like equipment, lodging and apparel.

 Task force held meetings around the state and collected about 3,000 comments. Everywhere we went, we found that people are passionate about our great outdoors and believe it’s a legacy worth protecting and improving.

 Now, we must begin to work with the Governor’s Office, legislature, and state agencies to take the next steps to begin implementation.

[bearpaw]

I want to personally thank all the sports folks who took time out of their busy schedules to provide input.  

[Special T]

I don't see the recommendation to drop the Discover pass! That is certainly a barrier! Apparently its not about getting kids in the woods, its about the Gov pulling in more $.

[fireweed]

Disappointed that only comments  from the very short time period included in record.  Nothing from the website most of us were involved in. 

[mfswallace]

 I spent on average 1.5 hrs on the blue ribbon task force site every day(let that sink in) that it was active and am very disappointed(P!O'd!!!) with the overall report and I read all 40 pages(plus speed reading the other 192 pages of appendices and meeting notes).  It shows the overwhelming Liberalism that was represented on the task force and not the will of the "people" who offered up ideas/comments that I read!!!!! 

I don't see the recommendation to drop the Discover pass! That is certainly a barrier! Apparently its not about getting kids in the woods, its about the Gov pulling in more $.

 
Read more in depth....it's there but not till page 21----also addressed on page 188 in committee meeting notes  still not as big of an issue as it was represented on the comment site!!

Very Little mention of The Major Financial Support ( HUNTING&FISHING ) has for most of the funding to keep things going in this state.
I have more to say but am so disgusted with these results that are off base from all I observed I can't say anything constructive at this time! Gall Darn I'm Pist!!!!!!!!! 

[snowpack]

I don't see the recommendation to drop the Discover pass! That is certainly a barrier! Apparently its not about getting kids in the woods, its about the Gov pulling in more $.

Instead they want the discover pass to increase annually to keep up with inflation.