State Parks Requesting $5 Increase to Discover Pass Effective January 2021

[bigtex]

From the State Parks budget request which the 2020 State Legislature will vote on:

The Discover Pass vehicle access fee was passed into law during the 2011 legislative session. The fee was introduced to replace the loss of General Fund revenue in the agency’s budget. The intent was to help transition State Parks from a reliance on General Fund revenue to a greater reliance on use fees to pay for agency operations.  The Discover Pass price was set at $30 for an annual pass and $10 for a daily pass, with a 4-year review cycle for inflation adjustments.  To-date, no inflation adjustments have been implemented.

Targeting a January 1, 2021 implementation date will mean that it will be almost 10 years without a Discover Pass price increase. This puts the proposed price increase at $2.75 less than an inflationary price (National CPI) adjustment which is computed at $37.24 (Dec. 2020).  State Parks believes this price adjustment is warranted.  As the cost of doing business continues to rise, an increase in use fees combined with additional General Fund tax support is needed.  Donations are also part of State Parks funding mix, but since they are a voluntary contribution, they are not looked at the same way as use fees and tax support.

The Discover Pass allows people to access State Parks, Fish and Wildlife, and Department of Natural Resources lands by vehicle.  Therefore, the Pass revenue is split 84% for Parks and 8% each to Fish and Wildlife (DFW) and Department of Natural Resources (DNR).  For State Parks, the revenue is used to help pay for overall operational costs incurred in running the park system.  For DFW and DNR the revenue is used to pay for specific services and programs.  Both DFW and DNR are in support of the proposed fee increase.

[huntnphool]

 

[Jason]

Didn’t the revenue generated from the Discover pass go straight into the states general fund?

[bigtex]

Didn’t the revenue generated from the Discover pass go straight into the states general fund?

No. 84% to State Parks and 8% each to WDFW and DNR.

[dscubame]

Always on the lands and never bought one never will.  F that.

[fireweed]

All the while a study said the best course of action was to get rid of the DP completely.  Guess that idea died a quiet death.

They could also eliminate all the exemptions to the Discover Pass and make up the difference instead. 

[Karl Blanchard]

I'll never buy a discover pass as long as I live! What a joke

[ctwiggs1]

I buy em. I hate it but I do.  My wife likes to take the kids to Deep Lake and the safest parking for the little kids is inside the park.  Drives me nuts every time we buy one. 

We're collecting a record amount of tax revenue in this record high economy... yet we still can't find our parks without additional fees.

What a nightmare state.

[TheStovePipeKid]

I buy them too because I have young children. If you have or already raised young children you'll most likely understand. My wife and I would park on the street and walk in before we had kids. I'm not sure when but they bumped it from $30 to $35 already if I remember correctly. I've camped free before using my DP at Starvation Lake. They have perks they don't really advertise and they certainly aren't worth the cost.

[bornhunter]

The rangers in lewis county write you a $100 ticket real quick if you dont have one.

[300rum]

I went to Sacajawea State Park last Friday to Heritage days.  We home school and have made it a part of their education.  We always go Friday about 2 p.m. because the public school kids leave and the girls can more easily ask questions and have time to learn. 

Of course, I had to buy the day pass.  Do you think the government school buses did? 

[hughjorgan]

I normally buy one, don’t like it. This year decided not to buy one got a 100 dollar ticket

[Special T]

I am ok with user based fees. Services cost $ and it has to get paid for some how, and who better than those that use the service.

I resent the fact that parking or driving on DNR land requires this. The fee split just shows that this is a rob Peter to Pay Paul system.  I have camped at State parks and they were great...  no discover pass required.

[whacker1]

Didn’t the revenue generated from the Discover pass go straight into the states general fund?

No. 84% to State Parks and 8% each to WDFW and DNR.

 I could have sworn that I read that the budget swept the dedicated funds into the general fund.  Did the news piece that WTA put out not come to pass?
https://www.wta.org/get-involved/action/save_state_rec_lands

[Moe the Sleaze]

Whacker, I heard the same thing....that Discover Pass money was being diverted into the General Fund.

I can't cite where I heard (or read) it, but I definitely did, because it pissed me off.

The cynic in me says "of course it's being siphoned off".  This state is ALWAYS in dire need of General Fund revenue.  I'm pretty sure the state powers-that-be consider that all our General fund "emergencies" justify re-directing Discover Pass money.

My feeling is it's probably NOT LEGAL, but I don't have the deep pockets to challenge it.

Finally, you WILL get a ticket if you don't buy one.  Our rangers have become nothing more than money-grubbing, glorified meter-maids IMO.