$30 Access Permit for State Lands (WDFW, DNR, & Parks)

[Special T]

From another Seattle times article in 2001

Daily park attendance in Washington ranks fourth in the nation. About 46 million people visited the state's 125 parks last year.

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20010323&slug=parkfees23m

[Special T]

So if this $30 pass come to be then does that mean the Snow Park Pass will go away? Will it all be one acess pass?

[Wazukie]

So if this $30 pass come to be then does that mean the Snow Park Pass will go away? Will it all be one acess pass?

Some maybe, but I know all the snow parks out of trout lake are on NFS land so they would still require a separate pass.

[bigtex]

So if this $30 pass come to be then does that mean the Snow Park Pass will go away? Will it all be one acess pass?

The Sno-Park pass will stay in effect....

[Elkaholic daWg]

 Since hunters are loosing theirs, I wonder if we still get our complementary ones when we license our sleds?

[bigtex]

Since hunters are loosing theirs, I wonder if we still get our complementary ones when we license our sleds?

As of now there is no legislation that will change the current snowmobile/sno-park permits/licensing.

[Elkaholic daWg]

  I'm Not Sure,but I think I see changes in the substitute bill  regarding for one...

 It only takes 24, instead of 40 Hrs. volunteer work for a complementary pass, and I now cant see where the DFW Access pass language used to be blacked out and there is talk of this pass again.  which makes me think they are discounting those for hunters and fishermen. Anyone have anything concrete to add??

 Seems they just might have listened and Discounted ours,and looks like one per vehicle still (At $5 a pop?for extra permit))


 http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2011-12/Pdf/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5622-S.pdf

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dates; and declaring an emergency.
7 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
8 NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature finds that there is an
9 increasing demand for outdoor recreation opportunities and conservation
10 measures on lands managed by the department of fish and wildlife, the
11 department of natural resources, and the parks and recreation
12 commission. Development and maintenance of outdoor recreation
13 facilities and conservation of lands have not kept pace with this
14 demand. This demand, combined with shrinking resources for management,
15 has led to the degradation of our lands to the detriment of the
16 recreating public and efforts to conserve our natural resources.
17 (2) The legislature further finds that the recreating public cannot
18 readily discern which agency of the state is responsible for the
p. 1 SSB 5622
1 management of particular state lands or which policies apply to those
2 lands.
3 (3) It is the intent of this act to reform and improve access to
4 and management of state lands on a sustainable basis for the recreating
5 public by: Providing a vehicle access permit and access policies for
6 state lands; recovering the cost incurred by the state for operations
7 and management of recreation opportunities; providing resources to
8 address the growing demand and impacts of outdoor recreationists and
9 conservation of our natural resources; and providing effective
10 education and enforcement of state land access policies.
11 NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The definitions in this section apply
12 throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
13 (1) "Agency" or "agencies" means the department of fish and
14 wildlife, the department of natural resources, and the parks and
15 recreation commission.
16 (2) "Camper registration" means proof of payment of a camping fee
17 on recreational lands managed by the parks and recreation commission.
18 (3) "Discover pass" means the annual pass created in section 3 of
19 this act.
20 (4) "Recreation site or lands" means a state park or any area
21 managed by an agency for outdoor recreation or fish and wildlife
22 conservation including water access areas, boat ramps, wildlife areas,
23 parking areas, roads, trailheads, and trails under ownership,
24 management, lease, or control of the agency, or "public lands" as
25 defined in RCW 79.02.010.
26 (5) "Vehicle" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 46.04.670
27 excluding those vehicles not required to be registered under RCW
28 46.16A.080.
29 NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) The discover pass is created as a
30 renewable annual pass that is required to access, park a vehicle on, or
31 drive a vehicle on any recreation site or lands.
32 (2) Cost of the discover pass is thirty dollars per vehicle. The
33 cost of the discover pass must be adjusted once every two years for
34 inflation by the office of financial management.
35 (3) The discover pass is valid for one year from the date of
36 issuance.
SSB 5622 p. 2
1 (4) The discover pass must be made available for purchase
2 throughout the year through the department of fish and wildlife's
3 automated licensing system consistent with RCW 77.32.050.
4 (5) The discover pass must be made available for purchase through
5 the department of licensing as provided in RCW 46.16A.090.
6 (6) The state parks and recreation commission may make the discover
7 pass available for purchase through its reservation system and other
8 outlets authorized by law to sell licenses, permits, or passes.
9 (7) The discover pass must contain space for the vehicle license
10 plate number.
11 ( A complimentary discover pass must be provided to a volunteer
12 who performed twenty-four hours of service on agency-sanctioned
13 volunteer projects in a year. The agency must provide vouchers to
14 volunteers identifying the number of volunteer hours they have provided
15 for each project. The vouchers may be brought to an agency to be
16 redeemed for a discover pass.
17 NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A person may purchase a day-use permit to
18 meet the requirements of section 7 of this act. The day-use permit is
19 ten dollars per day and must be available for purchase from each
20 agency. The day-use permit is valid for one calendar day. The cost of
21 the day-use permit must be adjusted once every two years for inflation
22 by the office of financial management.
23 NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. (1) The vehicle access pass is created
24 solely for access to the department of fish and wildlife recreation
25 sites or lands. The vehicle access pass is only available to a person
26 who purchases a current valid: Big game hunting license issued under
27 RCW 77.32.450; small game hunting license issued under RCW 77.32.460;
28 western Washington pheasant permit issued under RCW 77.32.575; trapping
29 license issued under RCW 77.65.450; watchable wildlife decal issued
30 under RCW 77.32.560; or combination, saltwater, or freshwater personal
31 use fishing license issued under RCW 77.32.470.
32 (2) The cost of the vehicle access pass is seven dollars per
33 vehicle. The cost of the vehicle access pass must be adjusted once
34 every two years for inflation by the office of financial management.
35 (3) Only one vehicle access pass may be issued per purchase of
p. 3 SSB 5622
1 hunting or fishing license pursuant to subsection (1) of this section.
2 An additional vehicle access pass may be purchased for five dollars.
3 (4) The vehicle access pass is valid for the license year of the
4 license it is purchased with.
5 NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. (1) The discover pass or the day-use permit
6 are not required for persons who have a valid camper registration
7 issued by the state parks and recreation commission.
8 (2) The state parks and recreation commission may provide up to
9 twelve days a year where entry to the state parks is free. At least
10 three of those days must be on weekends.
11 NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. (1) The discover pass, the vehicle access
12 pass, or the day-use permit must be visibly displayed in the front
13 windshield of any vehicle:
14 (a) Driving in a recreation site or lands; or
15 (b) Parked at a recreation site or lands.
16 (2) The discover pass, the vehicle access pass, or the day-use
17 permit is not required on private lands, state-owned aquatic lands
18 other than water access areas, or at agency offices, hatcheries, or
19 other facilities where public business is conducted.
20 (3)(a) The discover pass, the vehicle access pass, or the day-use
21 permit is not required for persons who use, possess, or enter lands
22 owned or managed by the agencies for purposes consistent with a written
23 authorization from the agency, including but not limited to leases,
24 contracts, and easements.
25 (b) The discover pass or the day-use permit is not required on
26 department of fish and wildlife lands for persons possessing a current
27 vehicle access pass pursuant to section 5 of this act.
28 (4)(a) Failure to comply with subsection (1)(a) of this section is
29 a natural resource infraction under chapter 7.84 RCW. An agency is
30 authorized to issue a notice of infraction to any person who fails to
31 comply with subsection (1)(a) of this section.
32 (b) Failure to comply with subsection (1)(b) of this section is a
33 parking infraction and citations issued under this subsection are
34 governed by chapter 7.84 RCW. An agency is authorized to issue a
35 notice of infraction to any motor vehicle that fails to comply with
36 subsection (1)(b) of this section.
SSB 5622 p. 4
1 (5) The penalty for failure to comply with the requirements of this
2 section is ninety-nine dollars. This penalty is reduced to fifty-nine
3 dollars if an individual provides proof of purchase of the discover
4 pass to the court within fifteen days after the issuance of the notice
5 of violation.

[Special T]

Sound kinda complicated to me... and it would seem our WDFW access pass is only good for  WDFW access areas. I'm curious if this is actually gona raise any $$$

[Skyvalhunter]

Probably for the general state fund

[sakoshooter]

I just sent an email to Mr Phil Anderson(WDFW Director) and to Governor Gregoire concerning this newly porposed $30.00 access fee that we will all have to pay on top of our fishing/hunting license fees. Money from our fishing/hunting license fees already suports these programs. Why should we get double dipped when everyone else will only have to pay $30.
Yes, the general public will have to pay $30 to use WDFW, State or DNR lands. Hunters/fishermen will have to pay $30 plus buy the appropriette license. Double Dipping into fishermen and hunters wallets is the way I see it.
I urge each and everyone of you to contact Mr Phil Anderson, philip.anderson@dfw.wa.gov
and Governor Gregoire http://www.governor.wa.gov/contact/default.asp

[Mauser]

I guess I am not surprised. Here is my prediction if this passes. Within two years you will see all of the major timber companies also having a tresspass fee to access their lands. I'll bet someone on evil-bay will even market a special wallet to fit all of the required permits. I have lost faith in contacting the powers to be on this type of issue. They have made up their collective minds exactly what they want to do and they will keep coming back until they get what they want. It is hard to stop the "pass another tax" people. They become convinced that they know what is best of the rest of us.

[sakoshooter]

Phil Andersn's reply to my email concerning hunters/fishermen paying for the $30 access pass.

Hello Mark:

I will try to answer most of your questions to the extent that I have the information. Before I do let me share some information with you regarding the funding and expenditures associated with land maintenance and our boat launches. We spend $14.4 million per year on this activity. Of this amount about 27% comes from hunting and fishing license fees. We receive a little over $6.5 million from federal sources and a modest amount from the state general fund.   Responses to several of your specific questions:

1)      The current draft of the bill has a $30 annual vehicle fee to access all DNR, Parks, and DFW lands and access sites including boat launches. If you have hold certain hunting or fishing licenses you would be able to purchase  a $7.00 vehicle pass that would allow you access to all DFW lands and boat launches. However, if you wanted a vehicle pass for all DFW, Parks, and DNR lands the cost would be $30 even if you held one of the certain hunting or fishing licenses. Note: certain fishing and hunting licenses means some low value license types like a $7.00 razor clam license would not qualify you to use the $7.00 option.

2)      Enforcement of the vehicle pass would largely fall on the shoulders of our current enforcement staff, and you are right that we are short handed.

You had one sentence that asked a number of questions and asked for several assurances. What I can tell you is that we are fighting hard not to have our fishers and hunters pay a disproportionate amount of the cost. We are advocating a recognition through the fee schedule that purchasers of hunting and fishing licenses already contribute to access maintenance. I will assure you that I will fight to see that license revenue is spent on activities that promote and support hunting and fishing. There are legislators that have the same concern and are watching carefully that our (your) license fee revenue is used for the benefit of those that pay those fees.

WDFW’s state general fund revenue has been cut by $39 million in the last 19 months. The Governor’s budget cuts another $15 million plus we have a $9 million deficit in our wildlife account due primarily to the sunset of the %10 license surcharge on June 30, 2011. We have two fee bills currently in the legislative process, a license fee bill that would raise $14.2 million and the access pass that we discussed above that would raise $5.5. We are working hard on both of these and appreciate (VERY MUCH)  the support we have received from many sportsman for the license fee bill. We will continue to work hard that you (we) are treated fairly in the access bill and that your current and sizeable contribution is recognized.

 Thanks for writing. 

 Phil Anderson

[Elkaholic daWg]

Phil Andersn's reply to my email concerning hunters/fishermen paying for the $30 access pass.

Hello Mark:

I will try to answer most of your questions to the extent that I have the information. Before I do let me share some information with you regarding the funding and expenditures associated with land maintenance and our boat launches. We spend $14.4 million per year on this activity. Of this amount about 27% comes from hunting and fishing license fees. We receive a little over $6.5 million from federal sources and a modest amount from the state general fund.   Responses to several of your specific questions:

1)      The current draft of the bill has a $30 annual vehicle fee to access all DNR, Parks, and DFW lands and access sites including boat launches. If you have hold certain hunting or fishing licenses you would be able to purchase  a $7.00 vehicle pass that would allow you access to all DFW lands and boat launches. However, if you wanted a vehicle pass for all DFW, Parks, and DNR lands the cost would be $30 even if you held one of the certain hunting or fishing licenses. Note: certain fishing and hunting licenses means some low value license types like a $7.00 razor clam license would not qualify you to use the $7.00 option.

2)      Enforcement of the vehicle pass would largely fall on the shoulders of our current enforcement staff, and you are right that we are short handed.

You had one sentence that asked a number of questions and asked for several assurances. What I can tell you is that we are fighting hard not to have our fishers and hunters pay a disproportionate amount of the cost. We are advocating a recognition through the fee schedule that purchasers of hunting and fishing licenses already contribute to access maintenance. I will assure you that I will fight to see that license revenue is spent on activities that promote and support hunting and fishing. There are legislators that have the same concern and are watching carefully that our (your) license fee revenue is used for the benefit of those that pay those fees.

WDFW’s state general fund revenue has been cut by $39 million in the last 19 months. The Governor’s budget cuts another $15 million plus we have a $9 million deficit in our wildlife account due primarily to the sunset of the %10 license surcharge on June 30, 2011. We have two fee bills currently in the legislative process, a license fee bill that would raise $14.2 million and the access pass that we discussed above that would raise $5.5. We are working hard on both of these and appreciate (VERY MUCH)  the support we have received from many sportsman for the license fee bill. We will continue to work hard that you (we) are treated fairly in the access bill and that your current and sizeable contribution is recognized.

 Thanks for writing. 

 Phil Anderson

1
 Looks like to be safe from citation like say on the Colockum where DFW and DNR have been swapping DFW's forest land for for DNR's shrub steppe for years we get to pay, that is unless your on USFS land where .........


 2 the enforcement they have will have a field day writing up folks and still tying to perform the functions they were intended for.

 3
 If  DFW and DNR were to get an appropriate share of this fee I could maybe swallow it.

 4 I just sent another letter on this and the merger bill

[Special T]

If you think that fair distribution of funds is important, I do also... The major gap in thinking that most people have is that the  state is trying to come up with $$$ for the WA PARKS DEPT.  That is the state purpose of the access program, and no matter how you change the details $$$ for parks is the purpose.

[Elkaholic daWg]

HB 1796 House companion bill to SB 5622

 From Kirk Pearson one of my house reps



 "Thank you for contacting me about house bill 1796. I appreciate having the opportunity to let you know that I agree with your thoughts about this bill,and I am not supportive of it.



 Sincerely
 Kirk Pearson