NEW DNR Discover Pass News Release

[fireweed]

It's been a busy couple of months for DNR's Recreation Program as our staff work on ramping up for the summer season. On top of that, the rollout of the Discover Pass has kept us scrambling as well.
Thank you for your patience as we have launched this new program in less than two months. Here's an update on how things are coming along...
Nearly $1.5 million worth of Discover Passes have been purchased since they went on sale in mid-June. Each week, we're seeing more yellow hangtags in vehicles parked on state recreation lands managed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.
Overall, we're pleased with the way sales are going. The Discover Pass has only been required on state recreation lands since July 1. Barely three weeks into it, we're seeing a steady increase in participation. On DNR-managed lands, our field staff report that 50 percent of vehicles are displaying the Discover Pass at designated recreational facilities. We expect that number to continue to rise as more and more folks learn about the Pass.
If you've already purchased a pass, thanks for doing your part to help keep recreation access open. Without revenue from the Discover Pass, the three agencies would have been faced with closing access to outdoor recreation opportunities across the state. For DNR-managed lands, this would have meant closing some of our most popular places such as Tiger Mountain and Lake Spokane.

The Discover Pass represents a shift in how the state pays for providing
access to outdoor recreational opportunities. If you've purchased a pass,
consider yourself a partner in this new, more sustainable approach to
ensuring recreation access now and for the future.

The devil is definitely in the details...
Getting the Discover Pass program up and running has had its bumps. DNR
staff is working with staff from WDFW and State Parks to improve the
purchasing process and communication about where the pass is required.
Please continue to pass along your issues so that we are aware of them and
can work toward a solution. Again, we appreciate your patience as we work
through any glitches.

Perhaps the biggest concern we've heard from the public is the one-passper-
vehicle requirement. Many people have several vehicles they could
potentially use to access recreation land. One of the common questions we
hear is: Why can't a Discover Pass be transferred from one vehicle to
another, instead of needing one for each vehicle?During the 2011 session, legislators considered several options, including
making the pass a per-person permit. But based on research conducted late
last winter, we learned that a per-vehicle pass would generate sufficient
revenue to make up for the loss of state General Funds. Sharing a pass
among a household of vehicles, however, would not raise enough funds to
maintain recreation access on state lands. Research showed that sharing a
pass among households with multiple vehicles, for example, would decrease
revenue by 20 to 25 percent. Therefore, the legislature chose to not further
reduce the funding levels for all three agencies.

Discover Pass makes a great gift!
Looking for a creative way to show your favorite recreation enthusiast that
you care? Consider the gift of a Discover Pass. That's what Bob Schneider
got for Father's Day this year. Read more about Bob on our blog.
Where do you need a Discover Pass on DNR-managed lands?
We've posted new and improved maps on our website showing you where
you need a Discover Pass to recreate on DNR-managed lands. In addition,
we've included a link to a list of these recreation sites, facilities, and trails. Go
to www.dnr.wa.gov/recreation .

[BENCHLEG]

by not allowing us to use in other vehicles just shows you how bad we are going to get screwed in the future .

[gaddy]

sorry i wont be purchasing a discover pass to help you out but with the allocations the way they are i cant justify the cost. depending on my needs on that particular day & the nature of my recreating that particular day requires a certain vehicle & i refuse to purchase a pass for each vehicle for a very limited time use . another problem i have is the fact that in my area most STATE PARKS are occupied by non-english speaking individuals that are regular users & haul in multiple users (people & kids hanging out the windows etc..) every day.i firmly believe that a per user per day fee would be more appropriate to fund the state park system. if the #s iv' seen on usage are true then a buck a head (kids included) would be more than adequate to fund the system without having to shut down access and should allow for expansion.
I'm not trying to be racist or anything of the sort but it seems to me you would try to target the user group accessing the area. those of us that might use a boat launch once in a while or maybe have a picnic once a year should not have to pay for daily users.
the allocations of these funds are completely opposite of the areas myself & my family recreate in & i think you need to re valuate the system you are using to gain funds.
we fish, we-hunt, we do not hang out in the state parks so i don't feel we need to pay for those that do

[724wd]

i wonder how many tickets were written at the Spokane Dirty Dash at Riverside State Park last weekend?

[Special T]

"Without revenue from the Discover Pass, the three agencies would have been faced with closing access to outdoor recreation opportunities across the state. For DNR-managed lands, this would have meant closing some of our most popular places such as Tiger Mountain and Lake Spokane."
First off I think this is complete BS.. I know some one who works for the WA State parks dept
and know that lower income people use the state parks system... 10 years ago a daily parking fees was imposed and park attendance dropped off a cliff.  The sates LIE might be more convincing if the $$$ was divided up evenly, but it's not... I won't buy one, but might consider it if the was divided differently and you could transfer it to other vehicles... This is just another way to divide and tax us. 

[fireweed]

From this news release it is clear the plan was to "advertise" this as a $30 per year fee, while in reality, it is a $70 fee for folks who use DNR especially.  Afterall, simply because of the difference between paved park roads and the logging roads that the DNR/WDFW has you need two passes, then add on the extra $5 in transaction fees.  And the DNR/WDFW get to support the over-managed State Park system.  Transfer some undeveloped state park land to the DNR or WDFW and reduce park rangers to save money. 

[bobcat]

This sums it up pretty well...

[fireweed]

Don't forget the Hunting and Fishing Licenses!

[jackmaster]

i think that if you buy a huntn and fishn license you should be exempt from the discover pass, we sportsman do more for these lands than any other group and we already pay through the nose for it... my honest belief is they found a new way to get their bonuses and what a perfect way than to hide behind this discover pass b.s..... i havent seen one thing that leads me to believe that they are using these new found funds to improve squat... just like the lottery proceeds are suppose to pay for this and pay for that well how come there is never any money it that fund and they have to get it else where.. i think its time for a major interstate and national goverment overhaul... maybe its time for the goverment to made up of people that have actually worked for a living for a good part of their life..

[bobcat]

my honest belief is they found a new way to get their bonuses and what a perfect way than to hide behind this discover pass b.s..... i havent seen one thing that leads me to believe that they are using these new found funds to improve squat...

Well actually the Discover pass was never intended to "improve" anything. It's meant to maintain what we already have.

[bearpaw]

My wife said she just heard on the radio that it's up to 3 million collected now....

[bigtex]

my honest belief is they found a new way to get their bonuses and what a perfect way than to hide behind this discover pass b.s..... i havent seen one thing that leads me to believe that they are using these new found funds to improve squat...

Well actually the Discover pass was never intended to "improve" anything. It's meant to maintain what we already have.

 
I think that's the big misconception everyone has about this. For DNR and WDFW all the Discover Pass does is fill the gaps of the budget money that was taken away from the agencies because of the budget deficit. It's not essentially "extra" money to improve access sites, it's simply to maintain what we already have.

[bigtex]

My wife said she just heard on the radio that it's up to 3 million collected now....

Ya there was a piece on KOMO 4 news yesterday that said the same.

[jackmaster]

my honest belief is they found a new way to get their bonuses and what a perfect way than to hide behind this discover pass b.s..... i havent seen one thing that leads me to believe that they are using these new found funds to improve squat...

Well actually the Discover pass was never intended to "improve" anything. It's meant to maintain what we already have.

improve or maintain who cares cause that isnt what its going to be used for, just like other funds that are suppose to be used for specific things and then dont get used for their intended purpose, they rob peter to pay paul, but only after their bonuses are met, and the discover pass is a vessel for just that..

[uplandhunter870]

all i can say is wow. ive already given fish and game over $300 this year so far so the discover pass account will not be seeing one red cent of mine. what id like to know is since ive already essentially paid for 10 discover passes how come i cant get a complimentary discover pass, i know i know never going to happen but thats why ill never buy one

[jackmaster]

its simple how in the hell am i suppose to believe what the people who are in charge of this discover pass are saying when we have been nothing but lied to so many times and now we are suppose to believe that its to take care of short falls acredited to budget cuts and staffing cuts..... well if i am to be made a believer then these people are gonna have to quit crying wolf.... essentially thats what they are doing 5 years from now there will be breaking news and it will be " the peeps in charge of the discover pass have been using this money for other means not what it was intended for" mark my words, and like i said if you buy a huntn or fishn license you should be exempt

[mulehunter]

My wife said she just heard on the radio that it's up to 3 million collected now....

Ya there was a piece on KOMO 4 news yesterday that said the same.

What you mean. Do  You mean Discover sold 3 million pass already? ?

Mulehunter

[BlackRidge]

i think that if you buy a huntn and fishn license you should be exempt from the discover pass

Agree'd %100

[fireweed]

Oh, the wonder of internet, now we can check the law's intent in seconds...

It is the intent of this act to reform and improve access to
and management of state lands on a sustainable basis for the recreating
public by: Providing a motor vehicle access pass and access policies for state lands; recovering the cost incurred by the state for
operations and management of recreation opportunities; providing resources to address the growing demand and impacts of outdoor recreationists and conservation of our natural resources; and providing effective education and enforcement of state land access policies.

...and it looks like IMPROVE is IN, at least as a pie-in-the sky idea.

[jager]

My wife said she just heard on the radio that it's up to 3 million collected now....

The WDFW commission meeting I watched last night said they are projecting $70 million!

[Special T]

Maintain or improve acess sounds a lot like make or save jobs... I guess the state has been using the same fuzzy logic that the president has...  They won't get money from me, but i'm really interested to find out how much money is raised by non hunters or anglers... And since they are using the same system to "sell" the passes it should be easy to find out if those passes have been sold to the hook and bullet crowd...

[bigtex]

My wife said she just heard on the radio that it's up to 3 million collected now....

Ya there was a piece on KOMO 4 news yesterday that said the same.

What you mean. Do  You mean Discover sold 3 million pass already? ?

Mulehunter

Not 3 million passes, $3 million in revenue from the passes.

[fireweed]

Aug 24, KOMO News and AP.
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Washington officials have sold $3 million worth of passes to state parks in the first six weeks of the program.

Agencies said Wednesday that they are optimistic that sales will continue to grow. The $30 annual Discover Pass and $10 day-use pass are critical streams of revenue for the state's parks, as officials plan to eventually wean the system off general tax dollars.

The pass provides access to the state's recreational lands, including parks, trails and wildlife areas. Officials expect sales to increase as the Discover Pass becomes available at vehicle licensing offices.

The program is expected to bring in more than $64 million every two years and will come in addition to revenue the state already collects from camping reservations, picnic shelter rentals and other fees.

[Swannytheswan]

i think that if you buy a huntn and fishn license you should be exempt from the discover pass, we sportsman do more for these lands than any other group and we already pay through the nose for it... my honest belief is they found a new way to get their bonuses and what a perfect way than to hide behind this discover pass b.s..... i havent seen one thing that leads me to believe that they are using these new found funds to improve squat... just like the lottery proceeds are suppose to pay for this and pay for that well how come there is never any money it that fund and they have to get it else where.. i think its time for a major interstate and national goverment overhaul... maybe its time for the goverment to made up of people that have actually worked for a living for a good part of their life..

  I can barely pay for my licenses

[bigtex]

Aug 24, KOMO News and AP.
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Washington officials have sold $3 million worth of passes to state parks in the first six weeks of the program.

Agencies said Wednesday that they are optimistic that sales will continue to grow...

They may need that optimism because summer is just about over. 

If there are $3 million worth of passes sold (day passes for $10 and annual passes probably averaging about three visits or $10 each)... that comes out to about 300,000 visits assuming no tickets have been written and fines counted as part of the revenue.

Fines from citations for failing to display the Discover Pass will NOT be deposited into the Discover Pass accounts for DNR, WDFW, and Parks. The fines will be handled just like any other citation that is written.

[Movemonger]

Can you say MISMANAGEMENT???

Where is (was) the oversite? 

[Heredoggydoggy]

I know a guy that has worked for the State Parks here in this county.  The last time I talked to him he spent a good part of the somewhat lenthy conversation telling me what a great job the UNION that the Parks employees belong to has been doing for the parks people.  I'll bet the union was solidly behind the enactment of the Discover Pass legislation to pad their coffers to be able to make donations to more liberal candidates for public offices!  If Parks employees lose their jobs from lack of funding, union dues receipts will take a hit.  Christine's backers can't have that!  And how will Jay Inslee ever win the Governor's race next year without the big campaign contributions from the unions?