Washington State Parks closing ??

[slowpat]

I was unaware that our Warshington State Parks charged more for non-residents. Can somebody link to the source of this extra fee? All I found was this.

Camping Fees | Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission

I do know we have different rates which have been assigned according to the popularity of sites, and one has to pay an extra fee for a reservation whether a resident or not, and the showers are not free.

I had to pay extra in Montana a few years ago.

A friend of a friend says that the big money making places--like Steamboat Rock, Cape Disappointment etc. kind of carry the other, less used places. Also, the reservation season was extended and the parks are making more money because of that.

Being a spontaneous person, I wish they'd leave about half the spaces as first come, first served.

And I like Oregon parks better. At one on the coast, in November, I think the volunteer hosts outnumbered the campers! I lived in Oregon for a few years so feel no guilt about staying there.

Heard on NWPR this morning that our governor was not going to accept anything temporary. We shall see. Meanwhile there are secret places to go. Shhhhhhh!

[War Eagle]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

If Alabama's new funding mechanism is working so well then why did Alabama sell off Florala SP ? We visited 4 different Alabama SP and 3 of the four had non functioning restrooms and were badly in need of repair From what we saw $50 million dollars won't even come close to reversing the damage caused by years of neglect.

What Bryan said in his post above. What you saw was the still lingering effect of years of legislators siphoning all the money out of those parks. The closing of some state parks and the passing of ownership and upkeep responsibilities to local municipalities for some others (like Florala State Park, which is now a "city" park) became the focal point of lobbying and state-wide radio/TV ads, and that became the proverbial "straws that broke the camel's back" in gaining broad public support and getting out the vote for Amendment #2 to return funding to the parks. That and a sudden realization among the tourist industry business sector that as more parks closed, more tourists from the north would just pass on through Alabama to Florida - taking their tourist dollars with them for hotels, restaurants, shopping, etc. I don't know the numbers, but I'm guessing that places like Gulf State Park have way more day visitors to the sandy beaches than campers, and if they don't like what they see in Alabama, Pensacola, Florida, is only 30 miles down the road. It's only been about 6 months since Amendment #2 passed. Give the new funding law another day or two (or maybe another year or two)! Then come back and see if you notice any improvements.

[War Eagle]

Originally Posted by Jack L

https://wspf.org/act-now-we-need-you...ep-parks-open/ I have the feeling this is more of a "bluff" or grandstanding on the part of some politicians, but I also remember trying to get into Grand Canyon NP on October 1, 2013. That was the day the federal government shut down and the park was closed.

Jack, Going back to the link in your original post, is the Washington State Park Foundation as legit as their name sounds? I hope so and that their effort gets positive results. However, it could also be a clever way to build a database of outdoor enthusiasts (complete with name, address, e-mail address) that they could then use for various not so altruistic purposes regardless of their pledge not to abuse or sell the information. I guess it's my nature to be a passive skeptic....

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by War Eagle

What Bryan said in his post above. What you saw was the still lingering effect of years of legislators siphoning all the money out of those parks. The closing of some state parks and the passing of ownership and upkeep responsibilities to local municipalities for some others (like Florala State Park, which is now a "city" park) became the focal point of lobbying and state-wide radio/TV ads, and that became the proverbial "straws that broke the camel's back" in gaining broad public support and getting out the vote for Amendment #2 to return funding to the parks. That and a sudden realization among the tourist industry business sector that as more parks closed, more tourists from the north would just pass on through Alabama to Florida - taking their tourist dollars with them for hotels, restaurants, shopping, etc. I don't know the numbers, but I'm guessing that places like Gulf State Park have way more day visitors to the sandy beaches than campers, and if they don't like what they see in Alabama, Pensacola, Florida, is only 30 miles down the road. It's only been about 6 months since Amendment #2 passed. Give the new funding law another day or two (or maybe another year or two)! Then come back and see if you notice any improvements.

I had a nice conversation with a woman that sits on the Florala City Council . Florala SP was a major part of the local economy and she admitted that the State of Alabama had let the park deteriorate to a point that it was affecting tourism.
I truly hope that the City of Florala can turn it around .

[Jack L]

Originally Posted by War Eagle

Jack, Going back to the link in your original post, is the Washington State Park Foundation as legit as their name sounds? I hope so and that their effort gets positive results. However, it could also be a clever way to build a database of outdoor enthusiasts (complete with name, address, e-mail address) that they could then use for various not so altruistic purposes regardless of their pledge not to abuse or sell the information. I guess it's my nature to be a passive skeptic....

I'm hoping the Washington State Park Foundation is sincere about this issue, but who knows. I did add my name and address to their data base knowing that the information would probably be used for commercial purposes too. It's up to each individual to decide if providing the requested information has any merit.

The point I need to emphasize is that anyone who has plans to visit Washington State Parks, or has reservations in a Washington State Park needs to be prepared for the shut down possibility.

I was very close to the Grand Canyon NP North Rim on September 30, 2013 which was the eve of the U S Government shutdown. I was unaware of the situation because I had been away from TV and internet. A fellow camper told me about the possibility of a shutdown which would close all National Parks. The next morning when the possibility became a reality, I had to make alternative plans. September in Southern Utah is quite popular. Many of the campers we met were from Europe Germany and France and they had rented motor homes. I was disappointed about the shutdown but can imagine visitors from foreign countries were devastated to have their plans destroyed by the closure. Sometimes you make plans and bureaucrats ruin them.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by Jack L

Sometimes you make plans and bureaucrats ruin them.

Not bureaucrats; politicians.

[slowpat]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

Not bureaucrats; politicians.

Thank you. I'm a retired federal worker. I worked during the long shutdown in the 1990s. It was kind of creepy because we few who worked during it, were asked to "show the flag" and drive around checking on stuff. Roads were snowy, phone service was not good, and you hoped somebody would be listening to the radio if you needed help. It was a little bit nice because while in the office, there were not many messages and phone calls to deal with.

[Courtland PieperCo]

Trump new Sect. is looking at maybe privatizing some sites in the fed. park system I read .

[War Eagle]

Originally Posted by Courtland PieperCo

Trump new Sect. is looking at maybe privatizing some sites in the fed. park system I read .

Call me "Mr. Cynical", but it would be just like a Washington one- or two-term appointee to cherry-pick some of the most profitable parks and "privatize," ie. give them in perpetuity, to political cronies to pad their personal bank accounts. I don't know whether to get mad or cry .

[floyd]

Originally Posted by War Eagle

Call me "Mr. Cynical", but it would be just like a Washington one- or two-term appointee to cherry-pick some of the most profitable parks and "privatize," ie. give them in perpetuity, to political cronies to pad their personal bank accounts. I don't know whether to get mad or cry .

Beware of wasting your emotional responses on pure hypotheticals. Best to keep your powder dry for substantiated threats.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by floyd

Beware of wasting your emotional responses on pure hypotheticals. Best to keep your powder dry for substantiated threats.

Then why does Smokey Bear now have a Nike Logo on his hat ?

[floyd]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Then why does Smokey Bear now have a Nike Logo on his hat ?

And I thought he always went bear-footed!

[Bobbie Mayer]

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-...ned_buffer_f_m

and then an update: deal tentatively reached.

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-...ned_buffer_f_m

[Kai in Seattle]

Thanks, Bobbie.


Will await further updates.


No panic here--yet.


Kai

[Bobbie Mayer]

They have done these last minute things before. I'm pretty sure it will be okay for anyone who has plans for July. (None here other than maybe dragging my trailer up to a private home for the 4th.)

[Kai in Seattle]

I went ahead and signed up for the Seattle Times daily e-mail update, having found it from your link above. It's good to get!


They said they'd release details about the 4th of July camping today...we'll see.


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