State Park Legislative Priorities for 2021-2023

Washington State Parks faced historic challenges in 2020. The spread of COVID-19 led the public to seek the outdoors as safe places to recreate and resulted in record numbers of visits to state parks trails, boating and camping facilities. The park system is over 106 years old and by 2023 is expected to host over 43 million visits per year. Parks, trails, marinas, facilities, other infrastructure and sites with historic, cultural and ecological values have experienced great wear and tear. The State Parks budget for the next two years should reflect just how valuable our parks are for everyone in Washington State.

The Washington State Parks Foundation supports investing in State Parks as prioritized by the State Parks and Recreation Commission and proposed by Governor Inslee. The Foundation is focused on ensuring that the the following programs and projects are fully-funded:

$6.9M and 22 FTEs for Preventative Maintenance

$10.5M and 61 FTEs for Visitor Services

$2M for No Child Left Inside Grants

$6.7M for Trail Expansions and Improvements

$7.1M for Marine & Boating Infrastructure

$20.9M for Roads and Utility Upgrades

$5.7M for Historic, Cultural & Natural Resource Sites

$37.9M for New Parks and Improving Campgrounds & Day Use Areas

$25.6M for Buildings, Facilities & ADA Compliance

Keep Track of State Park Bills & Budget Proposals

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