I recently received an e-mail from Public Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark entitled, “Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to reduce services at many recreation areas.”
The commissioner’s note discussed budget impacts to 143 DNR-managed recreational facilities and more than 1,000 miles of Washington’s trails.
“As a result of budget cuts, including loss of NOVA funding, DNR’s Recreation Program was reduced by nearly 50 percent. We have been forced to reduce services to many of our designated recreational facilities,” he wrote.
A significant portion of trail maintenance funds came from NOVA — the Nonhighway and Off-Road Vehicle Activities account.
NOVA was created by off-road vehicle (ORV) users to provide grants to develop, maintain and manage trails and nonhighway road systems.
A fuel-use study estimated 4.6 percent of the state fuel tax was generated by ORV use.
In lieu of receiving a fuel-tax refund, ORV users asked the Legislature in 1973 to put the money into this special account.
This year, for the first time since NOVA’s inception, majority party leaders in the Legislature raided the account, using the entire $9.56 million anticipated for the next two years, to help balance the state’s operating budget.
Trail-user groups are steamed, and rightfully so, because they voluntarily waived their rights to a fuel-tax refund so they could benefit statewide from this dedicated funding program.
They had even recently asked the Legislature to double ORV permit fees to supplement the fund. Now that account will remain empty until the next biennium.
Where did the money go?
The Democrat operating budget (House Bill 1244) re-appropriates the NOVA funds “to the state Parks and Recreation Commission for maintenance and operation of parks and to improve accessibility for boaters and off-road vehicle users.”
Keeping state parks open was a high priority for me during the legislative session. However, we had better options than raiding NOVA.
For example, the capital budget contained more than $80 million to purchase land for new parks.
I questioned why the state was buying land for new parks when it couldn’t afford to maintain existing ones.
I supported an amendment that would have transferred $25 million from park acquisition into state parks maintenance and operations.
This amendment could have prevented the NOVA raid. Unfortunately, it failed.
This is one of the many reasons why I voted against the operating budget.
Now, we are seeing the consequences, as evidenced in Goldmark’s e-mail.
An Eastern Washington newspaper reported “many of the state’s trail systems may be lost to underbrush, overuse and, eventually, a chaos of downed trees.”
An Everett newspaper added, “People can still use trails, park in parking lots and stay in campgrounds, but they should expect to find no toilets, picnic tables, signs or garbage service at many campgrounds.”
The state Parks and Recreation Commission now has authority over these funds.
If we are to prevent erosion and disrepair of trails and recreational facilities, the commission must be made aware and held accountable.
If you have concerns, let the commissioners know.
They are meeting Aug. 6 in Pasco, Oct. 1 in Spokane, and Dec. 3 in Centralia.
For more information, go to: http://www.parks.wa.gov/agency/commissionmeetings.
State Rep. Dan Kristiansen, R-Snohomish, represents the 39th Legislative District
