Washington may raise Discover Pass price to $45
A campground at Paradise Point State Park. (Washington State Parks)
Washington's state parks and other natural sites may soon become more expensive to visit as lawmakers are looking to increase the price of the Discover Pass.
The pass allows visitors to access state-managed lands, such as parks, campgrounds, trails, and water access points. Federal lands, including national parks, are subject to different access fees. Currently, an annual Discover Pass costs $30 and can be used in up to two vehicles. A day-use state parks permit is $10.
Senate Bill 5390 proposes to increase the annual Discover Pass fee to $45. It would be the first price hike since the pass was introduced about 14 years ago. The way the bill is written, the increase would take effect in late July.
'The purpose of the bill is to essentially adjust the fees for inflation,' said its sponsor, Sen. Derek Stanford, D-Bothell. 'That will provide better funding for supporting our parks.'
Earlier versions of the legislation included an increase to the day-use permit fee from $10 to $15 but State Parks recommended against it to help protect access for lower-income visitors.
The Discover Pass was created in 2011 by the Legislature to fund state parks and recreation areas that were losing state funding due to budget cuts from the 2008 recession.
With the multibillion-dollar deficit the state is currently facing, the proposed increase would help protect state parks from having to make drastic cuts, said Mark Brown, a former state park commissioner.
According to Brown, it took more than 10 years to bring staffing back up to pre-recession levels after the downturn in the early 2000s, but parks are still struggling with staffing, especially with increases in visitation in recent years.
Anyone who drives a motor vehicle into designated state recreation sites or public lands is required to have a pass. This allows visitors to access more than 100 state parks, 350 recreational sites, and 700 water-access points.
Revenue from pass sales goes to Washington State Parks, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Department of Natural Resources.
Collections are split among the three agencies, with state parks receiving 84% and the other departments receiving 8% each.
Estimates attached to the bill indicate that the price increase to $45 could push down the number of annual Discover Pass purchases in the next couple of years by about 137,000 — from roughly 916,200 to around 778,800.
Dollar figures for how much the latest version of the bill — without the day pass price increase — would raise for the state were not available as of Tuesday. Discover Pass revenue has been around $30 million annually in recent years.
Senate Bill 5390 is awaiting a Senate floor vote and after that would still need House approval.
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