Washington State Parks

[luckykoi]

Here it is right from the horses mouth:

http://www.parks.wa.gov/parking/parkingfaq.asp

 

Day vehicle parking permit no longer required

 

Beginning April 1, 2006, you will no longer need to purchase a vehicle parking permit for daytime visits to Washington state parks. The fee removal is the result of a new law passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor.

 

The $5 daily ($50 annual) Natural Investment permit is still required for use of watercraft launches and trailer dumps. Camping fees and all other fees remain in place.

 

Refunds: Those who purchased an annual Natural Investment permit for day vehicle parking and who do not plan to use the permit for watercraft launching or trailer dumping may request a refund. Refund applications will be accepted between April 1 and June 30, 2006. To request a refund for the months remaining on your permit, download and print the Refund Request form (179kb PDF). Fill in the information requested, attach your actual annual vehicle parking permit to the form and send to Pamela McConkey, P.O. Box 42650, 7150 Cleanwater Drive S.W., Olympia, WA 98504. Please allow at least 30 days to process your request.

 

Donations: Those who wish to donate their refunds to Washington State Parks may request the funds be used for:

 

* Washington State Parks

* State Parks interpretive programs for children and adults

* Arts in the Parks, a folk and traditional arts program partnership between Washington State Parks and the Washington State Arts Commission

 

Donations are tax-deductible. Those who mark the information sheet for a donation may request a receipt for tax purposes.

 

Background on the vehicle parking fee

 

The State Parks and Recreation Commission initiated collection of the statewide day vehicle parking fee on Jan. 1, 2003. It was a year of budget cuts, following years of restricted budgets for parks. The fee was put into place to keep parks open and also to make improvements. From 2003 through 2005, State Parks collected approximately $11 million in fees. In 2003-05 much of the money was used to make improvements in parks all over the state. In the 2005-07 budget, lawmakers shifted the fee revenues into the agency’s basic operations budget so that the money was no longer available specifically for improvements.

 

With removal of the fee, the Legislature is providing one-time replacement funds. The Legislature also left the door open for State Parks to request additional replacement funds in 2007, when lawmakers have vowed to find a secure, long-term funding source for state parks.

[+dmills]

All fees collected by Washington State Parks goes in the Parks Renewal and Stewardship Account and was for the first few years used to decrease the maintenence backlog. A few years ago, the legislature changed the law and directed that some of the the funds be used for daily operating costs and some for decreasing the maintenance backlog.

 

If a ranger writes a citation for non-payment of the parking fee, then that money goes to the court system and is divided by the court and the state (with the state's portion going to the general fund.)

 

The only fee to be eliminated was the day parking fee. If you are launching a boat or using the RV dump station you still pay a $5.00 fee.