Washington State Parks – Volunteer Work Plans

[+Whidbey Walk]

From www.parks.wa.gov :

 

Community Partnership Month

 

Celebrate Earth Day during the whole month of April by volunteering at a state park. Outdoor groups, service organizations, schools, businesses and any other interested organizations can revitalize state parks by pitching in to help clean up and repair parks.

 

Anyone interested can learn more by visiting http://www.parks.wa.gov/volworkplans/

 

Although they don’t mention if you volunteer if you still have to pay the parking fee.

[+Renegade Knight]

Pay to volunteer?

 

Wherever you go there you are.

[+Beefcider]

I'm sorry, I refuse to go to any of the Washington State Parks since they imposed a $5 parking fee at ALL parks, no matter how small. The only exception is Ft. Warden and that's because Port Townsend picked up the tab for the whole year. I can see Why certain National parks charge for entrance, but a pocket sized state park? As for volunteering, I volunteer to not use the park system. I'll park outside the gates and walk in where possible but in a state that voted twice to not build Safeco field, and the taxpayers still got hit for a huge chunk of the bill I find it absurd that non-stadium users get charged five bucks just to park a car on public land.

 

videbo tu in caelum

[+Whidbey Walk]

I will admit that I am torn on the issue. I love the parks. I have 7 within 30 minutes driving time from my home and consider them a major resource. However, I have been opposed to their park fee plan since the beginning. To date I have not paid any of the fees. Being a local I have enough knowledge to find the access points that don’t require parking in the actual park. It means I walk a little farther, but that can just add to the enjoyment sometimes.

 

To illustrate how ridiculous the blanket parking fee is just look at Joseph Whidbey State Park. The “park” facilities consist of a parking lot, toilet, a handful of picnic tables, and a few trashcans. Perhaps 50 yards beyond the “park” parking lot is a scenic pullout almost as large as the “park” parking lot. Even before the parking fee the vast majority of users actually used the scenic pullout instead of the parking lot. It actually provides better access to the main attraction of this park, the beach.

 

I could continue on my rant against the parking fee, but that isn’t the intention of this post. Although I disagree with the fee (and feel that legally subverting the fee is the best form of protesting the fee), I do care about the park system.

[+Beefcider]

I agree with you there. My point is that if they're charging $5 to park, they don't need volunteer help. It is a shame, we ahve some of the most beautiful state parks in the nation. I hope they get wise and drop the parking fee.

 

videbo tu in caelum

[+dmills]

If you volunteer for the day at a park and it is pre-approved by the ranger or part of a group effort, the $5.00 parking fee is waived. You can also volunteer more hours and depending on the number of hours you'll either earn a permit valid in that particular park or a permit valid for all parks.

 

Dennis the Ranger

[+Whidbey Walk]

That’s good news. I had been hoping the State Parks start a program similar to the one run by the Forest Service to earn a NW Forest Pass.