Bill proposes higher fees for Discover Pass

Visiting a state park next year will cost more if a proposal in the state Legislature wins approvalProposed by Sen. Derek Stanford (R-Bothell), SB5390 increases the cost of a Discover Pass from $30 to $45 and the day pass fee from $10 to $15. As an avid user of state parks, Rep. Beth Doglio (D-Olympia) and primary sponsor of the House version of the bill said this increase was “long overdue.”

Revenue from the pass helps fund Washington State Parks (WSP), the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). "It's been a long time since we've looked at the price of the Discover Pass," Doglio said. "DNR land and our state parks need maintenance and ongoing expenditures to ensure we preserve the beautiful string of state parks we have in this state."

Although the plan originally included price increases every two years, the cost of the pass has remained unchanged since its creation in 2011, according to WSP. "I think this is a reasonable increase," Doglio said. "It's not a huge increase by any stretch of the imagination." The bills also propose that the Office of Financial Management review the cost of the Discover Pass every four years and recommend adjustments to the Legislature to account for inflation.

According to Recreation and Operations Manager at DNR Samuel Hensold, services were reduced across the three million acres of land and waters the department manages to compensate for a $9 million operational funding deficit. Hensold said the increase will allow the department to better maintain infrastructure like upkeep of the restrooms, graffiti removal and debris cleanup. “DNR has added hundreds of miles of trails, new campgrounds, new parking areas, but we haven't necessarily received additional operating funds to provide ongoing management for those areas,” Hensold said.

The additional revenue will also enable DNR to expand its efforts on environmental justice and equity initiatives. Most of the revenue from the pass (84%) goes to state parks, while 8% is allocated to DNR and 8% to WDFW.

Although recent funding cuts to several federal agencies do not directly impact the funding of state parks and lands managed by state agencies, DNR and WSP officials say cuts at the federal level may have residual effects on the general fund, which provides about 33% of state parks funding.

While the funding increase is generally supported by stakeholders, Rhonda Edens, a Washington native and avid park user, expressed concerns about higher fees. “When I was young, my family was very poor and we went to the state park a lot,” Edens said. “It was the only thing we could afford to do. By requiring Discover passes, you make it so that there's a whole population of poor people (who) can't go and enjoy the park.” Currently, the bill does not include provisions to address this issue. However, Doglio said making park access more equitable is something she would consider in future legislative sessions.