PEAK PUTTERS

Subject: And it gets worse for State Parks

Now we have the no general fund scenario for State Parks' budget. I'm not
going to comment on the attached other than to provide a little background
and point out the highlights. State Parks was requested to prepare a
revenue package- user fees, not taxes- to replace all general fund revenue
received by State Parks. To be included was a permanent diversion of NOVA
and Recreation Resource Account to State Parks. The attached is the
scenario proposed by State Parks staff and consented to by the Commission.

Highlights- $10 annual fee to use the state parks, on your car tabs, or pay
a $5 daily fee. Permanent diversion of NOVA and Recreation Resource
Account. Attempt to raise revenue from transfer of development rights.
Reduce or eliminate senior, veteran, disabled veteran, and other passes.
Downsize the state park system.

Washington State ORV funds under attack again

In 2009 the Washington State Legislature passed legislation to divert all of the offroad vehicle gas tax and ORV permits funds (Nonhighway and Offroad Vehicle Activities account) and gave them to State Parks for 2009 and 2010. None of this money was spent to benefit ORV users.

Now with another budget crisis right around the corner and the Legislature returning to session soon, State Parks has been instructed to propose a budget with no state general fund allocation. To do that State Parks has said that they must have all of your Nonhighway and Offroad Vehicle Account (NOVA) money permanently.

The governor’s proposed budget would give all of your NOVA funds to State Park for 2011 and forever once DNR recreation is merged into State Parks.

It is very important to let Governor and your Legislators know that it is not OK to rip you off again.

You can contact the Governor via this link:

http://www.governor.wa.gov/contact/default.asp


You can find and contact your State Senator and both you State House of Representatives member via this link:

http://www.leg.wa.gov/pages/home.aspx

In addition to emailing them, please consider sending a letter. The Legislature is currently being overwhelmed by email so actual letters will have a much bigger impact.


Here are some example comments to consider. Use them as is or, better yet put the same idea in your own words.

+++++++++++++

Please DO NOT redistribute funds intended for the Non Highway and Offroad Vehicle Activities account AGAIN!

In 2009 the legislature took all of these funds and gave them to State Parks where none of those funds benefited offroad vehicle recreation in any way.

This account was created when offroad vehicle users volunteered to waive their legal right to a fuel tax refund in exchange for a self-directed state account to provide funding for programs that benefited offroad vehicle activities.

These same citizens volunteered to have their license tab fees increased so long as those monies were also placed in the Non Highway and Offroad Vehicle Activities (NOVA) account.

To redirect the funding away from the NOVA account again would be nothing short of stealing from the very same citizens that willingly gave the state their hard earned money.

Can you explain to me why the Legislature finds it acceptable to give the funds I provided to State Parks where I receive zero benefit? Are the people that recreate at State Parks more worthy of the money that I provided to and entrusted the State with than I am?

I sincerely look forward to receiving a reply and hearing your thoughts on this issue.


+++++++++++++++++


Tod Petersen
Political Action Committee Chairman
Washington Off Highway Vehicle Alliance
Email: tod701@aol.com

Fuel Tax Refunds for Non-Highway or Off-Road Use of Gasoline and Diesel
Study
http://www.leg.wa.gov/JTC/Pages/NonHigh ... Study.aspx

And here's what WTA has to say on the budget issues facing the session that starts Jan.10:



Hikers Face Tough Legislative Session
Posted by Lauren Braden at Dec 30, 2010 10:11 AM | Permalink


We need hikers out in full force to attend Hiker Lobby Day on February 9.
By now, you've surely heard rumblings of the tough Washington state legislative session just ahead. Lawmakers face a budget deficit this time of about $4.6 billion, and the proposed cuts are deeper than ever before, and painful to ponder.

When legislators convene on Monday, January 10, they'll have a budget from the Governor before them that makes substantial cuts to education, health and human services, law enforcement, state parks... the list goes on and on. To be honest, the cuts are so numerous, they're a bit hard to keep track of if you're not living and breathing this stuff. I know hikers are eager to know what the big impacts on hikers are.

Here's a quick rundown of the issues WTA will grapple with as the session commences:

Explore Washington Pass: This new user fee system on DNR and Fish and Wildlife lands would require each visitor to carry a $10/person/day permit, or a $40 annual pass. Many of you have weighed in on this proposal on previous WTA blog and Facebook posts (click here for a refresher). We have extremely strong concerns with this fee program, especially when it's contrasted with the Northwest Forest Pass structure ($5/car, $30 annually for access to National Forest trailheads). We think that it will be expensive to enforce a per person pass, and those costs will eat into program revenue. We also fear that hikers will stop using DNR lands en masses, migrating instead to nearby National Forest trails. Of course, we empathize with DNR; they do not have enough money to keep recreation sites open. But it is not reasonable to ask DNR trail users to pay a fee that is so dramatically different from any other agency-imposed fee. That's why we're working with other recreation groups on a proposal that will bring in revenue, but not be an onerous burden for hikers.

State Parks: The agency has been asked by the Governor to draft a budget that does not rely on general fund money--the unrestricted tax revenues that pay for essential state services--but rather is patched together by user fees and reductions in services. Faced with the very real prospect of closing many parks, the agency is developing a revenue package that includes proposals to increase the motor vehicle tab fee instituted last session. We'll be working with State Parks to support sensible and fair revenue sources to keep these important facilities open.

Agency Consolidation: Governor Gregoire constructed her budget with the assumption that the Department of Fish and Wildlife and State Parks would merge with DNR's Heritage and law enforcement programs. The Governor assumes that the state will save $2.5 million and 13.5 full time employees this budget cycle by making these changes. We think this proposal is a very large unknown. No one is sure how it will turn out, or if the legislature will even accept it. We'll be watching this closely as the session unfolds, and we're very interested in what you think on this matter.

Wondering how you can help? Great, because we need you! The best way you can help this session is by attending Hiker Lobby Day on February 9. If you can't attend Lobby Day, please take a moment to contact your legislators when we send an alert through the Trail Action Network.


Washington Trails Association
2019 Third Avenue, Suite 100, Seattle, WA 98121
tel (206) 625-1367