Discover Pass for state recreation lands goes on sale
June 20, 2011
NEW — 7 p.m. June 20, 2011
The parking pass required for state parks and other recreation lands is available for purchase, state agencies announced Monday.
The state is offering the Discover Pass online and at recreational license dealers across the Evergreen State. The pass is needed for parking access to 7 million acres of state recreation lands, including Lake Sammamish State Park and Tiger Mountain State Forest.
The base price for the annual pass is $30, and the base price for the day-use pass is $10. Users must also pay transaction and dealer fees.
Starting July 1, the pass is required for vehicle access to recreation lands and water-access sites under Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, state Department of Natural Resources and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife jurisdiction. State recreation lands include state parks, boat launches, heritage sites, wildlife and natural areas, campgrounds, trails and trailheads.
Squak Mountain State Park to remain open
June 7, 2011
Budget prompts reduced hours, service at state park
Squak Mountain State Park’s operating hours and maintenance could be reduced, but the latest proposal from the state allows for the park to remain open.
Under a plan offered last year, Squak Mountain and other recreation sites faced a shutdown as early as July 2011. Instead, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is considering a service reduction in order to cut costs. Under the proposal, the 1,545-acre destination for hikers and equestrian trail riders could close on weekdays.
“We know we have to make some service reductions, but we’re trying to figure out ways to have the parks not be to zero service,” commission spokeswoman Virginia Painter said.
Still, reduced service could make for some notable changes on Squak Mountain.
“The intention for us is to have it open on weekends — Friday, Saturday, Sunday — and probably holidays with some limited services, meaning limited maintenance,” Lake Sammamish State Park Manager Rich Benson said. “We’re probably not going to do as much as we once did.”
(Rangers manage Lake Sammamish, Squak Mountain, Bridle Trails and Olallie state parks from a lakeside office in Issaquah.)
The state could also find a partner, such as a nonprofit group, to help maintain Squak Mountain, although no such agreement has been announced.
Issaquah City Council sets goals for 2012
May 17, 2011
Leaders pick downtown parking, economic development as 2012 focus
Solving parking headaches in downtown Issaquah is a top priority for city leaders next year.
The ongoing problem emerged as the No. 1 goal May 14 as City Council members set goals for 2012.
The city intends to examine possible solutions, because parking is often difficult in the historic downtown corridor during ArtWalk and other summertime events.
The council opted to revisit the longtime headache for downtown merchants and consumers. The city conducted other downtown parking studies in the past.
Other priorities included a continued focus on economic development, offering additional city information online, and discussing possible arrangements for the aging Julius Boehm Pool and cash-strapped Lake Sammamish State Park.
Governor approves $30 user fee for state parks, lands
May 17, 2011
The cost to keep Lake Sammamish State Park and other public recreation lands open amounts to $30 per year for many users, under a measure Gov. Chris Gregoire signed May 12.
Flanked by recreation enthusiasts, Gregoire signed legislation to create a $30 annual pass and a $10 day-use pass for state-managed forests, parks and other natural areas.
The measure, called the Discover Pass, goes into effect July 1 for vehicle access to recreation lands and water-access sites managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, state Department of Fish and Wildlife, and state Department of Natural Resources.
In addition to Lake Sammamish State Park, local recreation sites include Squak Mountain State Park and Tiger Mountain State Forest.
“It is essential that we keep our recreation areas open to the public,” Gregoire said in a statement. “I applaud the Legislature for coming together with a solution that allows us to help keep our state recreation lands open and accessible during the worst budget crisis in the state’s history.”
The pass goes on sale in mid-June. Users must display the annual or day-use Discover Pass in vehicles’ front windshields or face a $99 fine.
Lawmakers created the Discover Pass to close gaps in funding for state parks and recreation lands after Gregoire called for reduced support from taxpayer dollars amid a $5.1 billion budget shortfall.
Governor approves $30 user fee for state parks, lands
May 12, 2011
NEW — 2 p.m. May 12, 2011
Flanked by recreation enthusiasts, Gov. Chris Gregoire signed legislation Thursday to create a $30 vehicle pass for Lake Sammamish State Park and other state recreation lands.
The measure, called the Discover Pass, goes into effect July 1 for vehicle access to recreation lands and water-access sites managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, state Department of Fish and Wildlife, and state Department of Natural Resources. The pass goes on sale in mid-June.
“It is essential that we keep our recreation areas open to the public,” Gregoire said in a statement. “I applaud the Legislature for coming together with a solution that allows us to help keep our state recreation lands open and accessible during the worst budget crisis in the state’s history.”
Users can pay $30 per year per vehicle or purchase a $10 day-use pass. State recreation lands include state parks, boat launches, campgrounds, heritage sites, wildlife and natural areas, trails and trailheads. In addition to the Lake Sammamish park, local sites include Squak Mountain State Park and Tiger Mountain State Forest.
Boaters enjoying sunshine should remember life jackets
May 11, 2011
NEW — 8 a.m. May 11, 2011
Sunshine and temperatures in the upper 60s could appear in Issaquah soon, prompting boaters to set sail on Lake Sammamish.
Experts from the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission reminds boaters to use life jackets and know boating laws.
Each year, a majority of boating deaths result from drowning, and a majority of the deceased had not been wearing life jackets.
Officials recorded 18 boating fatalities statewide last year. Wearing a life jacket can prevent many boating-related deaths.
Legislators approve $30 fee for state recreation lands, open spaces
April 26, 2011
Outdoors enthusiasts could start paying $30 to park at state trailheads and use state parks starting in July.
In a party-line vote April 21, the state House of Representatives passed legislation to create a Discover Pass for state parks and open spaces, including Lake Sammamish State Park and Tiger Mountain State Forest near Issaquah. The state Senate passed the measure in a bipartisan vote the previous day.
The legislation now heads to the governor. Gov. Chris Gregoire also proposed a user fee for state parks in a proposed budget released in December.
Once the legislation reaches the governor’s desk, she has 20 days to sign the measure into law.
Users could use the annual Discover Pass to park at trailheads and other state-managed lands. For users uninterested in the annual parking pass, the legislation proposes a $10 day-use fee for using the lands. Otherwise, violators could face a ticket.
The proposal attracted broad support from outdoor recreation groups, including the Washington Trails Association.
Crews upgrade boat launch at state park
March 15, 2011
The new metal pier floats in the water at Lake Sammamish State Park. By Greg Farrar
Boaters should notice upgrades to the boat launch area at Lake Sammamish State Park come springtime.
The construction swapped wooden piers for sturdier metal. The updated piers also reach farther into the lake to accommodate boats. Crews completed the project at the popular park in late December.
The state used grants to fund the project, but the State Parks and Recreation Commission did not secure enough funds to replace all of the aging piers. The total price tag for the project remains undefined.
The state enlisted Issaquah-based Thornberg Construction Co. for the project.
Crews installed the old piers atop wooden pilings in the early 1970s.
Park Manager Rich Benson said the plan to upgrade the boat launch area sat idle for years.
“During the winter when the water level comes up, they don’t float, so they’re underwater for months at a time,” he said. “That puts a lot of stress and strain on them.”
Press Editorial
February 15, 2011
Annual pass for parks is not unreasonable
We are not a proponent of willy-nilly user fees to line the coffers of government agencies, but with voters repeatedly saying no to taxes, user fees will become more prevalent. For state parks, we support the implementation of a $30 annual Discover Pass as a solution to keep state parks open.
Washington state parks are in trouble, just as many other state agencies and services are — all part of the proposed budget cuts needed to keep the state out of bankruptcy. State parks are expected to need $64 million in the upcoming biennium.
Squak Mountain State Park atop the middle peak of the Issaquah Alps is already slated to lose funding. But that park is an array of hiking and equestrian trails that will still have public access.
Questions linger in months after lethal shootings
January 18, 2011
By Dona Mokin
Gunshots interrupted the summer hubbub at Lake Sammamish State Park just after sunset last July 17. The picnics and twilight dips in the lake clamored to a halt as a fistfight escalated into a firefight.
In the six months since gunfire pierced the summer night, the lethal shootout at the packed Issaquah park has defied easy answers. The investigation remains open, but tips to the King County Sheriff’s Office dried up not long after the incident.
Now, King County Medical Examiner’s Office reports, court documents, and accounts from law enforcement officers and park rangers offer a glimpse at the chaos inside the park amid the firefight and the ensuing investigation.
Yang Keovongphet, 33, a Laotian immigrant and a Kent resident employed in manufacturing, and Justin Cunningham, 30, a native Seattleite and a mechanic, died in the shootout.
Investigators hope ballistics tests help determine the shooter or shooters. Sgt. John Urquhart, sheriff’s office spokesman, urged observers to hold off on speculation until the investigation concludes — despite reports identifying either dead man as a shooter.
The investigation timeline remains uncertain, because the process has slowed as the state crime laboratory toils to process evidence in the case. The results could remain unavailable until almost a year after the incident.
The long backlog at the understaffed and underfunded Washington State Patrol crime laboratories means evidence needed for upcoming trials or to charge jailed suspects receives more immediate attention.
“It’s not like ‘CSI’ by any stretch of the imagination,” Urquhart said. “It just doesn’t work that way.”
