Washington state recreation sites face closures due to DNR’s $8M budget cuts, impacting campgrounds and limiting public access to nature, officials report.
WASHINGTON, USA — Multiple recreation sites are closing across Washington state. This comes from budget cuts done this year’s legislative session for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Adam Gebauer is the public lands program director for the Lands Council in Spokane. It’s a non-profit aimed at helping to revitalize Inland Northwest forests, water and wildlife.
“We love getting folks out to experience their local nature. That’s one of our main missions, is show how accessible our public lands can be for folks,” said Gebauer.
But right now, Gebauer says that the mission is getting harder for recreating sites across the states. The Washington Department of Natural Resources announced they’re cutting recreation services and closing some campgrounds due to state budget cuts.
DNR says the budget cuts are increasing an ongoing lack of funding for maintenance and staff, leading to a more than 20% reduction that passed during last year’s legislative session.
In total, DNR says there were roughly $8 million in cuts to DNR’s recreation program in the past two years.
This leads to eleven campgrounds being impacted, including three full closures for parks this year. This includes the Rock Lakes campground located in Okanogan County.
Gebauer says the cuts are disappointing to see hit people wanting to recreate across the state.
“Washington is known for its outdoor rec opportunities, so anytime those are underfunded, it’s just unfortunate,” said Gebauer.
He hopes more work gets done next year to try and restore funding so more people can enjoy wildlife across the state and cuts don’t make it closer to Spokane.
“If folks have a particular spot that’s being impacted, be great to reach out to DNR to figure out if there’s ways for volunteers to help maintain trails or keep sites open,” said Gebauer.
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