Editor,
It’s not easy to get our arms around the situation within our Washington State Parks system. The budgetary facts are hair-raising. Ten years ago 70 percent of State Parks’ funding came via public tax monies and now, 10 years later, tax monies provide only 8 percent. Wiping out this major source of income for Washington State Parks is akin to the sole wage earner in a family becoming unemployed. The resulting implosion in the agency’s ability to sustain its mission is understandable — as is the urgent need to recover.
State parks staff did an admirable job last Tuesday evening to bring this matter into view. The presence of a Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission Commissioner, high-level personnel and state Rep. Norma Smith changed a potential clamor of anger to one of mutual understanding and empathy.
Nonetheless I believe the crowd was right to hold its ground that some policies and decisions (whether forced upon the agency by legislative requirements, or internally generated) are wrong. One such wrong decision concerns the jewel known as Possession Point State Park.
“Appropriate for surplus, or exchange” are the words used to identify various properties Parks’ staff deem either under-used, not needed, or one that might be accepted by another public agency for transfer. The Uplands at Possession Point could well be considered under-used because no one can find the trailhead to the overlook (It is behind the latrine, and the first 50 feet is sometimes mud). Under-utilized perhaps, but certainly not un-needed.
Presently, one of the two alternatives proposed for Possession Point identifies the Uplands as “appropriate for surplus, or exchange.” This alternative is equivalent to putting the property at risk for auction. Why? Because the agency’s regulations state that if no public entity comes forward to accept the property to manage, that property can then go to auction. Even though certain requirements are meant to keep sold property open to the public, that finally becomes negotiable too.
Why are the uplands so valuable? The forest trail up to the viewpoint has most of our native tree species, including the Yew. It also has a signature tree that shows, to this day, surveyor’s marks recorded in 1859. The trail ends at the Possession Point overlook, which is well suited to understanding the spot where Captain Vancouver, standing on the m/v Discovery, took “possession for King George” of all in his sight.
ELISA MILLER
Clinton
