NORDLAND — Fort Flagler State Park volunteers were honored and appalled all in one day when they received the state’s Outstanding Volunteer Group of the Year award, only to find out that the park they love and care for was on Washington State Parks’ latest list for possible closure.
“It doesn’t make sense. It’s really amazing, surprising. It’s shocking,” said Bob Sully, Friends of Fort Flagler president, who went before the state parks commissioner last Thursday in Olympia to receive the volunteer group honor, which they have received before.
Sully and other Friends of Fort Flagler then learned that the 784-acre park on the north end of Marrowstone Island is on a newly proposed “mothball” list with 36 more state parks.
Until now, the only North Olympic Peninsula parks listed are Old Fort Townsend in Jefferson County and Bogachiel in Forks.
The park closures are part of a second wave the state parks commission is considering to save $23 million of state parks’ $100 million biennium budget.
Gov. Chris Gregoire on Feb. 19 announced an estimated $8.5 billion budget deficit for the 2009-2011 biennium, up from the governor’s original estimate of $5.7 billion and requiring additional cuts.
The latest list also includes Camp Casey State Park at Keystone on Whidbey Island, part of the historic military “triangulation of fire” at Admiralty Inlet during World War II.
Fort Ebey near Coupeville is also on the list.
Additional details in Wednesday’s editions of the Peninsula Daily News.
