PORT TOWNSEND — Two North Olympic Peninsula lawmakers said they would support legislation to rescind a $5 state parks day-use fee, which Jefferson County officials say has hurt visitation.
Reps. Lynn Kessler (D-Hoquiam) and Jim Buck (R-Joyce) on Thursday said they agree with a Jefferson County commissioners’ resolution calling for an end to the fees at all state parks countywide.
Stating that the fee program’s benefits are “highly questionable” and of a negative economic impact countywide, Jefferson County commissioners last week petitioned Gov. Christine Gregoire and the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission to kill the fee.
While House Majority Leader Kessler said she would actively pursue ending the fee, Buck criticized the state parks commission for supporting it in the first place.
“I’ve always been against the day-use fee and it’s just one of those things that aggravates the dickens out of me,” Buck said Thursday from Olympia.
“The Legislature said it didn’t want it to happen and state parks did it anyway.”
Buck, however, said he wasn’t sure there would enough votes in the Legislature to end the fee.
He said many lawmakers statewide support the day-use fee.
Kessler said she would drum up support to end the fee before possibly moving on legislation against the fee.
The fee has been required since Jan. 1, 2003, at state parks, including six in east Jefferson County.
Only Fort Worden State Park has remained free of a fee, the result of an agreement with state parks involving the county, Port Townsend and Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce.
