Money isn’t flowing to state parks from Clallam County vehicle owners renewing their registration, who can choose to allow a $5 charge to be added to their fee to help keep three North Olympic Peninsula parks open, among others statewide.
“They are probably leaning toward no, just because of the way it was presented,” said Lila Duncan, vehicle licensing manager for the Clallam County Auditor’s Office.
“We are getting comments like, it’s a real sneaky way of doing it.”
Earlier this year, the state Legislature approved the “opt out” measure for vehicle registrations after Rep. Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam — who represents the 24th District, which covers Clallam, Jefferson and a part of Grays Harbor counties — introduced the bill to help save state parks.
Area parks listed for closure
Dozens of state parks in Washington — including Bogachiel State Park, southeast of Forks, Fort Flagler on Marrowstone Island and Fort Townsend, south of Port Townsend — were listed for possible closure because of state budget woes.
Before the legislation, people could choose to donate $5. Now, the donation is automatic unless the person says no to it.
The measure took effect with September renewals.
Duncan said that, while the department has not tallied the number of people choosing to opt out of the program, the program appears not to be popular.
It would be much easier to just ask the motorist to mark yes or no, such as they do with organ donation on their driver’s license application, Duncan said.
More popular in Jefferson County
In Jefferson County, most motorists are permitting the $5 charge to stand, said Jefferson County Auditor Donna Eldridge, whose office handles auto registration renewals.
“Our people are paying the five bucks,” she said.
Eldridge said that, in September, 2,932 vehicle registrations were processed, and 498 opted out, the auditor’s office reports.
That means only 17 percent opting out during that month, Eldridge said.
Fate rests with drivers
Whether enough people statewide will let the donation stand could mean the difference between whether parks stay open or are mothballed.
The state is banking on at least 50 percent of drivers to not opt-out of the extra cost, so that it can bring in an estimated $28 million through 2011 to keep parks like the three on the Peninsula from being mothballed.
That expectation may be optimistic, since under the previous “opt-in” model, only 1.4 percent of people donated, with the state collecting just more than $635,000 a year.
The Washington state law is modeled on one that took effect in Montana in 2004.
Montana’s law is stricter, with drivers who want to opt out having to fill out a separate form that indicates they won’t use their vehicle to go to a state park.
Washington’s law has no such requirement.
Virginia Painter, Washington State Parks spokeswoman, said the state hoped to have September numbers for the opt out program in the coming week.
“We’re just getting data now from the Department of Licensing,” Painter said.
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Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com
