The state’s dire budget shortfall could result in a slash-and-burn situation for state parks that was unforeseen only a few months ago.
Recent forecasts that the state’s $33 billion budget for 2011-2012 will be $5.7 billion in the red– $1 billion more than earlier anticipated — prompted a request that Washington State Parks submit a budget scenario without a general fund allocation.
The impact is a $66 million hit to State Parks’ $142 million biennial budget.
“We do know that we’re going to have to do things differently, and we do know that we’re going to have some parks at zero service,” said Virginia Pinker, department spokeswoman.
Gov. Chris Gregoire said Monday that she’s calling the state Legislature into special session before Christmas to deal with a projected $1.1 billion state budget shortfall for the current fiscal year.
The seven-member Parks Commission had already devised two worst-case scenarios in September — one with six parks tagged for mothballing under a 10 percent cut and another with 14 parks pegged for mothballing under a 30 percent cut.
No parks in Jefferson or Clallam counties were on either list, but two parks on Bainbridge Island on both lists have since been transferred to city operation.
Loss of general fund money represented “a crisis unprecedented on modern times,” according to a report presented to Parks Commission members Nov. 19.
The reported detailed sweeping cost-cutting and revenue-generating measures including resurrection of a $5 parking fee for all visitors without annual passes, predicted to generate $60 million.
The Legislature would also have to approve parking fees, which are currently prohibited by law.
An additional $10 million could be saved by transferring development rights of some parks properties.
Add in an additional broad range of administrative, service and personnel reductions, and the savings is about $92 million.
“That said, it is highly probably that budget constraints and/or a restructuring of state government will require that the state park system be reduced in size by removal of parks that are of primarily local or regional attraction,” the reports warns.
But they’re not at that point yet.
The Parks Commission would need to develop criteria on which parks to target, convene with stakeholders and adopt a final hit list.
“They all have problems because people love their parks,” said Pinker.
Kate Burke, superintendent at Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend, who also oversees nearby Fort Townsend, which was once targeted for closure, emphasized that no decisions have been made.
Fort Townsend “is not more likely than any other park out there,” she said. “It’s still really vague at this point.”
One criterion that will definitely play a role in future decisions will be a revenues vs. expenditures survey, which shows which parks bring in the most money.
Of the five significant state parks in Clallam and Jefferson counties, Bogachiel State Park has the lowest revenue-to-cost ratio, 21 percent.
Bogachiel, Fort Townsend (41 percent ratio) and Sequim Bay (41 percent ratio) were each judged vulnerable in the survey under a $20 million budget reduction, with no offsetting revenue increase.
Fort Flagler, on Marrowstone Island, at a 48.5 percent ratio, and Fort Worden at a 66 percent ratio, were judged vulnerable under a $30 million reduction.
But the balance sheet is only one of many criteria.
Commissioners must take into account the impact on revenues when services are cut, Pinker said.
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Julie McCormick is a freelance writer and photographer living in Port Townsend. Contact her at 360-385-4645 or juliemccormick10@gmail.com.
