PORT TOWNSEND — Port of Port Townsend commissioners and staff will tour Old Fort Townsend State Park this morning to learn more about the recreational area the state has listed for ownership transfer or closure.
Port leaders have expressed interest in taking over the park from the state.
The port commissioners and staff are conducting a special meeting at 9 a.m. with Kate Burke, manager of Fort Worden State Park, who also oversees management of Old Fort Townsend State Park.
She will take them on a tour of the 367-acre park off Highway 20 south of Port Townsend.
“It’s just to inform us what is out there and to kind of get a sense of what commitment we would be taking on,” said Port Commissioner John Collins.
He said he was surprised that the state reports that it only costs $25,000 a year to maintain.
Maintenance equipment
Commissioner Dave Thompson said he was concerned about whether the state would leave the maintenance equipment to the port.
“My concern is if we can actually break even on it,” he said.
Both Old Fort Townsend and Fort Flagler state parks are on the list of 36 that the state parks system is considering for new ownership or to be “mothballed” to save the parks system $23 million of its $100 million budget.
Gov. Chris Gregoire on Thursday announced an estimated $9 billion budget deficit for the 2009-2011 biennium, up from the governor’s original estimate of $5.7 billion and requiring additional parks cuts.
The original list also includes Bogachiel State Park in West Clallam County.
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.
Marrowstone Island residents and the Friends of Fort Flagler are writing letters to state officials and collecting signatures in support of keeping Fort Flagler State Park open, said Bob Suther, Friends of Fort Flagler president.
Petitions are available at Nordland General Store.
Tom Rose, co-owner of Nordland General Store on Flagler Road leading to Fort Flagler, said the closure of that park would seriously hurt his business.
Although the Port of Port Townsend has sent a letter to state parks officials expressing its interest in taking over 367-acre Old Fort Townsend State Park, the port commission said the nearly 800-acre Fort Flagler park on the north end Marrowstone would be too much to handle and too far away.
Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
