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Thursday, February 19, 2009 - 7:39 PM
There are definitely some rough waters ahead if you are an outdoors enthusiast in Washington State. The reason? A gaping 8 billion dollar plus hole in the state budget. While some of the blame lies with a state legislature that spent beyond their means in recent years (and is now paying far worse a price than they would have otherwise), the declining national economy and is also to blame.
In Washington alone, the State Parks Commission may well close a dozen parks to meet the governors mandated budget cuts for their agency. Likewise, the State Department of Fish and Wildlife is looking at cutting some 150 employees and losing 20 percent of their budget. In addition to this, their long understaffed enforcement division may soon be absorbed by the Washington State Patrol. This has been done in Oregon but it remains to be seen whether or not this will actual be a cost savings, let alone any benefit, for the overstretched game wardens trying to work their districts.
These issues really only scratch the service of what will happen. In the years to come, it appears we are going to have to deal with less services and opportunities than before. User fees and an increase in volunteers for both agencies have the ability to help in some degree, though there has so far been no public talk of either of these solutions.
Hang on - there is definitely some whitewater ahead.
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