Discover Pass sales slump

4 free views left!

By K.C. Mehaffey
World staff writer

Originally published October 22, 2012 at 9:35 a.m., updated October 22, 2012 at 3:39 p.m.

OLYMPIA — With Discover Pass sales falling far short of projections this summer, the State Parks and Recreation Commission will decide Thursday whether to ask lawmakers for more money from the general fund than planned.

Discover Pass revenues were about $4.7 million short of expectations for the months of June through September, said Parks spokeswoman Virginia Painter. That means instead of asking for $18 million from the general fund for the 2013-2015 biennium, the Commission will consider asking for $27.2 million, she said.

Two years ago, the legislature directed State Parks to wean itself off of state funding, and try to survive on its own revenues from camping fees, boat launch passes and the newly created Discover Pass. In response, the agency reduced 66 park rangers to seasonal employees, and eliminated dozens of positions.

The $30 annual pass has now been required to park in a state park or on other state land for a year and a half, and the agency predicted sales would pick up this summer, Painter said. Eighty-four precent of the pass revenues goes to State Parks, and the remaining 16 percent is split between the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Department of Natural Resources.

“We expected a big surge in the summer, which happened the first year. But it leveled off this year,” she said.

The problem was in forecasting how much money the new pass would raise. “It’s all trying to establish trends based on something we haven’t done before,” she said.

Painter said there are so many factors that come into play that make it hard to predict how well sales will go. But, she said, in the long term, the agency hopes lawmakers will recognize that some of its funding should come from general funds, even if the majority of its revenue does not.

“We’re not going back to a big reliance on the general fund,” Painter said. “But we do think it is right to have all citizens paying something for this system that benefits the whole state.”

She said an August report by the agency found that no states have a park system that relies solely on revenues from user fees, although most do ask people to pay something to use them.

Despite the public’s resistance to buy the new pass, she said, the agency believes eventually, people will change their minds.

“For the first two or three years, some people are going to say, ‘I’m not paying that.’ But eventually, if they love their parks, some people are going to figure out what they are missing,” she said.

Painter said the agency saw a similar resistance when it tried to institute a $5 parking fee in 2003.

“Our attendance had fallen 30 to 40 percent the first year,” she said. But three years later, visitation had dropped by about 15 percent statewide. But just when it was starting to work, lawmakers opted to pull the fee under pressure by some constituents, she said.

Painter said State Parks is now launching a promotional campaign that could help convince people to support their parks by purchasing a Discover Pass.

“One of the things we’re working on now is promoting the pass as a gift,” she said.

K.C. Mehaffey: 997-2512

mehaffey@wenatcheeworld.com

» Recommend this story.

» 21 comments on this story

Want to comment on this story? All Wenatchee World members are invited to comment on stories, by using the form below. Please know that we at wenatcheeworld.com hope our site is useful, entertaining and civil. So we'll delete comments that are obscene, abusive or way off topic. We appreciate it when readers use the "suggest removal" button to flag inappropriate comments. For more about interacting with the site, see our Use Policy.

karilg 6 months, 4 weeks ago

I think one of the problems is that they have made it to complicated. Between the boat launch pass, park pass, forest pass and all the rules that go with them it is a hassle trying to figure out what exactly a person needs.

carol 6 months, 3 weeks ago

I agree..and then you only need it to PARK there...if you walk in it's not required..more complications with exemptions.

JimboBear 6 months, 3 weeks ago

Yep! Count me as one who decided that when they figure out what they want to charge, I'll consider buying a pass. I hate to make a stupid statement here, but why not just charge a set fee for entrance and all services except overnight camping (same fee at all parks) which is good at any park at any time during the year? That way I'd know that I can visit any park once I buy my annual pass, park my car, and enjoy the facilities and know it will cost me an additional flat fee per night if I spend the night.

Until they do that, I'm pretty sure that I can get along just fine without Washington State Parks.

davebugg 6 months, 3 weeks ago

The answer to this problem is very obvious: raise the cost of the Pass, and start requiring each pair of shoes to also have a Pass.

Our politicians are slipping.

dg1 6 months, 3 weeks ago

My thoughts as well, Jimbo. We normally take our motorcycles out to visit places and I'm NOT spending 30$ for each of us to carry a pass, that we may, or may not, use.

WA state would have gotten more $$ out of us this year, if they had the 'pay as you go' system. If we came upon a place that we needed a DiscoPass, we didn't stop. If we could have just paid a couple bucks per bike, per visit, we would have.

lonedog3 6 months, 3 weeks ago

It seems that more people just by-passed the parks rather than shell out $35 for the pass. I think we are in the group that just avoided anywhere we needed the pass. Out on the motorcycles we just went further up the road to find a nice place without needing this pass. It will only get worse with all sorts of taxes, fuel prices and food prices skyrocketing. Pay as you go would probally work better but then again a lot of folks just cannot afford going out anymore.

karilg 6 months, 3 weeks ago

I hope they pass this story and the comments along to Olympia. Maybe they might consider what people have said and why they are not buying the passes???????????? Not overly hopeful though.

JimboBear 6 months, 3 weeks ago

One thing for sure. As long as a separate pass is required for every vehicle, I'll NEVER buy one. That'd be $105 per year for me, and since I'm single, that seems a bit steep.. I'd say that's a bad guess by the Parks Commission! One would think that you should be able to register all your vehicles and receive placards or stickers for each, but that when Rangers check the vehicles, only one would be permitted at a time unless extra fees are paid and citations issued for violations..

Dave 6 months, 3 weeks ago

I would think someone that could afford three vehicles would think nothing of paying $105.00 to be able to take them anywhere in the state and use the facilities for $35.00? For the cost of the vehicles, this is a very small percent. The cost to park three vehicles a day would be around .28 cents for parking. Where else can you park three vehicles and use the facilities for 28 cents?

wenatcheetodd 6 months, 3 weeks ago

Jimbo, There is a set fee: $30 which is good for 2 vehicles , although not at the same time. This is good for all Washington state Parks. I buy the boat launch pass (I use the boat launches a lot) which includes a discover pass and is good for any vehicle. There is not a place to put your license #. The boat launch is $80 and is good for any Washington state boat launch.

JimboBear 6 months, 3 weeks ago

Oh! OK Todd, I thought it was thirty-five and only good for one vehicle. Goes to show you. When they put this BS in place I quit going to State owned facilities. Quite honestly, I think eighty bucks to launch a boat is ridiculous too, unless you use your boat a lot more than I would. It also makes the "two vehicles, although not at the same time" comment rather meaningless given the fact that both your tow rig and the trailer are licensed vehicles under the DMV banner. Oh, well . . . . I'm just complaining for the sake of complaining. I don't like paying use fees for state owned properties that I in theory, already own a part of.

lonedog3 6 months, 3 weeks ago

It is $35! the selling agent tacks on $5 making it the $35.

kyook 6 months, 3 weeks ago

"I don't like paying use fees for state owned properties that I in theory, already own a part of."

I think that's my beef with it too, Jimbo. We pay taxes on top of taxes and the state will inevitably find more ways to waste it or misappropriate it, so they come back to the taxpayers for more. That's all these passes are, just another tax. The state couldn't manage a budget if their lives depended on it. They will always find ways to creep up our taxes and call it by another name, ie: fees, surcharges, administrative costs, etc. even if it goes against the direct will of the people. I'd challenge you to find anybody that actually pays $30 to put tabs on their vehicle.

lonedog3 6 months, 3 weeks ago

$30 tabs? I have three vehicles, counting the boat and pay almost $250 a year to put tabs on them!

kyook 6 months, 3 weeks ago

The state fails to understand the old adage, to decrease the use of something, charge more.

If they want to raise more money, decrease the price & more people will buy the passes. As it is now, it has become price prohibitive for a lot of folks.

Porky 6 months, 3 weeks ago

Let get the State to quit saying the pass is $30.00 when we know they charge a $5.00 for admistration fee (paper work). My problem, as an example, the camp grounds on the coast especially charge for the use of a cabin, or Urte(sp) $75.00 a night plus tax. Then they have only a couple that will accept pets, which is $15.00 + tx. You can find a cottage in most of the places for $70 to $80 a night and you have the use of it having a kitchen. I would guess those who do not like or have pets would look at is as a good deal. I do not blame them for the extra cost for pets, but I find $15. a little steep. If you go in a RV or Tent, there is no extra charge. Maybe if all the people that had pets would do what they were supposed to do, it would not gotten out of hand,

wenatcheetodd 6 months, 3 weeks ago

Yea forget about those pesky adminastration fees! For clarification, the regular discover pass has a place to put 2 license plate numbers. This pass hangs on your rearview mirror. So you can only use on one vehicle at a time. Boat launch sticker has no place for a licence plate number so essentially you can use on multiple vehicles, but still on only one vehicle at a time. I personally think the fees are very reasonable for using our great state Parks and boat launches. As for all the people that won't pay to use, great, less crowded for me and my family.