WE BELIEVE
OUTDOOR RECREATION
Matters.
WELCOME TO THE BIG TENT
The Umbrella Organization for the voice of Outdoor Recreation in Washington State.

The mission  of the Big Tent  is to promote sustainable, diverse, equitable, and inclusive outdoor experiences in Washington state through advocacy and education.

What we do:  The Big Tent advocates for sustainable state funding for recreation and conservation lands as well as sustainable and equitable development and human interaction with those lands.

Vision:  The Big Tent envisions a Washington where elected leaders, businesses, nonprofits, and residents are working together to create a more inclusive and equitable outdoor experience for all. We want to find ways to use outdoor recreation to fuel economic activity and sustain healthy outcomes in our communities.

#RecreateResponsibly to Protect Yourself, Others, and the Outdoors

During this public health crisis, spending time in outdoor spaces has become even more important for many Americans. Yet these unusual circumstances mean that all of us, from seasoned outdoor enthusiasts to families heading out to their local park for the first time, could use a little guidance about how to stay safe. The Recreate Responsibly guidelines offer a starting point for getting outside to keep yourself healthy and to maintain access to our parks, trails, and beaches. [ LEARN MORE ]


 

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State Parks - Making Lemonade out of Budget Lemons‏

Budget details can be found at the following links:

State Parks Recommendation Summary

Proposed State Budget

The propsed budget is neither sufficient nor sustainable.  While it more than doubles general fund support, that amount is starting from such a small number that doubling it is hardly sufficient.  Even when combined with the $10 million litter tax diversion, and the correction of an error that would add another handful of millions of dollars, the amount proposed  is barely more than the Commission requested last biennium, after backing out pay raises and other general government  adjustments, and is only about half of what the Commission identified as necessary for a healthy state park system.  And even that inadequate level depends upon a further multimillion dollar drawdown of already imprudently low reserves.
 
And all of that depends upon an already-declared to be DOA $1.4 billion in tax increases- on top of an almost ten percent growth in revenues.  With none of it dedicated to state parks.
 
So those are some of the budget lemons.  Now we need budget lemonade.
 
Within the Governor’s tax package is the return of the sales tax to bottled water.  It is worth $44.7 million.  This has been discussed for some time, and this tax- dedicated to State Parks- was part of the Outdoor Recreation Task Force’s proposals.  If this reimposed tax, with its $44.7 million in proceeds, were dedicated to State Parks, we could:

 - Fund our state park system at a level a bit above the Governor’s level- hardly sufficient, but an end to the bleeding of the past six years and a base upon which to build – a stable, dedicated base.
 - Prevent a further draw-down of essential and prudent reserves.
 - End the litter tax diversion.  The diversion ends in two years and  creates a $10 million hole in the State Parks budget.  It creates a problem for the Legislature in enacting a four-year sustainable budget.  Ending the diversion early ends both of those problems.   

The Governor did not propose thus- but the “lemons” are there for lemonade- if legislators want to make it.  Not sufficient- but stable and sustainable- and a start toward a healthy system.
     
Jim

Citizens for Parks and Recreation
James L. King, Jr., Coordinator

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Washington State's Outdoor Recreation Economy Generates

View the 2020 Economic Analysis of Outdoor Recreation in Washington State for details