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Virginia Painter (360) 902-8562
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State Parks Commission regular meeting scheduled for Olympia next week
OLYMPIA – Jan. 15, 2014 – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will meet in Olympia for its regular meeting next week.
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, at the Governor Hotel, 621 Capital Way S., Olympia. A full Commission meeting agenda is available online at www.parks.wa.gov/agency/commissionmeetings/. Time for public comment is provided at all regular Commission meetings, which are scheduled a year in advance and convened six times a year at locations around the state.
The Commission will consider adoption of an agency advertising policy to allow commercial advertising on agency digital media, including websites, as well as on print media, such as park brochures and maps. Currently, “.gov” uniform resource locators (URLS) are regulated by the federal government, and federal policy prohibits commercial advertising on “.gov” URLs. The agency is requesting an exemption through the General Services Administration to allow advertising on its “.gov” sites. If no exemption is granted, the policy would allow State Parks to develop opportunities to offer advertising through redirects to official agency “.com” sites.
In other business, the Commission will hear a legislative and financial update, and staff will present a variety of reports, including: the agency’s statewide Boating Programs (scheduled for 10:30 a.m.); a grant update on Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program’s state parks category, process and criteria; a statewide trails program update; Interpretive Transformation initiative report; 2013 Kukutali Preserve Annual Report; the future of Bridgeport State Park; and park naming and counting.
Work sessions: Two work sessions are scheduled during Commission meeting week. Work sessions are open to the public, however, no public testimony is heard and no formal Commission action taken at work sessions. The sessions are as follows:
•9 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22, Governor Hotel, 621 Capital Way. S., Olympia. Wednesday work session topics include the agency’s Transformation Strategy; urban wildlife refuges; deferred maintenance and historic preservation; Nisqually memorandum of understanding and other tribal partnerships; status report on law enforcement and maintenance; marketing plan; partnerships and the 2014 director’s contract.
•8:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 24, Washington State Parks Headquarters, 1111 Israel Road S.E., Olympia. Friday’s session includes discussion of work underway as part of the agency Transformation Strategy to define a healthy and sustainable park system; the work is intended to help with development of the 2014 Strategic Plan and 2014-16 budget request.
Stay connected to your state parks by following Washington State Parks at www.facebook.com/WashingtonStateParks, www.twitter.com/WaStatePks_NEWS, www.foursquare.com/WAStatePks and www.youtube.com/WashingtonStateParks. Share your favorite state park adventure on the new State Parks’ blog site at www.AdventureAwaits.com.
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission manages a diverse system of more than 100 state parks and recreation programs, including long-distance trails, boating safety and winter recreation. Washington State Parks turned 100 years old in 2013. For more information about parks and services, visit www.parks.wa.gov/events/.
Support state parks by purchasing your annual Discover Pass today, and enjoy a whole year of outdoor fun on Washington’s beautiful state-managed recreation lands. For more information, visit www.discoverpass.wa.gov.
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