Water Safety Reminders as Boating Season Begins
OLYMPIA – May 15, 2024 – Recreational boating is a popular pastime in Washington. In fact, nearly 225,000 vessels were registered in 2023. When you include Washington residents who own at least one canoe, kayak, rowboat or stand-up paddle board, boats and boaters are everywhere! During the month of May, those who participate in boating activities (and those who don’t!) are encouraged to keep safety in mind.
Recreation is not without risk. The chilly waters of the Pacific Northwest can be unforgiving, and safety must be on the minds of everyone who plays in and around Washington’s waterways…
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02/28/2024
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its regularly scheduled commission meeting virtually on March 6.
This is an online meeting, and all Parks staff and commissioners will be attending virtually. The public is invited to watch, but no verbal public comment will be taken during the meeting. The Commission will provide a meeting space for the public to watch at the agency’s headquarters in Olympia.
Agenda items include:
Approval of the Commission’s priorities for the 2025-2027 biennium,
Financial and legislative updates,
Overview of a proposal to… Read more
02/06/2024
OLYMPIA — As of Feb. 26, 2024, the cabins and restrooms in the lower area at Cama Beach State Park will be closed until further notice. Day use in that area will remain open but restrooms will only be available in other parts of the park.
Significant parts of the septic system recently failed in the impacted area, and the repairs will require extensive disturbance of the ground, which has known environmental and cultural complexities.
This is not a decision we take lightly, especially in light of the site’s cultural significance and the park’s popularity.
We know this is disrupting and… Read more
02/05/2024
OLYMPIA – Feb. 5, 2024 – The development of Nisqually State Park took another step forward last week as leadership from the Nisqually Tribe and the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission updated their partnership agreements.
Signing these documents updates the agreements with signatures from the new leadership at Parks and the Nisqually Tribe, outlining the contributions from each partner for the next phase of park development. These contributions include approximately $500,000 of artwork by Nisqually artists and an ongoing commitment to shared law enforcement at the park.
The… Read more
01/24/2024
OLYMPIA — Millersylvania State Park is temporarily closed while the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (Parks) completes its water testing protocol. The park is anticipated to reopen later this week.
On Sunday, Jan. 21, park rangers discovered evidence of a break-in at the park's reservoir. Though Parks does not have any reason to believe the water was tampered with, in accordance with standard procedure and out of an abundance of caution, the park was closed and water was collected for testing. Testing requires the water to be shut off in the entire park, including restrooms,… Read more
01/23/2024
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission Winter Recreation Program will be hosting Advisory Committee meetings in the coming weeks for both the Snowmobile Advisory Committee and the Winter Recreation Advisory Committee (WRAC).
The Snowmobile Advisory Committee meeting will be held Jan. 27 at 8:30 a.m. in the Cle Elum Rangers Station. The Snowmobile Advisory Committee assists and advises Parks in the development of snowmobile facilities and programs.
The WRAC meeting will be held on Feb. 3 at 8:45 a.m. at the Hampton Inn & Suites Spokane Valley. The WRAC… Read more
01/17/2024
Seasonal positions will serve parks across Washington.
OLYMPIA – Washington State Parks is recruiting seasonal park aides to work in its beautiful outdoor places this spring, summer and fall.
Parks is looking for more than 300 park aides and senior park aides to work from April through September in such diverse environments as old-growth forests, channeled scabland and shrub steppe, on Pacific Ocean beaches, in the high desert and around Puget Sound and its islands.
Park aides enjoy a variety of duties. They register campers, maintain trails, clean campgrounds and maintain facilities… Read more
01/16/2024
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its regular commission meeting on Jan. 25, 2023, at the Labor and Industries Offices in Tumwater.
The public is welcome to attend in-person or online.
Agenda items include:
Election of Commission officers for 2024
Adoption of the 2024 Parks Director Performance Agreement
Financial and legislative updates
Overview of interagency efforts to engage with tribes and improve management practices within Washington
Requested approval of grant requests to be administered through the Washington… Read more
12/13/2023
OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed Scott Merriman of Thurston County as the newest member of the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.
The Commission is made up of seven citizen members appointed by the governor. Commissioners are responsible for guiding the policies that steer the agency. Other duties include approving the agency’s strategic plan, setting Parks budget priorities and approving changes to Parks-related Washington Administrative Code.
Merriman is a graduate of Evergreen State College, where he earned his Bachelor of Science… Read more
12/07/2023
OLYMPIA – Ring in the new year with Washington State Parks during our annual First Day Hikes event on Jan. 1, 2024.
More than 40 state parks will host staff-led and self-guided hikes, snowshoe excursions, dog walks, bike and trail rides, paddle adventures and more on New Year’s Day.
First Day Hikes events will range in difficulty from paved, flat ADA-accessible trails to moderate hill climbs. A few parks will host more than one hike with options tailored to different interests and abilities. Additionally, some hikes will include fun and educational talks with rangers where you can learn… Read more
11/28/2023
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold in-person only planning meetings on Wednesday, Dec. 6 and Thursday, Dec. 7 at the Tulalip Resort in Tulalip.
Commission planning meeting agenda items for Dec. 6 include a discussion of 2023 accomplishments, the annual evaluation of the Parks director’s performance, updates to Commission priorities for the current biennium and a discussion about priorities for the 2025-2027 biennium.
On Dec. 7, the Commissioners will complete a board member training.
The public may attend the meetings, but no public comment will… Read more