The thought of losing these special places tugs at my heart.  As I sift through hundreds of photos capturing countless memories of special moments that I have spent in our parks, I am reminded just how important they have been, and continue to be, in my family’s lives.

Help Protect Our Parks!

Please share your own photos of your favorite moments at Washington’s State Parks so we can remind our leaders what’s really at stake!

How to Submit Your Photos:

1. Email
   Attach your photos to an email, put the name of the State Park in the subject line, and add a short description in the text body. Email your photos to sun63water@photos.flickr.com.
2. Facebook
   Upload your photo to the Pacific Regional Center’s Facebook page with a short description, and tag with #wastateparks.

Requirements:
Please only send us photos that belong to you, and note that by sending us photos, you give us permission to post them on our website (with attribution).

What’s at Stake

What’s at stake if our Washington State Parks were to close? The way I look at it, people and wildlife have a lot to lose. These stories and photos help me to remember that Washington State Parks are our legacy to our children and to their children, to our future:

Sucia Island State Park is a 564-acre marine park with 77,700 feet of shoreline. Sucia Island is considered the crown jewel of the state’s marine park system. It is consistently ranked as one of the top boating destinations in the world.

The fourth oldest park system in the country, Washington has 117 parks and 700 historic structures. These natural places are a delight to explore and learn about the history of our region and about nature and wildlife. With so many great state parks just a short road trip away, you are sure to find the perfect weekend destination.

Picnics and family gatherings, annual camping trips, wildlife and tranquil natural settings away from the city and immersed in nature is what you will find at State Parks.

Blake Island State Park is a 475-acre marine camping park with five miles of saltwater beach shoreline providing magnificent views of the Olympic Mountains and the Seattle skyline. The park is only reachable by tour boat or private boat. Indian-style salmon dinners and demonstrations of Northwest Indian dancing are offered at Tillicum Village, a concession on the island.

Our Parks: Where We Go to Play

Deception Pass State Park is a 4,134-acre marine and camping park with 77,000 feet of saltwater shoreline, and 33,900 feet of freshwater shoreline on three lakes. Rugged cliffs drop to meet the turbulent waters of Deception Pass. The park is outstanding for breath-taking views, old-growth forests and abundant wildlife.

There are so many beaches, hikes, mountains and natural places in our State Parks to walk and explore! You may discover marine debris from faraway places. Build elaborate drift wood forts, scoop up seashells, and pocket colored sea glass and shiny pebbles. Skip rocks on calm water, first one then three and sometimes five skips, and fly kites in a vast blue sky next to weathered war-time bunkers, where harmonicas make a sweet sound resonating off dark silent walls.

Play football, ride bikes and tend to scuffed knees and scraped hands. Hike along paths lined with tall trees that sway in the wind, and see bushes filled with birds eating berries, and bees buzzing in the heat of the day. Discover a deer hidden in the tall grass.

Jones Island State park is a 188-acre marine camping park with 25,000 feet of saltwater shoreline on the San Juan channel. The park features a beautiful loop trail down the center of the island then around the western shore. 

These treasured times, out in nature on our public lands, in our State Parks, cannot be taken for granted or forgotten. They are a place of discovery and learning about our natural world, they teach us to understand and respect our history and our land. They are a place for personal growth and of treasured moments with family and friends.

Cape Disappointment State Park (formerly Fort Canby State Park) is a 1,882-acre camping park on the Long Beach Peninsula, fronted by the Pacific Ocean. The park offers two miles of ocean beach, two lighthouses, an interpretive center and hiking trails. Visitors enjoy beachcombing, ship watching and exploring the area’s rich natural and cultural history. The nearby coastal towns of Ilwaco and Long Beach feature special events and festivals spring through fall.

Cathy and son Mac lobbying for Washington State Parks at the State Capital in Olympia

State Parks in Trouble

Over the past four years, the State Park Commission’s budget has suffered an 88% reduction in general fund support. In 2011, the Washington Legislature created the Discover Pass to replace general fund tax money, but not enough passes are being sold to make up for the deep budget cuts. This means there are not enough funds to cover the cost of operating and maintaining state-managed recreation lands.

It’s not too late to stand up for our State Parks! Here’s how you can help make sure these special places continue to protect wildlife and inspire the next generation of conservationists:

1. Send us your photos of you visiting Washington’s State Parks, and we will share them with legislators to remind them of what’s really at stake (see instructions at top of page).
2. Urge your state legislators to support critical funding to protect Washington’s state parks.
3. Get your Discover Pass! This vehicle-access pass allows you to enjoy millions of acres of Washington state-managed recreation lands – including parks, wildlife areas, trails, natural and wilderness areas, heritage areas and water-access points.

The new Oh, Ranger! ParkFinder™ app is your free virtual guidebook to every U.S. federal and state park as well as more than 50,000 local parks. It’s a quick an easy way to find parks near you with the activities you want to do.

Help Wildlife When You Download

What’s even better? For every app downloaded now through Labor Day, Ford Motor Company will make a donation to one of four non-profit organizations, one being National Wildlife Federation!

Discover parks with hidden campgrounds, the best fishing spots, scenic overlooks or bird-watching paradises. Oh, Ranger! ParkFinder makes it easy to find great places for a scenic drives, to discover historic sites, go camping and so much more.

Simply select your favorite activities or where you want to go (or both), and this unique mobile app will instantly generate a personalized list of recommendations.

New features of the app include the ability to:

• Check in to parks;
• Add comments and pictures;
• Post to Facebook and Twitter; and
• Share your experiences at any park you visit.

Oh, Ranger! ParkFinder is available for both Apple and Android devices, and all the same information is available at OhRanger.com.

Scan this QR code or visit OhRanger.com to download the app. The app is available for your iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch or Android device.

After you download the app, vote for National Wildlife Federation and Ford Motor Company will make a donation to help NWF protect wildlife.

Jan 6: Science Friday

Winter Wonderland? Wonder No Longer

The winter solstice has come and gone, making it officially winter in the U.S., with cooler temperatures, less sunlight, and, in some places, snow, ice, and frost. NWF’s David Mizejewski joins a panel of experts to discuss the different phenomena that combine to make up the season we call winter, and give tips for how best to appreciate the natural world in wintertime.

Jan 5: The Washington Post

Advice from a former obese kid

The new year has brought with it renewed pledges to make 2012 the year we finally take on the childhood obesity epidemic.

Max Greenberg has his own thoughts on this front. Greenberg works for the National Wildlife Federation and Outdoors Alliance for Kids. He’s an avid promoter of unstructured physical activity to combat the childhood obesity epidemic.

Jan 4: Foster’s Daily Democrat (op-ed)

Silent Swing: On Trips Through NH, Candidates Failing to Talk Conservation

Theodore Roosevelt creating the National Parks System to Richard Nixon establishing the Environmental Protection Agency to George H.W. Bush signing a strengthened Clean Air Act, Republicans have a long history of supporting common sense solutions to problems facing our wildlife, air, water and public health. Will this year’s crop of GOP candidates follow that conservative presidential tradition?

So far, the signs aren’t promising. I’ve heard plenty about jobs, but little of protecting the rivers, lakes and wildlife habitat that supports thousands of hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation related jobs across New Hampshire. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife, in New Hampshire 228,000 people spent $177 million on fishing in 2006. Every dollar spent on conservation programs here in New Hampshire delivers jobs and economic activity.

Dec 30: The Washington Post

Mild weather redefines winter landscape

At the National Arboretum, the white petals of snowdrops — normally an early spring flower — have unfurled. In Maine’s Acadia National Park, lakes still have patches of open water instead of being frozen solid. And in Donna Izlar’s back yard in downtown Atlanta, the apricot tree has started blooming.

It’s not in your imagination. The unusually mild temperatures across several regions of the country in the past few months are disrupting the natural cycles that define the winter landscape.

Dec 29: The Colorado Independent

BLM sage-grouse guidance ruffles some enviro feathers

Reactions from conservation groups both nationally and on the ground in Colorado have been mixed regarding this week’s U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) guidance for the preservation of habitat for the greater sage grouse.

The size of small chickens, the wild, mostly ground-bound birds are found on up to 47 million acres of federal land managed by the BLM in 10 western states, including Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. Scientists say the bird is a key indicator species, but that populations have declined by up to 90 percent over the last century because of energy development, mining, grazing, residential development and invasive species of weeds in sagebrush country.

Dec 28: The Today Show

David Mizejewski with Cold-Weather Critters

David Mizejewski from the National Wildlife Federation introduces the TODAY gang to a few amazing animals, including an arctic fox, a snowy owl, a porcupine and more.

Dec 27: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (op-ed)

Keep drilling out of state parks

Pennsylvania’s state parks are special places. These public lands provide opportunities for families to connect with nature and for sportsmen and women to enjoy hunting and fishing. Our state parks also allow folks to escape from the stress of traffic jams and crowded cities for cleaner air and more peaceful moments.

Unfortunately, conserving these precious outdoor spaces for recreation and the quality of life they provide for Pennsylvania’s residents may conflict with another resource: natural gas.