WHEN I WAS a young adult, I spent my summers working for the Boy Scouts, leading week-long backpacking treks through the North Cascades. We hiked high passes, slept in mountain meadows, and spent days immersed in wild places. It was there that my love for nature and recreation took root — a love that has carried me to my job as Commissioner of Public Lands.
Those experiences taught me more than how to pitch a tent or read a map. They instilled a deep respect for the natural world and showed me how transformative access to the outdoors can be — especially for young people.
Washington is home to some of the finest parks, trails and outdoor spaces in the country. Everyone deserves to experience them — these world-class spaces should be safe and accessible for all.
But right now, that access is under threat. And if we fail to act, we will fail not only ourselves, but future generations of Washingtonians who want to get outside to explore, play and be inspired.
For years, DNR’s Recreation Program has been managing and maintaining millions of acres of land, 1,300 miles of trails and hundreds of recreation areas with dwindling and inconsistent funding.
Last year, the Legislature cut the program’s funding by $2.5 million and failed to provide funding for the Washington Conservation Corps. These crews, made up of youth and young adults, provide invaluable support for recreation maintenance tasks and serve as a pipeline for future foresters, geologists and recreation managers. These crews were also crucial in our response to the destruction caused by last year’s bomb cyclone.
The State-Tribal Recreation Impacts Initiative is a partnership between Washington agencies and Tribal Nations focused on better managing outdoor recreation impacts on natural and cultural resources, and continued funding for this work is also essential. Compounding the problem, the Legislature cut deeply into our already-stretched-thin law enforcement — the exact folks who help ensure everyone using our public lands respects cultural resources.
This year, Gov. Bob Ferguson’s proposed budget includes $750,000 in further cuts to the maintenance funding essential to keeping DNR Recreation sites operational, safe and open to the public.
DNR’s recreation staff are among the most dedicated public servants in our state — and right now there are only 60 of them working in the field across Washington. That means only one employee for every 21 miles of trail, 50,000 acres of land and 330,000 visitors to DNR-managed lands.
To put that into context, Lumen Field – home to the Seattle Seahawks – has a maximum capacity of 70,000 people. Right now, DNR has, on average, one field staffer supporting 4.75 completely packed Lumen Fields annually.
As a result, many of our most-beloved trails and recreation areas are at a breaking point. Storm damage is going unaddressed, maintenance-level requests are backlogged, and many sites, trails and campgrounds may have to be closed to the public.
Much of the access Washingtonians enjoy today is made possible by volunteers from organizations like the Washington Trails Association, the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance and the Back Country Horsemen of Washington, who donate countless hours to ensure safe, secure and equitable access to recreation across the state.
While we are incredibly grateful to these volunteers, we need to do better by our state’s recreation workers.
Recreation is not only important to Washingtonians’ health, but it’s also critical to our state’s economy. Outdoor recreation supports 237,000 jobs in our state and saves us $390 million each year in health care costs. Last year alone, outdoor recreationists spent more than $24 billion in Washington.
I understand our state is facing a difficult budget situation. But right now, we should be investing more in recreation, not less. And those investments will pay off in increased economic activity across Washington.
During the current legislative session in Olympia, I have been meeting with legislators to highlight the urgent need to fund our recreation program, and I will continue exploring options for new dedicated funding to develop, maintain and expand recreation opportunities in our state.
As a young person, the course of my life was irrevocably shaped by time spent in Washington’s wild places. Those trails, campsites and backcountry landscapes didn’t happen by accident; they are the result of decades of dedication and hard work by countless public servants.
As our population grows, as beloved landscapes change or disappear, and as our kids (and many adults) get pulled further away from the outdoors, investing in recreation has never been more important.
This is about more than trailheads and maintenance requests. Our trails, recreation areas and green spaces are where people connect with nature, learn environmental stewardship and come to appreciate the beauty that Washington has to offer.
Let’s recommit to protecting and maintaining them. Let’s invest in programs that boost our economy and public health. And let’s ensure that Washington’s greatest asset — its natural heritage — remains open and accessible to all.
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Dave Upthegrove is the state Commissioner of Public Lands.
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