Washington State Campgrounds Face Closures Due to Funding Cuts

0:00Washington State's Department of Natural Resources just announced four campgrounds shutting down completely for the rest of the year, with several. Others facing partial closures. This comes after two straight years of big funding cuts from the state legislature, totaling around $8 million last from the recreation program. Lawmakers trim more than 20% last year, then cut nearly $600,000 more this year for maintenance. What started as a proposed $750,000 cut got scaled back a bit, but it's still forcing tough choices. Commissioner Dave Up the Grove says it's the wrong move when folks need public lands more than ever, and he's pushing to team up with legislators for fixes. Sites will see slower storm cleanups, emptier bathrooms at trailheads, and overall less upkeep. The full closures hit Anderson Lake near Elbe, Rock Lakes and Conconley, Upper Clearwater and Forks, and overnight stays at Island Camp in Glenwood, though they use stays open there. Seven more spots face temp shutdowns or cutback services, plus they lost the key partnership that brought the work of 70 extra field staff, with just 60 staff handling 21 miles of trail, 50,000 acres, and 33,000 visitors per person.

1:14Freshers mounting head to the DNR website for the latest on closures and updates as they work through this. That's the story for today. Canada News Today, Driven by AI. I'm Corey with the story.