Recreational Boating Safety Program issues half a million boater education cards
OLYMPIA — Over half a million boaters in Washington have completed their boating safety education course, meeting state requirements and making our waterways safer.
So far in 2025, the Washington State Recreational Boating Safety Program has issued over 4,000 boater education cards to people who have completed the course, bringing the total number of cards issued by the program to 500,000.
For 20 years, the Washington State Recreational Boating Safety Program has administered the mandatory boater education card. The program aims to reduce statewide boating fatalities and educate folks on…
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05/21/2025
OLYMPIA — The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (Parks) has begun using a new electronic bidding system for public works projects.
The launch of the Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) Bonfire system marks the first phase in the agency’s larger plan to modernize and streamline procurement across all competitive applications.
This move steers State Parks away from outdated paper and email-based bid submissions to a secure, centralized and transparent online portal: State Parks Bonfire Procurement Opportunities, powered by the MRSC Electronic Bidding Bonfire… Read more
05/20/2025
OLYMPIA — Over half a million boaters in Washington have completed their boating safety education course, meeting state requirements and making our waterways safer.
So far in 2025, the Washington State Recreational Boating Safety Program has issued over 4,000 boater education cards to people who have completed the course, bringing the total number of cards issued by the program to 500,000.
For 20 years, the Washington State Recreational Boating Safety Program has administered the mandatory boater education card. The program aims to reduce statewide boating fatalities and educate folks on… Read more
05/19/2025
OLYMPIA – Starting Oct. 1, 2025, the annual Discover Pass will increase from $30 to $45. The Discover Pass is a fee charged to park a vehicle at Washington’s state parks and lands operated by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife and Washington Department of Natural Resources.
This increase was passed by the Legislature in April, and on May 17, Gov. Bob Ferguson signed the bill into law. This is the first price increase since the Discover Pass was implemented in 2011 despite a period of high inflation.
The operation and maintenance of Washington’s… Read more
05/14/2025
OLYMPIA – Washington State Parks’ Folk and Traditional Arts Program (FTAP) announces its lineup of concerts and festivals this spring and summer, including the popular Waikiki Beach concerts at Cape Disappointment and the longstanding American Roots concerts at Deception Pass.
In addition, a unique partnership between FTAP and Trío Guadalevín produced a suite of songs with music videos highlighting historic and contemporary Latino/Hispanic contributions in the Pacific Northwest.
Trío Guadalevín is a renowned group of musicians, educators, storytellers and cultural artists based in… Read more
05/13/2025
OLYMPIA — The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold a virtual work session on May 21.
Commission meeting agenda items include a financial update, a presentation on the current 2025-2027 budget outlook, a look at the 2026 operating supplemental budget request, a legislative update and a discussion of Commission priorities.
View the full agenda and presentation materials here.
This is an online meeting, and all Parks staff and commissioners will be attending virtually. However, the Commission will provide a meeting space for the public to watch at the… Read more
04/30/2025
Public invited to ribbon-cutting ceremony, hike and trail ride on May 8
LYLE – The Swale Canyon segment of the Klickitat Trail will reopen after a 10-month renovation project to improve public safety and enhance visitor experience along this beautiful section of trail.
The new features will make foot, mountain bike and horse travel safer, prettier and less bumpy.
Trail improvements include:
Eight redecked trestle bridges
One replaced bridge
One bridge removed and replaced with a dip in the trail and potentially a shallow ford in early season
Several new gates along the trail
New… Read more
04/14/2025
OLYMPIA – Paddlesports like kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding, are among the most popular recreational activities in Washington State. In a recent study from the Recreation and Conservation Office, 52% of survey respondents participated in paddlesports. The study also noted a 28% increase in paddlesports participation from a previous study conducted in 2017.
Rising safety incidents show the importance of education on safety. Paddlesports accounted for 61% of reportable boating fatalities from 2023-2024, and 18 out of the 22 paddlesport fatalities occurred when the individual… Read more
04/10/2025
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission and Outdoors for All Foundation announce the second season of Action Trackchair availability at the Adaptive Cycling Center (ACC) starting April 17 at Lake Sammamish State Park.
The Action Trackchair has a track similar to the back of a snowmobile, allowing it to move over uneven terrain. The chair broadens access to the park’s trails, picnic areas and ballfields for people who have mobility needs.
The chair’s battery runs for around two hours and will signal when it’s low.
The ACC is located at Sunset Beach. It is one of two Seattle-… Read more
04/09/2025
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its regular commission meeting on April 17 at Evergreen State College in Olympia.
The public is welcome to attend in-person or online.
Agenda items include:
Requested authorization of a five-year lease for State Parks’ new headquarters space at the Department of Ecology building
Financial and legislative updates, including a discussion about proposed budgets for the agency
An update on the City of Westport’s draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposal of a golf course… Read more
04/08/2025
OLYMPIA — As a member of the Washington Clean Coast Alliance, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is proud to co-host the annual Washington Coast Cleanup on Saturday, April 19. This vital event brings together volunteers to help protect and preserve Washington’s coastline.
This year’s cleanup will take place at 10 state parks, including Cape Disappointment, Fort Flagler, Fort Townsend, Fort Worden, Grayland Beach, Mystery Bay, Ocean City, Pacific Beach, Shine Tidelands and Twin Harbors.
State Parks collaborates with Washington CoastSavers to organize three… Read more