Contact senator about Discover Pass | Letter

Published 4:36 pm Tuesday, July 19, 2011

I am writing to encourage all people of San Juan Country who are concerned or upset about the newly implemented “Discover Pass” for entry to our state parks and public lands to contact Senator Ranker and Representative Jeff Morris.

What concerns and really upsets me is that this $30 pass is only for one car. While my husband and I don’t mind paying the $30 for the pass to help keep our state parks open, we do oppose the one vehicle per household regulation. We have a Toyota Tacoma truck, which is our main vehicle when we go off island and travel. We have an older Volvo that we use on island, sometimes take off the island and use to take family and friends to see the sights when they are visiting. We can’t cram five people into the cab of our truck, thus we will be forced to pay for two passes or $60 instead of the $30 fee (or pay a $10 parking fee for each visit). If you use a motorcycle to cut on gas expenses and have a vehicle, you still would have to pay $60. This is a great hardship on us and needs to be re-worked.

There is also nothing that addresses the island rental car and moped businesses. Do they need to get multiple passes for each vehicle and moped or do they have to pay the $99 fine if the tourists who rent them don’t pay the $10 parking fee to visit our state parks here?

I encourage you to contact Sen. Kevin Ranker and Rep. Jeff Morris and ask that they re-work this bill to include TWO VEHICLES per family. You would simply take in your registration into the parks office or authorized seller as proof and pay $30 for the two instead of just one. I often walk at Washington State Park in Anacortes and other local parks when on the mainland, as perhaps many of us do. We also need to figure out a way to deal with the car and moped rental business, as tourism is a major industry for us.

Please contact both legislators by sending separate letters at: 2415 T Avenue, Suite 202, Anacortes, Wash. 98221, and by calling (360) 588-6227. You can also go online and send letters via email. I encourage you to do all three. Let our voices be heard!

Patty Pirnack-Hamilton

Orcas Island