The following announcement was contributed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the Washington Department of Natural Resources, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Drivers now have the option to buy the new $30 annual Discover Pass when renewing their license tabs through the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL).

DOL began mailing notices this month to vehicles owners whose registration renewal is in October. The pass is available for purchase by those with a vehicle registration expiration date on or after Oct. 1, 2011.

The one-stop shopping option was passed by the 2011 legislature, which also created the Discover Pass, a new access pass required for vehicles entering parks or recreation lands managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Vehicle owners may purchase the Discover Pass at DOL vehicle licensing offices or when renewing tabs online at www.dol.wa.gov. Buyers of the pass through the DOL process will receive their passes in the mail from WDFW within 10 business days of renewal and purchase. Transaction and dealer fees are not charged for annual passes purchased directly from DOL.

The Discover Pass also can be purchased in person from nearly 600 vendors across the state, by telephone or online at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov. In addition, the Discover Pass can be purchased from state parks as staff is available.

The new pass gives holders access to more than seven million acres of beautiful state-managed recreation lands, including parks, trails, wildlife and natural areas and water access sites.

The $30 annual ($10 one-day) pass was created to generate revenue that would keep the state’s parks and recreation lands open to the public by replacing tax dollars reduced in the agencies’ operating budgets. The Discover Pass is projected to make $65 million in revenue over the 2011-13 biennium.