Olympia Update

By Sen. Mark Schoesler

Eastern Washington has several beautiful and popular state parks, including Steptoe Butte and Steptoe Battlefield in Whitman County, plus Lyons Ferry and Palouse Falls south of Washtucna.

Unfortunately, Washington State Parks oversees these parks. It's unfortunate because the agency has a history of bumbling in our part of the state. The latest example is the news that WSP will close the restrooms at the top of the Steptoe Butte State Park Heritage Site.

While I'm happy that the road to the top of Steptoe Butte will be repaved, I strongly oppose the decision to end a very basic service by closing the restrooms atop the butte. Anyone having a picnic there will be forced to travel five miles down to the park entrance for a restroom. This will be extremely inconvenient for visitors, especially women. In what other state park would that be OK? Park lovers in our region – and I am one of them–deserve better.

When people have to buy a Discover Pass to enjoy our state parks, they should expect basic services like restrooms.

Seeing how Steptoe Butte State Park is in my district, WSP administration should have notified me and Representatives Schmick and Dye about the restroom closures.

When I reached out to State Parks officials about the Steptoe Butte restrooms, they said the closures were part of a deal with local tribes. I understand that the tribes consider Steptoe Butte to be sacred ground. It is a special place for all of us. But I think this move will ruin what otherwise would be a great experience for many visitors who travel to the summit.

Meanwhile, the campsites at Lyons Ferry State Park, located where the Snake and Palouse rivers meet, have remain closed even after the park reopened about 10 years ago. WSP officials told me the campsites there will remain closed for another six years. This is unacceptable.

Lyons Ferry State Park is popular for fishing, water skiing, boating, picnicking and other recreational opportunities. Many hard-working taxpayers bring their boats to Lyons Ferry to enjoy a day on the water. It's too bad that the campsites there are not open so visitors could stay overnight.

After Lyons Ferry reopened, many people in the area have asked why the campsites there remain closed. There were public meetings with WSP officials at Dayton and Washtucna several years ago about the campsites at Lyons Ferry and Palouse Falls state parks. The plan was to close some campsites at Palouse Falls and reopen some Lyons Ferry campsites. But the Lyons Ferry campsites still have not reopened. When I pressed WSP officials about it, they blamed the Army Corps of Engineers and claimed it will take another six years to restore water, sewer, and electrical service available.

You'd expect a state agency would be able to work with tribal governments and the Corps and find solutions that allow these two parks to be fully used and enjoyed. Instead, it seems like WSP officials threw up their hands and moved on to something else instead of finding solutions that are acceptable across the board. "Incompetence" is a strong word, but it fits here.

-Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, has represented the 9th Legislative District since 1993.