Washington state wants private companies to sponsor parks
In a bid to rejuvenate Washington state parks, officials are looking to strike a deal with corporate America: give money in return for getting the company name in front of park visitors.
State parks managers are crafting a policy to allow private sponsorship at the state's 120 parks, a proposal the Parks and Recreation Commission could vote on Oct. 19. The agency already has begun advertising for potential sponsors.
"Join the fun when Seattle's active urbanites go play in the great outdoors!" reads an ad the parks agency recently ran in a trade magazine for the sponsorship industry.
State officials say it's part of a broader effort to find money for repairs and construction in the cash-strapped parks. The agency faces a $340 million backlog of maintenance work, and it has committed to spend $250 million sprucing up state parks in advance of the park system's 100th birthday in 2013.
It won't mean an invasion of corporate logos and neon billboards in the woods, say state parks officials. It could mean a plaque placed on a building saying a company helped pay for its construction, said Tom Oliva, enterprise coordinator for the commission.
"It would be more like the underwriting that you see on public radio, public television. It's going to be pretty targeted," Oliva said.
Several commissioners and state-parks boosters say if done tastefully, the initiative is a good way to help make up for what the state Legislature won't spend.
"In a perfect world we wouldn't need them [private sponsors]. In a perfect world we would have adequate support from the Legislature," said Joan Thomas, of Seattle, who sits on the seven-person Parks and Recreation Commission and is a past president of the Washington Environmental Council.
But the idea upsets some, who fear it would open the door to commercialization of public lands that are one of the few remaining refuges from advertisements.
Janine Michelsons, a Seattle resident and long-time visitor to state parks, was surprised when she learned of the plan earlier this week. She's not comforted by the promise that park managers will keep things modest.
"I just think this is a bad precedent," she said. "For now it's like a tasteful plaque, but what does that lead to?"
Continue reading this article from the Seattle Times:
Private companies as park sponsors? State is already advertising idea
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#25232 - Janet Benish
Washington State Parks has embarked on large-scale commercialization of state parks that goes well beyond sponsorship of parks. Washington State Parks 2013 Centennial Plan’s financial strategy authorizes Parks to enter into public-private partnerships. Currently, Parks is considering privatization of 40 to 60 state parks through such non-competitive bids. The failure of our legislature to finance our parks will lead to the loss of precious open green space free from the daily commercialization that bombards our lives.
Citizens For St. Edward State (C4sep.org) has openly opposed the state parks Commission’s approval in concept to develop a 100-room hotel with outdoor soaking tubs, and brew pub in the heart of St. Edward State Park. Citizens is committed to keeping Saint Edward State Park available as a publicly accessible resource for the public. Please join us in fighting commercialization of our state parks.
Janet Benish
rjbenish@hotmail.com