Happy Independence Day

 The huddled masses are no longer welcome on the commons

$10 to park here

 As of July 1st,  access to the State commons (DNR,State Park and Fisheries lands) will cost $10.00 per day or $35 per year. That's a $30 fee plus a $5 fee to pay the fee. Enforcement of the "Discovery Pass" starts tomorrow on July 5th.



No allowance has been made for low income seniors or low income disabled persons. But as usual even the richest of the disabled vets get in for free.

What does this mean? It means you can not drive through the capital forest
(or any other DNR wasteland) or park in a state park or on fisheries or blm land, unless you pay $10 a day or $35 for six months. This pass only applies to state lands.

You will still need a separate pass to park at certain trail heads in government lands and to get into National parks. But at least Seniors Citizens   and disabled citizens (of any income level) can get a free / low cost life time pass for federal lands.



$10 to park  or drive through this this fine DNR wasteland

 This new state pass will only be good for one vehicle, so if you sell your car or have to get a new license plate, then what?

The last time the state tried this it only cost $5.00 and the state had to give up on it, because it caused people to stop using the parks. Does the state really think they will do better charging twice as much and during an economic downturn? They would privatise the air we breath if they could find a way to meter it!

Tickets for not having a "discovery pass" will be $99.00 with all of the ticket money going into the state fund rather than the parks fund.  This will not help our parks, our parks still need donations and are set to go broke in 2012 with this new program.

"The world punishes the person who steals a goose from the commons, but rewards the person who steals the commons."