[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6094675,"mediaKeyId","2842212-bb2310004366b750af9d566711715e2d","parentId",2842212,"title","State Parks director outlines visitor demand, cultural assets and maintenance needs","audioSeconds",1397,"startMs",4129710,"endMs",5526790,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2842212-bb2310004366b750af9d566711715e2d&start=4129&end=5526","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2842212-bb2310004366b750af9d566711715e2d/thumbnail_4129710.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6094675/Washington/State-Parks-director-outlines-visitor-demand-cultural-assets-and-maintenance-needs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6094675-04c684ea5e7b49eeea001745064a9388/orig.mp4?Expires=1770720450&Signature=OH1HRZSUKHm~LG~Kf43Gp83Tpthgas3qpxcqUGMn8vPXa6QhgIoyeRsrpSYh8SVpr6F~k~UGH8etMkXzbnvzvqD4hdBfVXd5xIP9H8izNgqOdmQMKz-nHcYb7pn54hSthEuFFibQ05RmdsLDTS~X4GWI1pJnnEFCBuS9UU3OFdC1dQUV925DXj91nVIgCJTV0EmlwbPk1AQ0BfWx1L6yylju2xfqks1LDv2RmHcJOjs8jqJ3uqyjPxHWsqvXTS9zAOGGl4JpIDXbn85t40P-wr8I0RgF-Mi4JFiSIQ00w-pOkFn6CfMAaXWdNycGPoEPCbv2JyKOCgXYJL5jwK0zHA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","House Environment & Energy","date","2025-04-01T00:00:00Z","article","Department leaders opened the committee’s State Parks segment by describing the agency’s mission, assets, visitor demand and operational model.

\"I am the first woman and the first out member of the LGBTQ community to serve in this role,\" said Diana Dupuis, director of the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, opening her remarks. Dupuis framed the agency as an historic steward of natural, cultural and recreational resources and emphasized visitor access and community partnerships.

Dupuis said parks earn roughly two‑thirds of their revenue from camping, roofed accommodations and the Discover Pass and cited a statewide economic contribution of about $1.7 billion in 2023, including more than $310 million in state and local taxes. She noted the agency manages a compact land footprint with a high visitor rate and described inventory numbers the agency uses for planning and maintenance: more than 6,000 campsites, over 2,700 facilities, about 800 historic buildings, roughly 1,300 miles of trail and hundreds of miles of freshwater and saltwater shoreline.

Scott Griffith, Eastern Region superintendent based in Wenatchee, described operations staff as running \"our own little cities,\" with on‑site rangers, tradespeople, public‑works crews, law enforcement authority and emergency‑response capability. He said the parks’ local staffing model contributes to high visitor satisfaction — Dupuis noted a reported visitor satisfaction rate above 90% — and to the agency’s ability to respond quickly to issues and to lead community programming, interpretation and education.

Both leaders highlighted the agency’s historic‑preservation responsibilities: Dupuis said State Parks manages \"the most historic buildings of any agency\" in Washington and listed examples that include lighthouses, CCC buildings, forts, historic bridges and homestead sites. Griffith described the operational complexity of buildings, trails, visitor services, water and sewer systems within parks and noted that many staffing roles are resident in parks during the season.

Committee members asked about expanding park capacity and reopening previously closed sites. Dupuis said the agency is developing Nisqually State Park as a new site and that adding parks is costly; she said the agency weighs opportunities against maintenance backlog and staffing considerations. She and Griffith described active coordination with other landowners and federal agencies; Griffith said State Parks routinely partners with the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Forest Service, local public utility districts and others to manage recreation where appropriate.

No formal votes were taken on parks matters during the hearing. Dupuis and Griffith offered the committee an open invitation for site visits and staff tours to explore park operations in person.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Environment & Energy - 4/1/2025 4:00 PM","oneSentenceSummary","Washington State Parks staff told the Environment & Energy Committee the agency manages large visitor volumes and diverse historic and natural assets, earns most revenue from fees, and faces maintenance and staffing challenges as visitation and population grow.","taxTitle","Environment & Energy, House of Representatives, Legislative Sessions, Washington","taxId",20260,"location","Washington","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6094679,"Committee hears gaps in oversight, funding for Washington’s small water systems",3384,31520,3415870,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2842212-bb2310004366b750af9d566711715e2d&start=31&end=3415","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2842212-bb2310004366b750af9d566711715e2d/thumbnail_31520.jpg","/articles/6094679/Washington/Committee-hears-gaps-in-oversight-funding-for-Washingtons-small-water-systems","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6094679-ae82318a3bfebe402990fb6ecd83d7eb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770720450&Signature=ChY-EdDgacG89a8m86EysSFpYBM~y43lvpysiCQgAcU9Oyy1iT2he3SNBPuOBWcHTCePdYMXg5ztv1ucXoXLZnU~4h-oIk6L6gFs~Vs4djzOR5NmA90ShlZcswXBjRah1PU3tb0feV-Nx0t53ZpBR7EpdyR~ij~wRYnRnBwe3Im0jpGE42JdUzxwMRKJ6uPH3jqOuPwqifXzeXqz-jc7eCcpOFdebkq-C8BfEjW-Z0BjfkdmaFxn8mGqRx7EmqBog1sLjtq7f-NKyo-g0J8AQSKzqW7UAFuUqnkVVANZB4s0aS9QszhIdzEMmL77xO3o0Gmg6pSwPgxupu9BceJXUw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","On the final day of the Environment & Energy Committee’s hearings, state and local officials briefed legislators on regulatory responsibilities, financing and technical barriers affecting Washington’s smallest drinking‑water systems.

The discussion centered on the difference between large “Group A” systems (regulated by the state and federal government) and smaller “Group B” systems (generally overseen by local health jurisdictions), the role of satellite management agencies (SMAs), and how the Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) and local health departments interact with privately owned companies and very small systems.

“We have talked about PFAS chemicals in water,” said Lauren Jenks, Assistant Secretary for Environmental Public Health at the Washington State Department of Health. “Everybody drinks water.” Jenks summarized how federal standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act and state action through the State Board of Health shape testing and limits, and noted the state has adopted more protective PFAS recommendations in some cases ahead of EPA action.

Jenks told the committee Washington has a mixed regulatory landscape: about 4,000 Group A systems serve roughly 80% of the state’s population, while more than 13,000 Group B systems serve about 5% of residents; about 15% of Washingtonians use private wells. She and other witnesses described the practical problems that arise when many water systems are small, aging, and managed by part‑time operators without engineering, financial or managerial capacity.

Mike Means (Department of Health staff) described satellite management agencies as organizations that must be approved by the Department and that \"have to be a certified operator or have a certified operator on your staff.\" Means said SMAs can be municipalities, public utility districts, or private companies; they may operate systems under either ownership or management contracts, and those distinctions affect who controls finances and long‑range decisions.

Jason Lewis, legislative director at the UTC, explained the commission’s role for investor‑owned water companies. \"The UTC is a three member commission appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate,\" Lewis said, and the UTC regulates investor‑owned utilities serving more than 100 customers or billing customers more than $557 per year. He said the UTC currently supervises about 51 private water companies that serve approximately 55,000 customers and generate roughly $26 million in annual revenue statewide (under 2% of Washington’s market).

Lewis described the UTC rate‑case process: companies submit financial information and a proposed tariff; UTC staff review a 12‑month test year, rate base and revenue requirements; proposed changes may take effect in 30 days unless the commission suspends the filing for further review or hearing. He also said the UTC conducts informal reviews most of the time and fully litigated water rate cases are rare.

Local health officials described program differences across counties. \"We have about 820 Group B water systems in our county serving about 10,000 persons,\" said John Keese, environmental health director for Kitsap Public Health District. Keese described Kitsap’s local ordinance, a $75 annual operating permit for Group B systems, a time‑of‑sale reporting program and an active reminder system that helps push sampling compliance to about 82% for systems that Kitsap oversees.

By contrast, Rick Dawson, environmental health division manager at Walla Walla County Department of Community Health, said his county has 140 approved Group B systems, with 119 predating the county’s 2014 program assumption. He said Walla Walla requires sampling for bacteria and nitrates and follows up on maximum contaminant level exceedances, but without annual operating permits or steady local funding he estimates sampling compliance near 40% and said many older systems have high nitrate levels and limited funding to fix problems.

Legislators pressed witnesses on consolidation and targeted cleanup. Representative Tai and others warned against a one‑size‑fits‑all legislative fix; Jenks and witnesses replied that targeted cleanup of contamination (work typically led by the Department of Ecology) is necessary but that local systems also need capacity to treat water that residents must use now. \"The advantage to consolidation is it's easier for a larger system to provide that clean water than it is for many smaller systems that may not have the infrastructure to do that work,\" Jenks said.

Witnesses identified recurring obstacles: a patchwork of local programs across counties, limited local funding and staffing, barriers to SMA uptake (some owners resist consolidation for perceived cost or privacy reasons), and emerging contaminants and climate impacts that increase treatment complexity. Several witnesses and legislators recommended interim work between sessions to explore legislative changes, incentives for consolidation or SMAs, grant funding for treatment (nitrate, PFAS and others), and technical assistance to build local capacity.

No formal legislative action or votes were taken during the hearing; witnesses asked the committee to consider policy and budget options during the interim.

Votes at a glance: none (no motions or formal votes were recorded during this session).","State health, utilities, and local public-health officials told the Environment & Energy Committee that Washington’s patchwork regulation of small “Group B” water systems, emerging contaminants and limited local capacity are straining the ability of many small systems to provide safe, reliable drinking water.","actionData","errors"]

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State Parks director outlines visitor demand, cultural assets and maintenance needs

Committee hears gaps in oversight, funding for Washington’s small water systems