Recently, during National Parks Week, the Columbian’s Editorial Board argued convincingly for stronger federal funding for national parks. We agree with that editorial, and as the prime time for parks use begins, we encourage our leaders at the local level to do the same: Recognize the importance of parks to our community, and dedicate the funding necessary to maintain them.
Here in Clark County, we are fortunate to have a national historic site in our backyard. Fort Vancouver is suffering from $24.7 million in deferred maintenance, and that funding backlog has a direct, negative impact on a resource that brings tourism, recreation, education, and economic development to our community.
Fort Vancouver, however, is just one piece in a large network of parks and trails throughout our county. Each of Clark County’s seven cities, and the unincorporated areas, have strong neighborhood and regional parks, and trails that connect them. These shared resources provide open space, recreational opportunities, and access to nature that increases our quality of life.
As we call on our federal representatives to act on our behalf, we also call on our local leaders to do the same. Parks aren’t simply a perk; they are a key indicator of a community’s livability.
The Great Recession took a heavy toll on public budgets at all levels. And while the recovery has been slow and steady, funding for parks has not recovered at the same rate. At the local level, parks funding comes from a municipality’s general fund — meaning it comes after police, fire and roads.
As residents and taxpayers in this community, we believe in funding prioritization. We definitely want to know that our emergency services and vital infrastructure are sufficiently funded. But as the economy continues to recover and services are restored, we also need to know that parks will be treated equitably.
Top of the list
The park, trail and recreation network throughout Clark County and its cities is an important part of what makes this an attractive place to live, work, and invest. This was shown in the city of Vancouver’s recent survey, in which citizens placed parks at the top of the list of things they love about Vancouver and at the top of the list of resources that they believe should be funded. But even the city of Vancouver’s parks are suffering from deferred maintenance of more than $9 million.
It has been heartening to see some progress in recent years, but there is still much more to do. We understand that the maintenance backlog is too great to be addressed in one stroke. The deficit will take time to correct. But that work needs to start now, before it becomes even more expensive to repair what has been lost. We hope to see city and county leaders working to restore balance and maintain the investments in shared resources that our taxpayers have made.
As our local parks departments work to fund deferred maintenance and struggle to simply maintain what we have, we call on local leaders throughout the county to recognize the value of our local parks systems and commit to maintaining the quality of life that makes this place so special.
Renee Wilson is Board President and Temple Lentz is Executive Director of the Parks Foundation of Clark County. The Parks Foundation is an independent nonprofit that provides grants to support local parks, trails and recreation programs that cities and counties are unable to fund.