One recent Sunday, our family metformin 1000 mg day had planned to take a walk with friends in the Horan Natural Area, which has its parking area in Confluence State Park in Wenatchee.

As we drove into the parking lot, we noticed a sign that said “Discover Pass required.” We had no idea what a Discover Pass was, and inquired of others parked in the lot to find out that the cost was $10 a day or $30 a year, and that it was a new requirement for parking at state parks and a variety of other state recreation lands.

It’s always hard to accept when something we have previously enjoyed for free suddenly costs money.

We spent some time joking about how we had been “discovering” in state parks all along without a special pass. Whoever thought up the name for the pass was definitely trying to put the extra expenditure in a positive light.

We weren’t going to pay $10 per car for an hour walk, so we were making plans about where else we could park to take the walk when a ranger approached. He explained the program and handed us a flyer to consider, while promising not to ticket our cars that day. This was part of the “education” phase of the first few weeks. Eventually, those who park without a pass will be fined $99.

Several weeks later, I purchased the annual pass. We enjoy going to Lincoln Rock or Daroga State Parks on summer days, and every time we visit my mom in Concrete, we enjoy a walk through the old growth forest at Rockport State Park, and along the Skagit River at Rasar State Park.

We will use the pass enough times throughout the year to cut down our per visit cost to just a few dollars. To my way of thinking, this is a real bargain.

Along with purchasing our annual pass, I also got a map of all the state parks. Having paid especially to visit them, I will be motivated to get my money’s worth, and try out more of them than I did when they were free.

Despite my initial disappointment at the new fee, I began to see that maybe it is time for the state to begin charging park users. The state parks and recreation lands have struggled for some years, and the possibility of closure has been looming on the horizon.

The state has tried different ways to try to keep the parks financed, including adding a $5 opt-out donation on vehicle tabs. This has raised money, but not enough to make up for cuts necessitated by the tight state budget.

The state is estimating that the fee program will raise between $64 and 72 million every two years, greatly improving the financial situation of the parks and recreation lands.

It does make sense to charge the people who really use the land. As a state park user, I sincerely hope that the new program will generate enough funds to keep all the parks open and well maintained.