It's kind of like the proverbial gift horse.

The state, facing the need to reduce its parks budget by 10 percent, is offering to transfer ownership of Wenberg State Park to the county at no cost.

On the other hand, the county is struggling with its own budget crunch and isn't sure it can afford to pay for the park's maintenance and operation.

Wenberg is one of 13 state parks on a proposed closure list. Although the Snohomish County park attracts nearly 350,000 visitors a year, most of them are locals. State parks that see significant usage by local residents are considered good candidates for transfer to city or county control.

The state's budget for staffing and operation of Wenberg is about $682,000 every two years. Current revenue, mostly derived from boat launch fees, amounts to less than $300,000 biennially. That leaves a budget gap of nearly $200,000 per year.

County councilman John Koster has expressed his approval for the transfer, saying the state's offer is "too good to pass up." However, like his peers on the council, he's concerned about stretching the county's limited resources to maintain it.

One solution might be to institute parking permit fees, similar to those in effect at Kayak Point State Park. According to park ranger Paul McEvers, Wenberg had a day use fee for two years, generating about $120,000 per year, that didn't appear to have an effect on the number of people using the park.

The state parks commission is still considering its options for Wenberg, with a final decision expected in April. The county is currently analyzing costs and options for the park's operations, but nothing will be decided on a local level until the state makes its move.

The public is encouraged to provide input to the State Parks Commission at PAO@parks.wa.gov.

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