State recommends closure of Joemma
Beach State Park
Staff
Report
The
governor’s budget recommends the closure of
Joemma Beach State Park. A crowd gathered at
the Key Peninsula Civic Center, Jan. 22, to
hear Tom Pew, Manager of Kopachuck Area, and
other state park rangers present the
decision making process. All Washington
State Parks were evaluated according to the
goals of Centennial Vision 2013. Thirteen
parks were found to be inconsistent with
those standards: one is Joemma Beach and a
second is Kopachuck in Gig Harbor. In order
to meet the state required 10 percent budget
cuts, the state park department is
recommending closure: lock the gates, board
up the facilities and allow walking access
only. “It’s not too late,” Pew said. The
governor’s budget is the first step. The
next step is for the legislature to approve
the recommendation. For citizens who want to
influence that decision, the timeline is
only a couple of weeks to contact state
representatives.
Fog and still
waters at the Joemma Beach dock
Photo by Kevin Reed
|
Commissioner Chairman, Elmer Anderson, Key
Pen Parks, assured the crowd that they would
make every effort to save the park: first as
a state park and second as a district park.
In a later email, Anderson told KPNews, “As
a parks district, first and foremost, Key
Pen Parks fully supports any and all efforts
to maintain Joemma Beach as a state park and
to keep it open to the public. We consider
Joemma Beach unique in its location, assets
and usability as a park. The loss of the
boat ramp and dock would be devastating to
water recreation in the south Puget Sound.
Failing
this, Key Pen Parks will attempt to do
whatever is necessary to obtain title to the
property and assume responsibility for
maintaining it as a viable asset to the Key
Peninsula.” The commissioners of both Key
Pen and Gig Harbor had met with state
representatives that afternoon.
Pew
urged all in attendance write letters to the
legislators and the state park department.
“The elected officials should listen,” he
said.
