As the county budget woes continue, the King County executive and council have been eager to transfer parks to cities as a way of cutting costs associated with maintenance and administration. Recently, the Snoqualmie Tribe announced it would be interested in acquiring certain parks, specifically the county park in Fall City where the hop shed now sits, and Tolt-MacDonald Park.

So what is all the fuss about? Let me get this straight. The Tribe is willing to take on the parks and allow the same uses, provide all maintenance and administration needs and keep the fees the same or possibly even lower them?

To use a familiar phrase, it’s a “no-brainer.” As the Tribe continues to evolve into a substantially larger presence in the Snoqualmie Valley, we should all look at what cultural opportunities may arise. In this case, the park near Fall City had some significant Indian artifacts uncovered a few years ago. The area around Tolt-MacDonald Park was, at one time, planned to be a possible reservation, but with the lack of tribal recognition that deal fell through. So technically it seems to me that both parcels really belong to the Tribe anyway. The only impact of a change in ownership appears to be the potential reduction to the county parks budget.

But beyond ownership is the responsibility of maintaining these treasures for all to use. With budget cuts comes the potential for reduced maintenance at these facilities. With tribal ownership, a renewed sense of pride and responsibility would likely take over, and the facilities may even be improved.

But it all comes down to dollars and in this case, having the Tribe take over selected parks makes sense from a financial point of view. I think it would be prudent to possibly identify other parks that may be transferred, such as Three-Forks. I would venture to say that far more people would support the transfer of parks in the Snoqualmie Valley to the Tribe than the new tax to maintain parks that will be on the May 20 ballot.

I’m sure that agreements can be reached between the Tribe and the county on usage details, fees, access, etc. The Tribe recognizes the importance of a strong relationship with the community, it seems at times, more than the county.

So I urge our County Council to seriously consider the move. It makes sense all around. Now if only we could get someone in another state to take the proposed sex-offender facility.