Schafer-Lake Sylvia park meeting draws 40

About 40 people showed up Thursday night for the Washington State Parks Department’s second meeting about the Centennial 2013 vision process for Schafer and Lake Sylvia state parks, according to The Daily World of Aberdeen.

The 2013 vision includes fixing the state’s current parks and inviting communities to get involved to maintain them in the long run.

The department began evaluations in 2003, and officials hope to have all 121 state parks improved to meet the vision by 2013.

The planning for Schafer and Lake Sylvia began months ago. Brian Hovis, a parks planner for the state Parks & Recreation Department, said he hopes to have a plan laid out by May.

Hovis said that for Schafer, residents have been most concerned about whether new structures would be safe from floodwaters.

For Lake Sylvia, he said, they wanted to boost camping year-round and work with the city of Montesano to make park trails.

The next meeting will be held by the department in late January or early February at Montesano City Hall. To view the complete report about both parks, go to www.parks.wa.gov/plans.