What is this? Never seen this before.

A Natural Investment Permit

http://www.parks.wa.gov/parking/

Not alot of details given. 

Oregon has adopted a similar permit structure for using any and all maintained trails in the State.
 If you do not have a permit in the window, you can be towed out of the woods at your expense!!!! and fined!!

Oregon has adopted a similar permit structure for using any and all maintained trails in the State.
 If you do not have a permit in the window, you can be towed out of the woods at your expense!!!! and fined!!

Never heard of that one either! 

Is this for 4x4, ATV's and the like, or just street vehicles?

hah! EVERYONE who uses Oregon Trails that are maintained.
 If you are parked at a trailhead with no permit,,,, they will tow and fine yer happy a$$
 Check out the signs at each trailc head prior to venturing out, or you may walk home!

This hasn't been implemented universally in Oregon...yet.  Definitely true in all of the more popular trailheads.  I haven't seen this much in Eastern Oregon but you'll find the permits and pay boxes all thru the gorge, the cascades and some of the coastal trail areas.

Looks like the day use investment permit is $5....

FYI, if anyone is planning on fishing at Silver Lake this weekend and hoping to use the public boat launch on Kerr Rd, that parking area requires the WA parking permit.  If you have a WA season license you should already have this, if not I believe you can get a day pass when you pick up your temporary fishing license.

FYI, if anyone is planning on fishing at Silver Lake this weekend and hoping to use the public boat launch on Kerr Rd, that parking area requires the WA parking permit.  If you have a WA season license you should already have this, if not I believe you can get a day pass when you pick up your temporary fishing license.

Or I might have an extra ... 

-Allen

FYI, if anyone is planning on fishing at Silver Lake this weekend and hoping to use the public boat launch on Kerr Rd, that parking area requires the WA parking permit.  If you have a WA season license you should already have this, if not I believe you can get a day pass when you pick up your temporary fishing license.

How much are the day permits and do they sell them there?

They don't sell them at the parking lot that I know of, but they do sell them everywhere they sell WA fishing licenses.  I'm sure you can pick one up in the town of Silverlake or Vancouver on the way up.

Brian

How much are the day permits and do they sell them there?

$5

FYI, when you pick up your license, you should be offered the parking permit at the same time. if you dont have it offered, ask. seems some retailers forget.  it doesnt expire until the next year, so you should only need that once, even if you pick up multiple temp non res licenses during the course of the year. the few times i've been to the Kerr Road launch, i've only seen about half the vehicles with the permits displayed. i've not ever seen a WDFW officer there checking. being the stalwart good citizens we are, let's follow the rules.

if you're coming north over the river, i'd suggest you pick up your documents either in Vanc. or Kelso.. the town of Castle Rock is small, on the west side of the interstate, and you literally have to drive thru and out of the town to get to the general store/gas station/ tackle shop there. ( if you want directions to four corners general store, ask me, i'll share... it's not hard to get to, just a ways off and gone for us)

having said that; on the way back east on 504, there is a Chevron/Mobil/ whatever gas station on the left side of the road, right on a Y, on your left. i don't know if they sell licenses there or not, but they do advertize "bait and tackle."

Just another way for the State to collect money. Here is a quote from the site.

"The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission charges a daily or annual fee for a Natural Investment permit. The permit is required for the following activities in state parks systemwide:

Watercraft launching
Trailer dumping "

The annual fee is $70.00. Can be paid on line.

Notice the "Watercraft launching", do you suppose thats at every launch ramp in the state? Hmmm.

Just another way for the State to collect money. Here is a quote from the site.

"The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission charges a daily or annual fee for a Natural Investment permit. The permit is required for the following activities in state parks systemwide:

Watercraft launching
Trailer dumping "

The annual fee is $70.00. Can be paid on line.

Notice the "Watercraft launching", do you suppose thats at every launch ramp in the state? Hmmm.

I don't like the vague destription of Watercraft launching.  When really it has more to do with parking, not so much launching, am I wrong? 
If I were to park elsewhere in the park than the boat launch area, and carted my yak to the water and launched it from a bank that is not considered the "Boat Launch" where does this fall out?   

And what's the deal with the Trailer dumping?  Dumping what, yard debris, gravel, gray/black tanks? 
1. If they are referring to the yard debris or other trash like stuff, why would I be dumping this in a State Park vs, Dump?
2. If they are referring to RV sewer systems, now if I reserve a campsite in Washington State Parks with full hook ups, I have to have this permit to use the sewer hookup, or is this included in the cost of the site?  Actually, if I follow the rule as it is written, then I can dump my tanks on my truck camper regardless of camping or not, as it is NOT a trailer. It is actually cargo on my truck.  The "Activitiy" Trailer dumping does not say "RV".  If it did, then yes my truck camper is also considered an RV and I would be bound by the words alone.

Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to avoid the fee for the program just to be avoiding it.   What I AM avoiding is paying a fee if I my situation is not actually applicable to the situation.  The wording seems really vague in hopes to snare folks into paying for a pretty steep permit for something they may not actually need to have.