Lawsuit may return sand dunes funding

EPHRATA — People looking for the return of $200,000 from the state for the Moses Lake sand dunes may get some help from a Thurston County lawsuit.

The state transferred $9.5 million from the Nonhighway and Off-Road Vehicle Activities (NOVA) grant program to the state parks. This included $200,000 the Grant County Sheriff’s Office expected to receive for the 2009 - 2011 biennium.

The Washington Off Highway Vehicle Alliance, Northwest Motorcycle Association and four individuals filed a civil suit against the state in an attempt to block the state from spending the money for the parks.

Since the money for the grant program is funded by gas taxes and off-road vehicle license tabs, and meant for a program to help people, the plaintiffs’ claim the state has no right to move the money, according to court records. The money is not slated to go to any parks with off-road facilities.

While the sheriff’s office is losing $100,000 this year from its budget, Grant County Chief Deputy Dave Ponozzo said it plans to keep the two officers for the area with the $144,000 planned to be budgeted by the county.

“Operationally we’re going to be suffering a little bit unless we find some money,” he said. “We have to clean the outhouses … We have to dump litter. We’ll do everything we can to maintain that facility in the manner we have for the last several years. There’s weeds that have to be sprayed … We’ve been told this is a temporary fix for state parks, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed.”

Lance Cornell, the owner of Experience Powersports in Moses Lake, said there may be a stay in transferring the funds, but it’s unknown whether it will be soon.

“One positive, it certainly doesn’t take (the money) away,” he said. “The lawsuit basically is noting this process is essentially illegal.”

Rich Archer, a member of the off-road group the Sand Scorpions, agreed with the lawsuit, saying the state doesn’t have a right to the money.

“We’re not going to let it happen. We’re going to keep fighting to keep that thing open,” he said. “It’s going to stay open no matter what. We’re hoping, it’s a real small amount of money. I think they’re (the sheriff’s office) just going to have to deal with it.”

While the sheriff’s office waits to find out what will happen with the lawsuit, people concerned with the sand dunes plan to start meeting this week to discuss possible funding sources.

Archer said the Sand Scorpions set up a section of their Web page to ask people what they want to do with the area. People can fill out the online survey at www.sandscorpion.net/Save-Our-Sands.html