PORT TOWNSEND — The first step in a Fort Worden State Park and Centrum collaboration has taken place.
On Dec. 3, the State Parks Commission approved a memorandum of understanding with Centrum identifying milestones both sides must meet by June 30, 2011, if a long-term management agreement at Fort Worden State Park is to be discussed.
“This is so each party can prove they are capable of entering into a long-term arrangement to collaborate in managing the park,” said Peter Herzog, parks planner for the state.
“If at the end they can decide yes, we met these goals, then we will all look at something more long term.”
The memorandum of understanding falls in line with the state parks agency’s Centennial 2013 Plan to have Centrum step into an operating role at Fort Worden State Park.
“Essentially what the memorandum does is state that if State Parks and Centrum want to work more closely to manage Fort Worden and all the arts and culture programing that goes on there, we need to see if we can work together in a directed way,” Herzog said.
“The goal is to finish a few tasks that will set each party up to enter into a binding long-term arrangement down the road.”
The Centrum foundation’s board of directors has yet to sign off on the memorandum.
However, Thatcher Bailey, former Centrum director and now a consultant to the Fort Worden Collaborative, said the memorandum will definitely be approved.
“It’s a done deal,” Bailey said.
“The Centrum board has already sent a letter to the Parks Commission saying they would approve [the memorandum] if it were approved by them.
“We’ve been working on this for six years now, and now we finally have a to-do list.
“We have a few years to get those achieved and see if we can better serve the public at Fort Worden.”
The goal is to eventually have the nonprofit Centrum organization manage Fort Worden State Park as a planned lifelong learning center.
Herzog said that is still a long way off, but they are finally taking the steps toward that goal.
“Is it tedious? Maybe,” Herzog said.
“But when we’re talking about something like this with a government agency and a nonprofit, it really is a complex thing.
“We’re going to do this very, very carefully and make sure we get it right so it is good for the people who use the park.”
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Reporter Erik Hidle can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at erik.hidle@peninsuladailynews.com.
