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  1. About DNRP
  2. Records Requests

How to Request Public Records

Department of Natural Resources and Parks

Thank you for your interest in requesting records held by the Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP).

If you would like to make a records request for Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments, please click the following link to be redirected to King County's records request page: King County GovQA - Sign in (b2clogin.com).

For all other records requests related to DNRP, please click on the following link to be redirected to King County's records request page: Support Home Page (govqa.us); once on the page, Choose: Executive Branch> General Records.

You will need to set up an account to make records requests. For assistance at any time with the GovQA online portal, please email prarequests@kingcounty.gov or call (206) 263-2250.

For specific questions or issues with a DNRP request, you can also contact one of our Division's Public Records Officers, as listed below: 

  • Director's Office, Department of Natural Resources and Parks - Sara Fitzgibbons - (206) 263-1830
  • Parks and Recreation Division - Rich Cook - (206) 477-9159
  • Solid Waste Division - Anna Greiner-Shelton - (206) 263-3729
  • Wastewater Treatment Division - Don Jewett - (206) 477-5428
  • Water & Land Resources Division - Kerry Thrasher - (206) 477-4671

If you have difficulty navigating the GovQA portal, please feel free to submit your disclosure request with any of our Public Records Officers.

FAQs for Public Disclosure

A public record is any record containing information relating to the conduct of government business, which is prepared, owned, used or retained by an agency. This includes, but is not limited to, electronic media, paper, e-mail, microfilm, audiotapes, videotapes, magnetic tapes, and disks (CDs/DVDs). A valid public records request is a request for a specific and identifiable public document. A request for general information is not a valid public records request. You do not have to identify the records you want with exact precision, but the more information you are able to give us will help us to locate your records quickly and provide them to you in a timely manner. A request for “any and all records” may take much longer to process than a request for specific records. Please contact our staff to assist you in clarifying your request.

The day the request is received does not count, nor do weekends or holidays observed by the County. 

Within five business days after receiving your request, we will:

  • Provide the record(s) (or an installment of the records);
  • Or acknowledge your request and give you a reasonable estimate of how long it will take to respond;
  • Or deny the request in writing, stating the reasons for the denial (this could also include a denial of part of your request and a granting of the remainder).

We process requests in the order in which they are received as closely as possible. Once the records have been collected, we will notify you of any copying charges. Any records or portion of records that are exempt from disclosure will be withheld or redacted. We will specify the exemption that applies to any documents withheld or redactions made. We may provide you an estimate of time for further response or provide documents in installments. Factors may include, for example, time needed to:

  • Get clarification from you if necessary.
  • Search for records. More time may be needed if request is large or complex.
  • Assemble and review records.
  • Provide notice to affected third persons/agencies if necessary.
  • Prepare an exemption log if necessary.
  • Perform other essential agency functions, considering agency resources including staff availability.

If we cannot produce all the records at once (particularly for large requests), we will provide records in installments.

Please note, response to public disclosure requests may be slowed due to the COVID-19 pandemic conditions and mitigation measures. Thank you for your patience.

RCW 42.56.520 provides that a response to a request for public records must be made by the agency within five business days. Within five business days (excluding holidays) after receiving a request, we will:

  • Acknowledge receipt of the request and provide a reasonable estimate for further response; or
  • Fulfill the request; or
  • Provide an internet address and link to the records on our website; or
  • Seek clarification; or,
  • Deny the request with an accompanying written statement of the specific reasons.
No. Once the Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) receives a public records request, that request itself becomes a public record of DNRP. Someone else may make a public records request for that document and we will provide it.
Each record must be reviewed to determine whether it is exempt from production. Most exemptions are listed in RCW 42.56.230-42.56.480. However, certain statutes outside public records laws also provide exemptions from disclosure or prohibitions on disclosure of particular records. When the Department of Natural Resources denies a request for production of a public record, the specific statutory exemption on which the denial is based must be identified along with a brief explanation of how the exemption applies.

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