It’s heartening to know that enough people care about Joseph Whidbey State Park to show up at a recent meeting and send the state park service a strong message that the community doesn’t want private development in the park.

Hopefully, the proposal won’t make it any further toward reality and the quiet park will remain unblemished by progress.

Yet, the truth is that private development may be coming to some parks someday as state budget resources are diverted elsewhere, unless people continue to stand up for all the parks.

The Washington Parks and Recreation Commission adopted a strategy two years ago to expand the use of parks land holdings and explore public-private partnerships in an effort to generate more revenue for the state’s struggling parks system.

Joseph Whidbey State Park landed on the initial list of candidate sites. The park consists of 206 acres of scenic property on the water west of Oak Harbor and is frequented by hikers, dog walkers and runners. The current proposal is that 60 acres of the park could be used for possible development that could include up to 50 cabins, a lodge-type structure with food services and new day-use facilities as well as dry boat storage.

It’s not as if the state would be opening park gates to big-box stores, billboards or “golden arches.” But the clear message from the Whidbey community is that they want to hold on to this pristine piece of public property. Sometimes people just need to step away from the man-made world.

Underlying the issues are fundamental questions of public policy.

One is about money and how the park system should be funded. Should the park system generate its own funding through user fees, passes, amenities and other ventures, so that those who use the parks are paying for them? Or should they be funded with taxes so that everyone, regardless of income, has the chance to visit and enjoy them equally?

Another is at the heart of what parks are for. Is the purpose of parks to preserve a piece of the natural world? Is it to provide outdoor recreational opportunities to everyone?

Perhaps the answer is “yes” to all of the above. Like most things in life, it should be a balance.

The current model in which the park system is funded from a combination of general funds from the state legislature and revenue largely from the Discover Pass makes a lot of sense. The legislature’s support of parks plummeted from $94.5 million in the 2007-09 biennium to just $8.7 million in the 2013-15 biennium. Fortunately, the support was increased in the current funding cycle.

Lawmakers who think that the park system should be self-supported aren’t realistic.

As for development, it makes sense in certain parks. Deception Pass State Park has plenty of structures and pavement to accommodate the fair-weather crowds.

Joseph Whidbey State Park is a very different park and one that should be left alone to the shorebirds, bunnies and beachcombers.