Weyco eyes charging at St. Helens

[fireweed]

http://tdn.com/lifestyles/weyerhaeuser-begins-limited-entry-permit-system-for-some-hunting-land/article_8a1c34e8-effe-11e2-bec3-0019bb2963f4.html?comment_form=true

July 18, 2013 5:55 pm  •  By Tom Paulu / The Daily News

Access to Weyerhaeuser’s property around Longview won’t change for the upcoming hunting seasons, though the company is moving to a fee permit system to the north.

Weyerhaeuser has started a limited-entry permit system on its Vail Tree Farm in eastern Lewis and Thurston counties, and company lands near the west Lewis County town of Pe Ell.

On the 155,000-acre Vail Tree Farm, all motorized and non-motorized access will require a permit from Aug. 1 through Dec. 31. A maximum of 750 permits were available; all have been sold, according to the company’s website.

On 118,000 acres of Weyerhauser’s Pe Ell Tree Farm, 650 permits were offered for $200 each. As of Thursday, 19 permits were available.

An advantage for permit holders is that Weyco will allow them to camp out on its property, something that is no longer allowed on the St. Helens Tree Farm.

The company also accepted bids for leases for five parcels. High bidders get year-round exclusive recreational use of the lease area and expanded camping privileges, and ATV use is often allowed.

Company spokesman Anthony Chavez said that access to St. Helens Tree Farm, which includes much of the land between Kelso and Mount St. Helens, won’t change this year. The company owns 420,000 acres around Longview and Kelso.

The company allows non-motorized access to its Longview-area land except during times of high fire danger. During major hunting seasons, Weyerhaeuser opens many of its gates for daytime hunter access.

Chavez said the company will evaluate the success of the Vail and Pe Ell tree farm access policies before deciding whether to continue or expand them. “I don’t want to speculate” about whether the fee access program could be introduced on the St. Helens Tree Farm in the future, he said.

Chavez noted that access rules aren’t the same across Weyerhaeuser’s Washington tree farms.

“We want to keep our lands open to the general public, but it’s become increasingly challenging and costly in recent years,” Chavez said, citing vandalism and garbage dumping.

Chavez said going to a permit system allows the company to police those areas better.

“And it’s a chance to create an additional revenue stream that offsets the costs of keeping our lands open,” he said.

Chavez said there’s some confusion about the fact that Weyerhaeuser’s permits are valid for spouses, children and grandchildren in addition to the permit holder.

Rayonier, which also has a permit system for its Fossil Creek property in Pacific County, requires a separate permit for each hunter.

This year, the cost of Rayonier permits jumped to $375, and the company announced that children under 18 wouldn’t be granted permits. However, the company is re-evaluating its no-children policy; as of Thursday, permits were not available on its website.

[Blacktail Sniper]

Of course they will start charging.  And with the other companies fees being so much higher and there being people always willing to pay, they will not stay at the current rates long.

[Bullkllr]

Of course they will start charging.  And with the other companies fees being so much higher and there being people always willing to pay, they will not stay at the current rates long.

 
Hopefully, the lease idea will not be the standard operating procedure.

[Special T]

WYCO just purchased Longview Fibers holdings in the skagit valley area. 

[xd2005]

There's a lot of what used to be Longview Timber lands down in the Vancouver area as well. Probably all connects to the Weyco land, making one big area.

[Yelm hunter]

NO CAMPING on weyco land in st.helens?

[CplRaines]

NO CAMPING on weyco land in st.helens?

Been that way for many years now.

[PolarBear]

Weyco is gonna close up and charge for all of it's land next year.  St Helen's, Wynoochie, Minot Peak, Winston, Coweeman etc.  It would be nice if we could buy a pass that allowed us into ALL of their land and not just a select area.

[fireweed]

I jumped the head PR guy at Weyco. about the St. Helens charging soon.  I just assumed that was they way they would go.  He got real defensive--insisted this was just a "pilot program" and was generally not wanting to talk about it--especially rebutted the idea that they were going to whole-hog expand it.  I thought this was different reaction than what I'd read in the papers.  My gut was telling me the pressure from legislators/public/counties was coming in hot and heavy and they may be reconsidering.  There is also talk of legislators and the public demanding a change in their property tax break.  They must know about that, too.  I would be surprised if they expand the permit system next year.  KEEP CALLING THOSE REPS AND DEMANDING THEY REVIEW THEIR TAX BREAKS!!!

PS Who is the source.

[Bob33]

“We want to keep our lands open to the general public, but it’s become increasingly challenging and costly in recent years,” Chavez said, citing vandalism and garbage dumping."

We need a $5000 fine for dumping and vandalism. Bonus points for turning in these selfish and derelict slobs that are ruining access to private lands.

[Hunterman]

The bad thing about the dumping is that it's mostly the locals doing it, and costing everyone    I'm surprised that Ft. Lewis is still open with all the crap that's being dumped out there.

Pay to play folk,, better get use to it if you want to hunt. In a way I'm all for it.

Hunterman(Tony)

[Humptulips]

The worst of it is that by and large it is not hunters, fisherman trappers that are causing problems.
I talked to the guy from Rayonier that is in charge of their pay to hunt program. He sited three instances of dumping and one of theft as why they went to pay to hunt on The Promise Land.
The theft was damage done to logging equipment in the course of stealing scrap metal ( batteries and radiators). Seems obvious that was tweekers.
The dumping all happened outside gates. One abandoned car and two trash heaps.

OK, saying all that how does charging hunters effect any of that? Smokescreen I think.

[mpetersen]

Port Blakley backed out of a $10,0000 lease in the Winston because of negative feedback, maybe weyco will be sensitive to pressure also. As for dumping and vandalism,  leave the gates locked and allow only walk in access.  If guys want to spend big money on private land hunts let them go out of state.

[Hunterman]

The worst of it is that by and large it is not hunters, fisherman trappers that are causing problems.
I talked to the guy from Rayonier that is in charge of their pay to hunt program. He sited three instances of dumping and one of theft as why they went to pay to hunt on The Promise Land.
The theft was damage done to logging equipment in the course of stealing scrap metal ( batteries and radiators). Seems obvious that was tweekers.
The dumping all happened outside gates. One abandoned car and two trash heaps.

OK, saying all that how does charging hunters effect any of that? Smokescreen I think.

Because the true outdoorsmen will just sit back, gripe, and pay. Just the hunting, and fishing license. Plus how are they going to pay for the clean up and theft if not by charging for access?

Hunterman(Tony)

[pianoman9701]

We've started a discussion in the Region 5 Washington For Wildlife chapter discussing the possibility of approaching WEYCO regarding alternatives to paid access. If dumping and vandalism are truly the reasons for going to a pay-to-play system, then we'd like to discuss the possibility of going to the legislature about increasing fines and penalties for both. In addition, we'd like to discuss the possibility of performing regular volunteer clean-up days and also some way to inform hunters using those areas about the problems being faced and what we can do to avoid them, like volunteers at gates, crossroads, etc., during hunting times. You may have other suggestions as to how to address this issue.

Anyone who's interested in being a pro-active force in this should join us for our next Region 5 WFW meeting, which will be help at Gilliano's Pizza in Woodland at 7 PM on Wednesday the 4th of December. To sign up for a free membership in WFW, go to the top of any HuntWA page on the right and click the link and follow the directions. FREE! Do something for yourself and other sportsmen in WA. Join WFW today and take part in this effort to curb the trend toward paid hunting in WA.