Beware: WDFW new recreation Plan HORRIBLE

[pickardjw]

Here's a few things they want to make illegal in some fashion:
dispersed camping across all WDFW
shed collecting
pack goats
dogs
drones
streamside use
and (YES THIS IS IN THERE) walking, horseback riding, or any non-permitted use of an old road!

 In consultation with tribes and other government partners, all informal roads and trails should be closed or designated for public use and the use of undesignated routes made illegal except for permitted dispersed uses. WDFW will propose a rule for designating routes and prohibiting the creation or use of
undesignated roads and trails except for permitted use.

Wow, I'm still reading. Haven't gotten to that section yet but that doesn't seem compatible with the RCW that THEY list at the start of the report!

WDFW is mandated to “maximize fishing, hunting, and outdoor recreational opportunities compatible with healthy and diverse fish and wildlife populations” (R.C.W. 77.04.055)

[fireweed]

Here's a few things they want to make illegal in some fashion:
dispersed camping across all WDFW
shed collecting
pack goats
dogs
drones
streamside use
and (YES THIS IS IN THERE) walking, horseback riding, or any non-permitted use of an old road!

 In consultation with tribes and other government partners, all informal roads and trails should be closed or designated for public use and the use of undesignated routes made illegal except for permitted dispersed uses. WDFW will propose a rule for designating routes and prohibiting the creation or use of
undesignated roads and trails except for permitted use.

Wow, I'm still reading. Haven't gotten to that section yet but that doesn't seem compatible with the RCW that THEY list at the start of the report!

WDFW is mandated to “maximize fishing, hunting, and outdoor recreational opportunities compatible with healthy and diverse fish and wildlife populations” (R.C.W. 77.04.055)

The plan doesn't even suggest following the current RCW's or following STATE LAWs in its direction.  It will either change them or ignore them.  Here's how the new policy reads:

Goal: Plan to accommodate outdoor recreation where it is compatible with conservation and other
management priorities.

Not even accommodate outdoor recreation, but just "Plan to" do it at some point......

[fireweed]

Another HUGE issue is making camping illegal across the board on WDFW land.  This is a Closed unless specifically open rule.  For this they need to change state law (open unless specifically closed).  The WDFW has veto power over the legislature already: they just post no camping signs everywhere.  Almost all WDFW land on the west side is open to camping by the legislature, but closed by some local agency person with a staple gun. 

With their new idea, to open anything to camping they have to have a "plan" for it, go through a whole process, then implement it.  I've been pushing to get legal camping to a large westside wildlife area that you must walk to for YEARS.  It has in the originalofficial Wildlife area plan, an action item to plan to plan for camping.  Years have passed, but no plan to plan, no meeting, no nothing, still no camping.  All the while the state legislature says it is ok to camp on WDFW land. The wildlife area plan was updated with a plan to plan for camping still in place and NO progress.  Once they close dispersed camping, it will be closed FOREVER folks.  And then the DNR will follow, and then the USFS.

Oh, and at the same time, the homeless have a right to camp there!  This plan doesn't even acknowledge the homeless living on public land, or even use the word homeless once. All camping is therefore recreational camping, and all damage recreational damage.

[Wphunt]

I wrote the commission about this also. They will be the ones to approve the plan eventually.

[wags]

Another HUGE issue is making camping illegal across the board on WDFW land.  This is a Closed unless specifically open rule.  For this they need to change state law (open unless specifically closed).  The WDFW has veto power over the legislature already: they just post no camping signs everywhere.  Almost all WDFW land on the west side is open to camping by the legislature, but closed by some local agency person with a staple gun. 

With their new idea, to open anything to camping they have to have a "plan" for it, go through a whole process, then implement it.  I've been pushing to get legal camping to a large westside wildlife area that you must walk to for YEARS.  It has in the originalofficial Wildlife area plan, an action item to plan to plan for camping.  Years have passed, but no plan to plan, no meeting, no nothing, still no camping.  All the while the state legislature says it is ok to camp on WDFW land. The wildlife area plan was updated with a plan to plan for camping still in place and NO progress.  Once they close dispersed camping, it will be closed FOREVER folks.  And then the DNR will follow, and then the USFS.

Oh, and at the same time, the homeless have a right to camp there!  This plan doesn't even acknowledge the homeless living on public land, or even use the word homeless once. All camping is therefore recreational camping, and all damage recreational damage.

Just tell them your wife kicked you out and you are homeless. They will leave you alone for months.

[wags]

Public lands belong to all of us and everyone's right to use them should be respected.

There are cases where limiting the use of public land is the best course. River permits like the middle fork salmon come to mind. Maybe it is time to limit some kinds of use in some areas. For example popular hiking areas within striking distance of Seattle get hundreds and hundreds of users on the same trail every weekend in the summer. Maybe 500 people trying to day hike the enchantments every Saturday makes the experience not great and has a very high impact. I don't know, I avoid the popular stuff.

I have met black people who claim they have faced some sort of discrimination in the field. Nothing extreme just some idiots calling them Ni***** when they were fishing in the same spot. That sucks and shouldn't happen, but to be fair I would bet most of us have been discriminated by another while hunting or fishing. I know people here have experienced it from anti hunters. Heck I have had someone shoot over my head a dozen or so times while I was fishing in front of the guys house. I was legal but this guy didn't want me there. I left and chose not to get too upset.

I think most people in the "woke" crowd don't know what diversity is. "Diversity" is often used as a term to mean "everyone should think like me". Sure diversity is gay, black, gender fluid, birdwatching and trail running. But diversity is also people who think different than you and have different values. Diversity is also trapping, four wheeling, hunting and fishing. We can't let them forget that.

I guess what I am saying is that as long as sportsmen (or sportsthem lol) stay involved and continue to be the most passionate parties at the table we should be OK.

The quote basically says that public land is as racist as everywhere else in society. If you know some history or have travelled much you would know modern America is a f@&* of a lot less racist than any other time or place in the history fo the world.

I would like to read it myself, sounds like another reason to write a few emails and get on a commission meeting.

Dude, you are dreaming!

[Lady Grouse hunter]

YES I have been rained on with Duck loads, Hmm one in the fog shoot at a Yote dog while hunkered down in the blind hunting Goose!

[hunter399]

Public lands belong to all of us and everyone's right to use them should be respected.

There are cases where limiting the use of public land is the best course. River permits like the middle fork salmon come to mind. Maybe it is time to limit some kinds of use in some areas. For example popular hiking areas within striking distance of Seattle get hundreds and hundreds of users on the same trail every weekend in the summer. Maybe 500 people trying to day hike the enchantments every Saturday makes the experience not great and has a very high impact. I don't know, I avoid the popular stuff.

I have met black people who claim they have faced some sort of discrimination in the field. Nothing extreme just some idiots calling them Ni***** when they were fishing in the same spot. That sucks and shouldn't happen, but to be fair I would bet most of us have been discriminated by another while hunting or fishing. I know people here have experienced it from anti hunters. Heck I have had someone shoot over my head a dozen or so times while I was fishing in front of the guys house. I was legal but this guy didn't want me there. I left and chose not to get too upset.

I think most people in the "woke" crowd don't know what diversity is. "Diversity" is often used as a term to mean "everyone should think like me". Sure diversity is gay, black, gender fluid, birdwatching and trail running. But diversity is also people who think different than you and have different values. Diversity is also trapping, four wheeling, hunting and fishing. We can't let them forget that.

I guess what I am saying is that as long as sportsmen (or sportsthem lol) stay involved and continue to be the most passionate parties at the table we should be OK.

The quote basically says that public land is as racist as everywhere else in society. If you know some history or have travelled much you would know modern America is a f@&* of a lot less racist than any other time or place in the history fo the world.

I would like to read it myself, sounds like another reason to write a few emails and get on a commission meeting.

Dude, you are dreaming!

I try to be as diverse as possible,But gender fluid ......nope
That's where I draw the line in the sand ,no gender fluids around me.Not checking the fluids,don't wanna see or hear the fluids in the men's bathroom. Them fluids can stay with whatever gender there calling themselves today.

[fowl smacker]

This is about as dumb as it gets.  I've never once been in the woods and wondered if the person who just drove by me or the person glassing that draw identified as a male/female/black/blue/yellow or whatever.  Sportsmen are sportsmen, why do they gotta make everything racist/sexist?

[turkeyfeather]

This is about as dumb as it gets.  I've never once been in the woods and wondered if the person who just drove by me or the person glassing that draw identified as a male/female/black/blue/yellow or whatever.  Sportsmen are sportsmen, why do they gotta make everything racist/sexist?

Cause that's the best way to divide and concur.

[Rob]

Is there a link to the actual 10 yr plan?  I am not seeing it on the initial link.  Just a statement that they will build a plan.

[Rob]

nevermind, found it

https://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/02293

[fireweed]

The public comment period is open now, but the form focuses on SEPA and since this is a project "on paper" and not technically on the ground, most of the issues raised by SEPA do not really apply.  THat means we need to send comments to the WDFW itself (in addition to the SEPA form) that challenges the items in the plan.

[fireweed]

Comment now. The tribes are pushing for co-management of WDFW lands, not just wildife.

[Chesterdog]

They also base their race statements on statistical usage of public lands based on race, however they never seem to take responsibility for the fees they've attached to every aspect of outdoor recreation in Washington state which make it cost prohibitive to most minority groups or casual enthusiasts.  It's much easier for them to baselessly classify us all as Elmer Fud so they can claim moral high ground and play the woke game.