DNR outdoor access and responsible recreation meetings

[fireweed]

The Department of Natural Resources is working toward a "co-managed" statewide recreation plan that is scheduled for completion next summer.  Here is the website.  The public meeting dates are in the middle of the page.

https://www.dnr.wa.gov/StateRecPlan

So far they have been meeting with tribes and select groups.  This is the first opportunity, via signing up for in-person or virtual meetings, to hear from the public.  Hunters and anglers need to participate.  It is important to make sure this round of outdoor access plans actual tackles real access--the legal ability to get to state land--not just facility access like wheelchair accessible trails or better parking.  The plan also will cover waterways like navigable rivers and saltwater. 

According to OnX the state has 316,000 acres of landlocked state lands.  How about we start working to get legal access to some of this?

[fireweed]

Anyone else going to any of these meetings or signed up online?  They added one meeting. 

[dwils233]

I remember reading about this but I'd forgotten, thanks for the reminder. I'll check out the zoom one in February!

[fireweed]

The plan is entitled Outdoor Access and Responsible Recreation, but their six draft goals don't have much to even say about access.

They do have a goal that touches on access for some  3. Improve equitable access

They have managed to make access to the outdoors a woke issue!  The goal goes on to say "Reduce barriers that disproportionately impact overburdened and vulnerable communities, including tribes, to access DNR-managed lands".

How about this for a goal: Improve access for all people.

A rundown of the current draft goals 1.Conserve and enhance the natural environment and cultural resources
2, Cultivate a stewardship and responsibility ethic through user education and engagement\
3. Improve equitable access
4. Respect all rights and involve all user groups in future planning
5, Secure financial stability for management, operations, infrastructure and stewardship
6. mitigate climate impacts and build resilience (surprise! got to have a climate goal in our recreation and access plan)

[fireweed]

Not very many at Lacey meeting but horse, motorized and Mtn bike trails represented well. No groups specifically advocating for hunting and fishing.  There is a need for someone who represents officially a hunting/fishing group to participate or send in a comment.  The morning online meeting isn't full.  Most folks didn't even know there was such an issue as access to as landlocked land!   This planning covers waterways, too, but anglers and boaters are nowhere to be found.

[Mtnwalker]

Thanks for keeping this thread going, not sure how I didn't see this until just now. I'll add it to the list of things to keep an eye on

[Sundance]

Missed this one as well, if anybody has updates for future meetings please post it here. Thanks.

[Webfoot]

I thought equitable access has always been there.

[Alan K]

In many areas tribes are given keys to gates that remain closed for non-tribal members. It would seem to me they have more than equitable access currently.  Not sure what the thought process is there, unless what they're getting at is the gates will be open for all or closed for all?

[fireweed]

https://www.dnr.wa.gov/StateRecPlan

Here's the link with the information.  THe morning zoom meeting was not full yet.  The process is very tribal oriented, with the DNR meeting multiple times separately with tribes.  Someone at the Lacey meeting even asked if the DNR is now "co-managing" public land with the tribes.   The DNR responded that they do not have a court mandate to do co-management as for fish.  My fear is that exclusive use by the tribe will only expand on DNR land with it now in the recreation plan to improve access for special groups (like tribes).  The other special groups are pretty undefined: overburdened or vulnerable.  What the heck does that mean?  The DNR highlighted two key points that they had heard already from tribes.:  Too much impact by general public groups and better fish/wildlife habitat.  There is also an email address on the website that you could send in general comments.  It's really not for that, but If you can't make the last online meeting, do it anyway.