WDFW seeking comment on proposed rules for public conduct on wildlife lands

[Machias]

I'll be attending the 2 Jun meeting in Spokane.  I try and get clarification on these things and report back here.

[bobcat]

From this news release, it sounds to me like the new proposed rules will only apply to "wildlife areas," which means National Forest and other state lands like those owned by the DNR would not be included.


 

NEWS RELEASE
WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091 

May 17, 2007
Contact: Susan Yeager, (360) 902-2267



Commission to consider land rules and
transactions at June 1- 2 meeting in Spokane


OLYMPIA – The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will discuss proposed changes in rules for public conduct on state wildlife areas, and will consider approval of several land transactions during a public meeting June 1 and 2 in Spokane Valley.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m., June 1, at the Mirabeau Park Hotel and Conference Center, 1100 N. Sullivan Road in Spokane Valley. The meeting will continue at 8:30 a.m., June 2. Public comments on any topic will be taken at the beginning and end of each meeting day.

The nine-member commission, which sets policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), is scheduled to take action on the acquisition of three properties in Okanogan County and one easement grant in Clallam County.

The commission will hear WDFW staff briefings and take public input on:

Proposed public conduct rules to protect fish and wildlife resources and ensure public safety on WDFW-managed wildlife areas and water access sites
North Potholes Game Reserve access restrictions
Fir Island Farm Game Reserve rules
Waterfowl hunting rules on use of decoys and calls
Game tagging requirements
The commission also is scheduled to hear briefings on:

Public safety cougar removals
Special trapping permits
Deer and elk damage claims
A complete agenda for the June 1-2 meeting is available on the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/com/meetings.htm.

 

[Dman]

 Then that would be a change. Here is the definition my WDFW contact used to define applicable lands;

 "WDFW controlled lands means lands we have under long-term management
agreement with other landowners like USFWS, BLM, DNR, etc.  These land
are primarily inholdings or continguous parcels to existing WDFW owned
lands (Wildlife Areas)"
 
-It could also be they are not taking any input on the regulatory issues on other "controlled lands" portion, only the wildlife areas portion, as that's the biggest change. The controlled lands -USFS/ BLM already have similar existing regulations not in the State code, but covered under Federal regs.

[bobcat]

Oh, well I could see other public lands being included if it was within the boundaries of a WDFW wildlife area. That would make sense. But not ALL National Forest lands and DNR lands.

[littletoes]

To me it seams reasonable to allow ONLY HUNTERS to add comments.

If the ruling is about hunting/hunting lands or monies then require a hunting license. That way the PETA folks, or any other anti-hunter types would have to contribute to the cause, and not be able to cause harm as prevelant as they seem to be.

Most information would come from ture hunters that way.

[Ray]

Did anyone go to the meeting?

[Ray]

From WDFW below the line. It seems as if they are going to make another proposal on the rules changes soon....

Commission approves land transactions; 
more review for wildlife area conduct rules

SPOKANE VALLEY–Proposed rules for public conduct on state wildlife areas and water-access sites will be revised and circulated for additional public comment, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission decided at a meeting here Saturday.
 
The nine-member citizen commission was briefed on the proposed rules by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) staff and heard public input during the meeting. The Commission is scheduled to review the revised proposals during its Aug. 3-4 public meeting in Anacortes, and will consider approval of the rules at an Oct. 12-13 meeting in Olympia.
 
The proposed rules, which address the type and amount of use on wildlife properties, are aimed at protecting fish and wildlife resources and ensuring public safety. The rules address use of aircraft, camping, commercial activity, dumping and sanitation, structures, firearms and target shooting, fireworks, land and road closures, livestock, parking, pets, resource removal, vehicle use and other issues. 
 
The proposals have been under development for several years, with involvement by WDFW’s statewide Land Management Advisory Council and citizen advisory groups for individual wildlife areas.
 
[bgcolor=#ffff00]Revised rule proposals will be posted shortly on WDFW’s website[/bgcolor] at http://wdfw.wa.gov/lands/land_line/
 
In other business during its two-day meeting, the commission approved acquisition of three properties in Okanogan County, as well as two easements.
 
The Okanogan County land purchases, to be made with federal and state grant funds, are:
 
More than 19 acres of land adjacent to the Methow Wildlife Area south of Winthrop, including 1,500 feet of Methow River frontage, which will provide critical fish and wildlife habitat and recreational access.
 
Another 264 acres of property adjacent to the Methow Wildlife Area east of Twisp, including shrub-steppe habitat for species ranging from butterflies to mule deer.
 
More than 3,335 acres of land east of Oroville, including shrub-steppe habitat for wildlife and Nine-Mile Creek, used by endangered Upper Columbia steelhead.
 
The easements will allow a National Park Service (NPS) pipeline to cross WDFW’s Elwha fish rearing pond in Clallam County as part of the federal plan to remove two Elwha River dams to restore salmon habitat. The easement, which compensates WDFW $42,170, also includes a permit to temporarily divert water while NPS constructs a new, more fish-friendly water intake structure for the city of Port Angeles.
 
The other approved easement is an exchange of access between the Oak Creek Wildlife Area and an adjacent landowner in Yakima County.