ALERT: Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife proposed chapter 232-13

SAWS Action Alert

WDFW proposed chapter 232-13

Comment deadline: SAWS suggests that you send your comment letter within the next 30 days. Final decision is expected the second week of October.

Comments should be addressed to:
┬á┬á┬á Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission
┬á┬á┬á Mark Quinn, Lands Division Manager, WDFW
┬á┬á┬á 600 Capitol Way North
┬á┬á┬á Olympia, WA 98501-1091

┬á┬á┬á commission@dfw.wa.gov
┬á┬á┬á quinnmmq@dfw.wa.gov

The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) is proposing a new chapter 13 to Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 232. Chapter 232-13 will regulate public use and conduct on WDFW managed public land. Although there are several sections contained within this proposed new chapter with questionable language, this SAWS alert will concentrate on WAC 232-13-200 (Vehicle use).

This section states:

ÔÇ£Except for permitted use by persons with disabilities, or for persons holding valid grazing permits or agricultural leases on department lands, it is unlawful to possess or operate any motorized vehicle, including snowmobiles, on or across department lands, except on roads, unless posted otherwise.ÔÇØ

Obviously, this section would restrict snowmobiles to roads on all WDFW managed lands.

To view maps of WDFW managed lands, refer to the links below:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/mapping/gohunt/index.html
http://wdfw.wa.gov/webmaps/gohunt/wildlife_area_pdf/wlau_lt_murray.pdf
http://wdfw.wa.gov/webmaps/gohunt/wildlife_area_pdf/wlau_colockum.pdf┬á

Below are links to the WDFW news release dated July 23, 2007, and a link to the proposed new chapter 232-13:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/do/newreal/release.php?id=jul2307a
http://wdfw.wa.gov/lands/proposed_wac_232-13.pdf

SAWS is requesting that our members write a short ÔÇ£politeÔÇØ letter to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission and Mark Quinn, Lands Division Manager, WDFW. We also encourage you to write a separate letter to your state representative in Olympia and request that they exert influence on the WDFW Commission to revise the language in section 200 of this chapter to exclude snowmobiles from being restricted to roads as the language in this section currently reads.

Here is a link to a SAWS sample comment letter for reference. Please modify the wording in your comment letter from the provided sample to personalize it to your situation and family.

http://www.snowmobile-alliance.org/07/misc/SAWS_WDFW_Chapter_WAC_232-13_Sample_Comment_Letter.htm

Find your WA state representative here:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/

Dave Hurwitz
Snowmobile Alliance of Western States┬á

Copyright 2007, Snowmobile Alliance of Western States. All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted to┬ádistribute this information, in whole or in part, as long as Snowmobile Alliance of Western States (SAWS) is acknowledged as the source.┬áIf you┬áare not yet a member of SAWS, and would like receive┬áour emails, please sign up on our web site today. SAWS is Free to join! http://www.snowmobile-alliance.org/join.asp