Advocacy Agenda 2009

Lost Pass by Byron Schurch

Fund Recreation on National Forests and Parks

Recreation funding on National Forests has fallen short of meeting the needs of hikers since the 1980s. Congress has allowed available dollars to dwindle with each budget, while the number of families venturing onto our trails has steadily risen. Together with storms that have inflicted widespread damage on Washington’s public lands, this chronic shortfall represents a slow-motion crisis in recreation funding.

Given the current economic situation, it is important to ensure that the lack of forest service funding is not perpetuated, but rather seen as an opportunity to reinvest in recreational opportunities.

This year, WTA will:

• Advocate for increased Forest Service funding, including a 5% increase in Recreation Appropriations over FY 2008 Levels and an enhanced Legacy Roads and Trails program,

• Increase our engagement with our federal elected officials by meeting with them in Washington, DC, and in their home districts on a more frequent basis,
• Get legislators and their staffers on the ground for tours of neglected or endangered trails, and
• Engage hikers in advocating on behalf of their favorite trails by helping them write, phone and meet with their elected representatives.

Engaging Hikers in the Future of the Wenatchee-Okanogan and Colville National Forests

The Wenatchee-Okanogan and Colville National Forests are home to some of the finest hiking in Washington state, ranging from the lofty wildflower gardens of the Glacier Peak Wilderness, to the crystalline and icy lakes of the Enchantment Basin, to the brawling rivers and deep forests of the Teanaway drainage.

For decades, hikers have fought to preserve recreation opportunities in the Wenatchee-Okanogan National Forest by fighting copper mine proposals, working to preserve the pristine nature of roadless areas, and fending off the constant encroachment of off-road vehicles.

This year, the Wenatchee-Okanogan and Colville Forests and expected to release their Draft Forest Plan. To ensure hikers are heard in this process, WTA will:

• Meet with staff from the forests to make sure that they are hearing the hiker perspective on Forest Planning on ongoing Forest Management,
• Work with hikers, elected officials and forest managers to ensure that planning for ORV recreation does not endanger the interests of hikers and the forest landscape, and
• Engage local hikers in the public process to ensure their voices are heard and that the Wenatchee-Okanogan and Colville Forest Plans conform to the needs of hikers.

Make Washington’s Backcountry Trails Safer for all Users

As the number of people using Washington’s backcountry trails has increased, so have the interactions between hunters, target-shooters and hikers. In response to these increased conflicts, member concerns, and the unfortunate death of a hiker on trail this summer, WTA is working to make Washington trails safer for all users. We will pursue several avenues to improve the safety of hikers and other recreationists on public lands.

This year, WTA will:

• Advocate legislation that will set the minimum age for handling a firearm unaccompanied at 16 years.
  
• Work with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to develop a more user-friendly and understandable way to educate hikers and other outdoor recreationists about hunting areas and seasons. This would include WDFW’s creation of online and print resources that easily outline this information for the non-hunting public.
• Support rules that prohibit target shooting on public lands without an appropriate backstop, such as an earthen berm. WTA will also lobby for regulations that would prohibit shooting across roads and trails.