No. 08-191
October 23, 2008
Contact: Princess Jackson-Smith, 360-902-1066
Sustainable Recreation Work Group to Set Sights on Vision for Recreation Meeting and tour scheduled in Yakima
OLYMPIA – The Sustainable Recreation Work Group will meet from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday, October 29, in the Vineyard Room at the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel, 9 North Ninth Street, Yakima.
Work group members will be using information gathered from recent public workshops and recreation trends, as well as their own personal experience, to begin developing a vision for recreation on lands managed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
The 29 work group members, appointed by Public Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland, represent diverse backgrounds and locations around the state. Yakima area appointees are: State Rep. Judy Warnick, 13th Legislative District (R-Moses Lake); Delia Alred, President, Washington State Snowmobile Association; and Tom Perry, President, Hunters Heritage Council. The group is chaired by James Donaldson, former NBA star and now a highly regarded motivational speaker and owner of several physical therapy centers in the greater Seattle area.
In addition to working on a vision for recreation, the work group will begin to identify the key issues to be considered when making recommendations to the legislature on guiding the future of recreation on DNR-managed lands.
The day after their meeting, on October 30, work group members will get a first-hand look at various aspects of recreation in the area, including the Ahtanum State Forest, which is undergoing a comprehensive planning process.
The Sustainable Recreation Work Group
The Sustainable Recreation Work Group is the result of legislation proposed by Public Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland to establish policy recommendations and a collaborative vision to ensure outdoor recreation is safe, enjoyable, accessible, environmentally responsible, and sustainably-funded now and into the future.
The work group’s charge is to examine relevant existing laws and rules and recommend policy changes and funding alternatives for consideration by the legislature next year. Some of the issues include: overcrowding of trails and recreation sites; adapting to new forms of recreation, incompatibility of some activities with habitat and species protection; quick growth of motorized and mechanized sports on forest trails; and increasing competition for limited funding.
For more information about the Sustainable Recreation Work Group and directions to the meeting site, visit http://www.dnr.wa.gov/RecreationEducation/Topics/RecreationPlanning/Pages/amp_rec_sustainable_recreation.aspx
Caring for your natural resources . . . now and forever
DNR manages more than 5.6 million acres of state-owned forest, range, commercial, agricultural, conservation, and aquatic lands. More than half of these lands are held in trust and produce income to support public schools, universities, prisons, and other state institutions. Lands managed by DNR provide other public benefits as well, including outdoor recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, and clean and abundant water.
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