Speak up for DNR trails!

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will be hosting a series of public meetings about recreation.  Throughout the month of September, DNR will hold nine workshops across the state to gather input from individuals and user groups to help create a new vision for recreation on DNR-managed forest lands, aquatic lands and natural areas.

The informal workshops will include discussion topic areas where the public can converse with DNR staff, view maps of DNR-managed lands, and offer their vision for recreation in the state. These meetings are an important opportunity for hikers to ensure trails are at the forefront of recreation planning in Washington state.

Background
Washington's Department of Natural Resources manges over  2.2 million acres of forested publicly accessible land across the state. These lands provide 1,100 miles of trails, 143 recreation sites, and a variety of unique landscapes where hikes can enjoy day trips or overnight visits.  DNR's Natural Area Preserves and Natural Resources Conservation Areas, represent some the finest natural, undisturbed ecosystems in state ownership, often protecting one of a kind features which are unique to this region. From Greider Lakes and Gothic Basin to Table Mountain in Southwest Washington, these NRCA lands provide scenic hikes that are every bit as wild and beautiful as national forest hikes.

The upcoming series of DNR meetings on recreation will help decide how these and numerous other amazing trails in Washington are managed. According to Commissioner of Public Lands Doug Sutherland, DNR is hoping to learn more about where people  like to recreate and what kinds of recreation activities they enjoy.

The information gathered at these meetings and present them to the newly formed Sustainable Recreation Work Group to help in developing a long-term vision that ensures safe, sustainable and enjoyable outdoor recreation on DNR-managed land.

Please attend one of these DNR meetings and make sure that your thoughts about the future of recreation in Washington state are taken into account.

When you are talking with DNR staff consider asking them the following questions:

 How can DNR continue to deliver high-quality recreation opportunities to the public when state general funds are so limited?

• How will DNR continue to effectively serve hikers, as our numbers continue to grow in the coming years?

• DNR lands have seen a great deal of unmanaged motorized recreation over the years. How does the agency propose to preserve the environment and the experiences of other recreation users when motorized users run rampant and enforcement resources are so thin?

• Finally, how can hikers best engage with DNR, from both a policy and an on-the-ground perspective?