WDFW plans 10 years into the future, starting with mule deer in the Methow
Balancing conservation and access is a process that requires intention. WDFW’s 10-year Recreation Strategy brings a new focus on recreation to their decisions about WDFW lands. One example of that is the work to protect mule deer in the Methow.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) manages over 1 million acres “of some of the most beautiful places in the state,” according to Joel Sisolak, WDFW’s lands planning and recreation manager. One part of the agency’s mission is to preserve and restore habitat and species, but another piece is for the public to experience these beautiful places.
To balance the needs of recreators and wildilfe, parts of the Methow Wildlife Area are temporarily closed for wintering mule deer. Photo by Justin Haug.
The number of people visiting WDFW lands, and what they are looking to do while outside, is changing. To meet those visitors’ needs, and to improve the conservation of lands they manage, in 2022 WDFW created a 10-year statewide recreation strategy.
We are now over a year into that strategy, and WDFW is making changes to how they manage visitation to their lands to maximize protection of species and ecosystems — and also to improve the outdoor experience for multiple types of users (hikers, hunters, birdwatchers and more).
Bringing the public into recreation planning
Balancing conservation and access is a process that requires intention. WDFW’s 10-year Recreation Strategy brings a new focus on recreation to their decisions about WDFW lands. One example of that is the work to protect mule deer in the Methow.
During the fall of 2023, WDFW conducted a public survey and held a town hall meeting about potential changes to protect wintering mule deer in the Methow Wildlife Area. After talking with the public, in mid-December WDFW began partial closure of five units of the Methow Valley Wildlife Area to public access. The closure will run through March 31. Winter is a sensitive time for many species, and this closure will protect foraging habitat for mule deer during critical winter months.
This mule deer decision is part of WDFW’s larger, ongoing effort to create a plan for how people recreate in the Methow Wildlife Area. They have been working with the Colville and Yakima Tribes, other state land managers (Washington Department of Natural Resources and Washington State Parks) and conservation groups (Methow Conservancy, Conservation Northwest, Methow Valley Trails Collaborative) to determine what this plan should look like. They will also be involving the public, so look out for opportunities to review a draft plan and share your thoughts.
Methow planning is a pilot for other areas across the state
After engaging partners and community members to create a recreation plan for the Methow, WDFW will replicate this planning process in other regions. WDFW staff understand that ecosystem and community needs are different from the Methow to the Skagit to the Cowlitz. The goal with each area’s plan is to improve conservation of ecosystems and the visitor experience at WDFW lands.
For the Methow, this means working towards climate change resilience as wildfires impact wildlife habitat. It also means reducing the impacts of dispersed camping, addressing user-built trails and reducing conflicts between different groups of users who are looking to hunt, view wildlife, photograph wildflowers or go for a hike.
The Methow Wildlife Area is a pilot for WDFW's recreation planning around the state. Photo courtesy Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.Creating a recreation plan includes mapping out existing trails and learning about the behavior of people who already visit there. WDFW already has experience helping to rethink trails systems. WTA led a coalition over the past decade to create a trails plan for the Teanaway Community Forest, and WDFW partnered in that work. WDFW used examples from the Teanaway Community Forest as they mapped out different needs of wildlife and users over the Methow’s trail system.
Ambassadors and advocates support responsible recreation
Planning in the Methow is only the beginning of bringing WDFW’s 10-year Recreation Strategy into reality. It will take continued collaboration, public input and investment of resources to create a recreation plan for the Methow, and then for other landscapes around the state.
It will also cost $40-50 million over the next decade to fund the activities laid out in the strategy. WTA works with WDFW and other land manager partners to learn what funding our public lands need and advocate for those resources.
In 2022, WTA led a coalition of partners and hikers like you to win $5 million of annual funding for each of our state land management agencies (now ongoing in the state budget). That funding is supporting WDFW’s forward-looking recreation planning, and also addressing immediate fixes and improvements that are needed for trails, roads, campgrounds and other infrastructure. WTA is back at the state legislature this year to ask for the support our land manager partners need.
We know that connecting with the outdoors is beneficial for people and for nature. That is why WTA works to get hikers the knowledge they need to get outside and get public lands the funding they need to support outdoor recreation. Want to support our work? Become a member. Your dollars will be put to work ensuring we have trail systems that support people and wildlife.
Comments