letter from David Way DNR asking for volunteers.

[boxboy]

Hello all,

You are on my list because at one point or another you've mentioned that you might be available to help with managing the gate opening and closing for the Reiter Foothills. Please visit this link and indicate which days you can help on the scheduled time listed: http://doodle.com/ucbhs5dxs2ddwdrn

Basically, we are not getting the volunteering interest in helping with this gate that is required. I'm sorry to say it, but if we can't pull this off more successfully, management may tell me to just keep the trails closed for the season until we have funds to hire an Education and Enforcement Trail Steward. I'd rather folks get the opportunity to enjoy what we have built while we continue to get more trails planned and constructed over the years to come.

The priority times I need your help with is on Saturday mornings by 9 AM and Sunday evenings after 5 PM. If this is the case, the gate would remain open Saturday nights, but the area would still be accessible for recreationist to use all day Saturdays and Sundays. Thanks to Curt for logging in to this scheduler and selecting dates that work for him. However, Curt is a Trials Motorcycle rider and their Trials Area is most likely snowed out for the winter. I'd be great to see more of the 4x4 user groups step up and help so Curt doesn't make the trip out there and not even get the opportunity to ride.

Once again, please spread the word to your clubs and other constituents that might be interested in helping. Thank you.

David Way
Northwest Region
Washington State Department of Natural Resources
(360) 333-5741
[email protected]</pre>

 

[Horus]

Dear David Way,

At current, how many hiking and horseback riding trails are gated? How many hiking trails require an E & E officer to come out in the morning, open and man a gate all day and close it at the end of the day, every day?

Sincerely, Your Employer (taxpayer).

 

[crash2]

As much as I agree with many things you say mike this is not one of them. As of now that gate is to "protect what is ours". Once other areas are done we will see that gate stay open but for now its just protecting our area to keep folks from getting up in there and potentially hurting us from continuing forward.

I can guarantee that gate won't stay the way it is....

 

[99redtj]

Nobody is asking anybody to open the gate and stay all day then close the gate.
Just one person to open the gate Saturday mourning ,and someone to close the gate Sunday night.

 

[boxboy]

boy it sure seems the wheeling community just wants to fight the new opening of trails... yes new Reiter is a process we need to go through but in the end it will be a great place to go again but I guess the motorized community will just keep fighting the process as if they really don't want a new ORV park... but it isn't just the wheelers the motorcycle crowd has been disengaged just as much and fighting to stay disengaged but then they bitch when its not build how they want it.

It is really sad the motorized community really doesn't want a new park they just want to keep whining about all the old trails they have lost...

 

[crash2]

Ya I don't get it either scott....

 

[zukkev]

I myself would love to volunteer for a weekend, but the distance, and times slots for opening/closing (due to work) to get it opened are the two factors for me in not. I agree though, that there are literally HUNDREDS of wheelers in the local area alone that could take the time... people that I know, or know of.

 

[boxboy]

You know Kevin if you want to go out during the week just let me know I can set it up and that really goes for any one if there is a day you want to go out to Reiter to play or walk around I am sure it could be setup.

We are also starting talks about the new G11 trail and I would be happy to take people out to Reiter to walk the G11 trail and provide your input to DNR...

 

[99redtj]

You know Kevin if you want to go out during the week just let me know I can set it up and that really goes for any one if there is a day you want to go out to Reiter to play or walk around I am sure it could be setup.

We are also starting talks about the new G11 trail and I would be happy to take people out to Reiter to walk the G11 trail and provide your input to DNR...

For those people that wants to get envolved this is a good way.dnr has been listening to what we want for a trail.just come out and look at the three different trails that where build.

 

[zukkev]

You know Kevin if you want to go out during the week just let me know I can set it up and that really goes for any one if there is a day you want to go out to Reiter to play or walk around I am sure it could be setup.

We are also starting talks about the new G11 trail and I would be happy to take people out to Reiter to walk the G11 trail and provide your input to DNR...

My work sch changes a lot...right now I am m-f swing, which meabs I'd have to get up at 6 sat to be there to open....ugh.

 

[nowires]

My work sch changes a lot...right now I am m-f swing, which meabs I'd have to get up at 6 sat to be there to open....ugh.

you could close the gate at night

 

[Bunk1]

Dear David Way,

At current, how many hiking and horseback riding trails are gated? How many hiking trails require an E & E officer to come out in the morning, open and man a gate all day and close it at the end of the day, every day?

Sincerely, Your Employer (taxpayer).

Damn straight.

 

[David DNR]

Hey gang!

After not spying on you guys for over a year, I decided to log back into this site to see what the "chatter" was these days and to figure out a way to keep Reiter going in a positive direction.

Yes Horus, I understand your comment. Remember how beat up the ORV'ers felt through the whole process? I get beat up by both ORV'ers and the "Muscle Powered" trail users. I figure that has given me a pretty well rounded perspective...

Here is the deal: There isn't much trail out there.... yet. (I'm doing what I can within the framework available to me to fix that) Basically, we need to show that we can be successful managing an ORV trail system where people are sticking to the trail, aren't cutting down trees, aren't dumping garbage or tossing their beer cans out the window. At this point, the only way we can stay successful is to keep a tight reign on folks out there. That is where I need your help. DNR will never have enough people to police all the lands that we manage. You are the eyes and ears. If you guys can help get the gate opened and closed, I'm confident that we can continue to build better and better trails out there.

We've left the gate open throughout the weekend a couple times so far this winter. There are a few missing signs and someone has been scavenging fire wood. Not the worst I've seen, but it isn't good. Those two "Deer Flats Road" signs that are missing will cost about $60-$80 to replace. We shouldn't have to replace them with your precious NOVA dollars. Do they really look that cool hung up inside someone's shop? I hope you can all help change the stigma that some still have about Reiter.

This is your trail system. If you'd like to help with the gate, let me know. Thanks for all that you guys and gals do!

-David Way

 

[pokey]

Thanks for the great reply David, It never fails to amaze me how many people in our sport have no respect for what we have or how it looks to others when our areas are trashed by the 1% ers. We as a user group have to step up and take charge of these yahoos and root them out of the dark.

 

[KarlVP]

I have the gate this weekend.

If you are out there being stupid, I will ruin your life.

Enjoy folks. :awesomework:

 

[boardbysled]

Thanks for the great reply David, It never fails to amaze me how many people in our sport have no respect for what we have or how it looks to others when our areas are trashed by the 1% ers. We as a user group have to step up and take charge of these yahoos and root them out of the dark.

Who says they're wheelers? They could very well be drunk high school kids out booze cruising.

Signs get vandalized in the woods, doesn't matter if they're DNR signs, street signs, timber company signs, no trespassing signs, etc. So, you have to look for alternatives. Heavy steel signs or cheap, easily replaceable signs are two options commonly used.

 

[pokey]

Who says they're wheelers? They could very well be drunk high school kids out booze cruising.

Signs get vandalized in the woods, doesn't matter if they're DNR signs, street signs, timber company signs, no trespassing signs, etc. So, you have to look for alternatives. Heavy steel signs or cheap, easily replaceable signs are two options commonly used.

That explains all of the beer cans and trash I picked up this weekend on the trails and of the blocked off bypasses that had been ripped open again :eeek:

 

[boardbysled]

That explains all of the beer cans and trash I picked up this weekend on the trails and of the blocked off bypasses that had been ripped open again :eeek:

No, what I am saying that in this situation, jumping straight to blaming the "bad " wheelers makes us all look bad.

 

[pokey]

No, what I am saying that in this situation, jumping straight to blaming the "bad " wheelers makes us all look bad.

yes signs get vandalized everywhere but read his entire post and don't just pick out bits and pieces of it. We have a problem and WE need to do what we can to fix it. Its kind of like a 12 step program some of us need to get by the denial stage and then we can move on :awesomework:

 

[crash2]

I don't care who does what to what--we need to take care of our own.