For any group to monopolize this much land and wildlife in proportion to the population in those regions and discriminate freedoms by profit is nothing different than where our forefathers came from and tried to leave behind. Photo credit: Cassie Miller. However, I believe that this is the best, realistic, solution possible for all parties involved. It has been my belief that if the timber companies are concerned about vandalism – they could find local citizens more than willing to volunteer to help them out for a variety benefits – free access during hunting/fishing seasons, wood cutting permits, berry picking etc. Due in large part to this, the number of hunters who hunted deer in GMU 667, which is where the Vail Tree Farm is primarily located, dropped significantly from 3,473 hunters in 2012 (the last hunting season with free access) to 2,103 in 2013 before increasing slightly to 2,237 in 2014. I know that Soterra sometimes buys smaller pieces of property slowly with the belief that they will be able to get all in an area soon. The reader must perform their own due diligence and use their own judgment in the selection of any professional. Do not support these fees as long as the tax incentives and tax breaks are in place. With these things in mind, here is my proposal: The simple act of having to register and buy Weyerhaeuser access permits will deter many of the miscreants currently causing problems. It may be because I don’t live in that part of the state, but I haven’t heard much complaining about access permits on IEPCO land. However, I do have a problem with them charging me a lot of money for a permit, then still paying a significantly reduced tax on their land. If not, there is always next year and the short-but-sweet opportunity to purchase online. No matter the forecast, though,... Write CSS OR LESS and hit save. A lot of Weyerhaeuser's land was bought in the late 80s in huge blocks. In addition to their tree farms in Washington, they also own or manage timber land in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oregon, and Texas. Many of you who like to hunt on state lands have been asking for a better map showing just where on DNR-managed lands you’ll need a Discover Pass.. We’re happy to announce that we just posted a new and improved interactive map on our website that should help you out. Our ” representatives” , career representatives, are so deeply bought and paid for by the special interest group lobbyists, it will never happen. However, if regular people are put in a position where they have an incentive to take ownership of the rules in the tree farms, then they can prove to be a powerful asset. As common of a pastime as playing golf, hunting is one of the most anticipated seasons for Lewis County outdoorsmen and women. For one thing, there are significantly more people looking for access on Weyerhaeuser land. I talked a friend this week that leases from Weyerhaeuser in Jones County NC and he said “the land is just ok, I don’t have a lot of hope for a big buck there are plenty of deer on the lease”. We as responsible stake holders should all insure that Weyerhaeuser is not reaping benefits they donot deserve and defitely are no longer earning. Traditionally, Weyerhaeuser allowed free walk in access for most of the year, and drive in access during specific weekends during hunting season on the 159,000 acre Vail Tree Farm in Thurston, Lewis, and Pierce Counties located in western Washington. That’s not chump change, but it is a drop in the bucket to a company which had $7.1 billion in revenue in 2012. I’m sure they were legitimately having a number of problems resulting from public access and this was their way of curbing prohibited activities. hunting license and tag this make the animal worth about a $1.000 or even more. Snt Helens Tree farm for over forty years and never saw elk with hoof rot until the spraying of UREA. If you were lucky enough to snag one of the 800 recreational permit keys, you might just see what I am talking about. Weyerhaeuser can’t have their cake and eat it too. Those who are unable to purchase a motorized permit will still have the option to purchase a non-motorized permit and will not lose all access to Weyerhaeuser land. If that’s your idea of access then you must be a Weyeco employee. The fact that our culture, education, and government has strayed so far from this basic understanding is why we as hunters have to deal with this pathetic and shameful predicament. I have picked up other peoples garbage and brought it home and disposed of it properly I am 54 years old and feel betrayed the timber company is getting tax breaks on land they say is not active but the truth is it is still being harvested in the form of brush and mushroom. The Weyerhaeuser access permits for the Vail tree farm for the 2014 hunting season went on sale June 16, and the sale was a complete disaster. If Weyerhaeuser enacts policies that anger enough people for long enough, they are going to suffer the consequences of the inevitable backlash sooner or later. As stated before, it would be prohibitively expensive for Weyerhaeuser to hire enough security to adequately patrol the Vail Tree Farm. Therefore, if a fellow hunting friend does not purchase his or her own permit, you are unauthorized to bring them along for the ride. I agree that hitting them with higher taxes might get their attention. That is their choice if they want to charge large sums of money to the public in exchange for access to their lands. It is the hunter’s responsibility to confirm access for the hunts they apply for. At the same time, this policy will still allow regular people access to Weyerhaeuser land at a reasonable cost and access public land for free. There doing this across the state. an access fee should not be any more than $25 or $50 dollars. That’s what it costs in my home town. Private Lands Hunting Access. Obviously, hunters were the largest group adversely affected by this policy change. In addition, permit holders will be able to enjoy a quality outdoor experience, while our employees continue to work and the forest remains protected.”. But one of the biggest questions typically is—where to hunt? DNR's new hunting map provides latitude and longitude information. if needed $300 is absolutely insane……I am also a life member with the NRA,…. “We are excited that Weyerhaeuser Company has chosen to provide free public hunting access on these parcels,” said Kessina Lee, WDFW […] Additionally, pursuing legal action against trespassers and vandals may seem like it costs more money than it is worth in the short term. No permit is required for motorized or non-motorized transit through Weyerhaeuser land to access any publicly owned land located within the borders of Weyerhaeuser land. From many of the grumblings that I hear, it seems like most of the miscreants causing trouble on the tree farm gain access through open gates for the simple reason that they can and the consequences for doing so are so minimal. Now it is a epidemic. A couple of truckloads of firewood and a free Christmas tree pretty much cover the cost of the permit, even if the permit holder does not participate in any other outdoor recreation. Non-motorized access, to include on bicycles and on horseback, to all Weyerhaeuser land still requires a permit, but there is no limit on the number issued and the fee is either very small ($5-10), or free. by the time you figure in the gas we spend. If Weyerhaeuser and the rest of the timber companies are not willing to do this I do not feel they should get any tax breaks. Until then, there were thousands of frustrated hunters all over the state of Washington staring at computer screens and continually hitting the “Refresh” button for the web site. I don’t know how to get it done, but If someone with the know how could, we’d appreciate it. In 2015 Weyerhaeuser is listed as a program participant. With hundreds or potentially thousands of people on the lookout, it becomes much harder for people to get away with doing prohibited activities. I have lived in Grays Harbor my entire life started hunting with my father at the age around eleven and was taught to respect the land and the animals we hunted. I agree on your ideas. Traditionally, Weyerhaeuser allowed free walk in access for most of the year, and drive in access during specific weekends during hunting season on the 159,000 acre Vail Tree Farm in Thurston, Lewis, and Pierce Counties located in western Washington. Understandably, there is considerable outrage being directed at Weyerhaeuser by sportsmen right now. Locking the gates will also prevent most unauthorized motorized access, which will also limit the extent of most banned activities to areas closer to the edges of the tree farms. I use to look forward in hunting every year and has been my passion for life. The vehicle permit mailed along with the key must be placed on the rear view mirror while on Weyerhauser property, and access is only valid from one-and-a-half hours before sunrise to one-and-a-half hours after sunset all seven days of the week. My opinion about what Weyerhaeuser is doing right now along with other Timber companies across the US is shameful. Doing so will result in a reward from Weyerhaeuser in the form of a free or discounted access permit. I do realize that this is an imperfect solution. However, two adult hunting partners that are not married must each have their own access permit. In the Pacific Northwest, winter arrives in many forms, whether on a snowcapped mountain top, or a misty overcast. Gate it all, protect it, I will be happy to walk or bike in. Weyerhaeuser is concerned about protecting their most important investment: the trees. Oregon still uses slash burning and they don’t have a problem with hoof rot in thee elk herds. Regardless of what the public thought, Weyerhaeuser stuck to their new policy and refused to issue any additional permits beyond the original batch of 650. Why? You must carry the Recreation Access Single Page Permit with you in the Permit Area AND place the Vehicle Placard on your dash on the driver's side so it is readable from the outside when parked outside the Permit Area. They also prevent access to the wonderful wild trout fishery and great swimming on the upper Skookumchuck river. Kirk from NW Remedies Explains. where is our help from them??????? A lot of people are predicting that since demand for access permits is so high and since Weyerhaeuser is stating that they will not issue more than 800 Vail access permits, Weyerhaeuser will continue to increase the cost of permits until demand drops off. The price for the permits for 2016 was $300 dollars, and became available online for purchase in May. It seems like that hunting becomes more and more of a rich man’s game as each year passes. Today, I’m writing about a subject that has resulted in much consternation among hunters in western Washington: paying for Weyerhaeuser Access Permits. Many hunters who lived near the tree farm and who had hunted there for years suddenly found that they were locked out of their favorite hunting areas. Ask Neuneker how often he likes to hunt and he’ll answer, “All day, every day. If Weyerhaeuser has a good relationship with the community, then every person with a recreational permit is provides a set of eyes in the woods. The ban will remain in effect until further notice. With the way things are going, it’s not hard for me to imagine $400 (or more) for Weyerhaeuser access permits in the future. Elections have consequences, and as long as King County and Multnomah County residents vote all the reps in that matter, we are S.OL. Hunters MUST APPLY BY MAY 15 for controlled hunts but have until June 1, 2015 to change As a result, Weyerhaeuser elected to continue to charge for access in 2014, with minor changes to the program. Weyerhaeuser-Cathlamet (850) Land Access Information. Overall hunter success increased from 22% (2012) to 33% (2013) to 36% (2014). This is a real heart break for the future of our children and the not so wealthy. We're active in mineral exploration, production and development on 11 million acres of land in the United States. Additionally, the limited number of motorized permits will help keep the number of people driving on the tree farms down to a manageable level. If this were truly the case, why then are many of their properties open after hunting seasons with free access. Timber lands received tax breaks and other incentives to leave their lands open without fees for recreational use. Visit the News and Updates page for important announcements related to recreation in our working forests. Its terrible that our state sits on folded hands and can do nothing. That’s big business, and that’s only one farm. Almost all garbage was dumped at locked gates. For this reason, simply restoring unlimited access is not the answer. It also has 3 lakes on it. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. Elections have consequences, and as long as King County and Multnomah County residents vote all the reps in that matter, we are S.OL. I agree with you. Hancock immediately closed access and to the land and it has been walk in access since this time. True to form, in 2015 and 2016, the price of Weyerhaeuser access permits for the Vail tree farm increased yet again to $250 and $300 respectively. They also buy unproductive, or less productive, land from people … All campfires are still banned due to fire danger. They want to have their land patrolled, they better hire some security, I for one will lobby against any State Trooper being assigned to patrol any private property with limited or fee access. In addition to recreational access, permit holders can gather up to 5 cords of firewood and cut down a Christmas tree, neither of which are allowed with a Weyerhaeuser permit. As long as the public has access to their land, there will be a small number of people who cause problems by dumping trash, target shooting, vandalizing trees and equipment and generally ruining things for the rest of us. IMHO, Weherhauser is just being controlling because they can and care non for anyone that wish’s to live off the land. Private lands accounts for just over half of Oregon’s land base and include farms, range lands, wetlands, forests and stream corridors. I know there are some cases where one guy got a permit, but his friend or extended family member did not. No matter how hard you try to prevent it, there will always be people who cause trouble. However, they don’t need to do it all on their own. since the state and land owners got on the log and trade scheme of the late 70’s and 80’s these timber lands owners were able to secure huge blocks of land that used to be public and school lands.these lands used to be open then they gated them to stop the vandalism and garbage dumping. However, these access permits make the problem of finding land to hunt on even more challenging for poor hunters. it goes back to the original plan of America in the beginning “Freedom”. The web site opened at 6:00pm, but due to a computer error, nobody was able to actually buy a permit until 6:19pm. Weyerhaeuser cited problems with people dumping trash, poaching game, illegally cutting trees and vandalizing equipment as reasons for instituting the access permit system. Hi. Due to the significant outrage generated by their decision to start selling public access permits, there are proposals afoot in several Washington Counties, particularly in Cowlitz County, to raise property taxes on timber lands owned by Weyerhaeuser. Weyerhaeuser cannot keep everyone without a permit out: there are too many people trying to get in and the tree farms are too big. They are selling 3100 permits at $300 for motorized access for the 2017 season on the Longview St Helens Tree Farm! GoHunt is an application that has been developed by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. This money also pays so much per acre to the land owner for acreage that is open with free access. Specifically, they pay a reduced tax on land that is not actively being logged, since they are not generating income off that land. I don’t know what these people pay the company for these types of permits but the truth is it is active and somebody is making a profit off of that land as for dumping it looks like these same people are doing the majority of the littering in the form of van seats and raw house hold garbage. At the same time, having all those extra eyes in the woods would increase the effectiveness of existing Weyerhaeuser, local police, and game warden patrols on the tree farms. Understandably, there is considerable outrage being directed at Weyerhaeuser by sportsmen right now. There are three main gates to access Vail, and two of them are located in Lewis County. Nobody really knows how this will play out over the long term. Happy to walk or bike in for $250 Eric? The idea of America is not based on selfishness and hoarding but on caring and helping each other. when the PNW was opened up it was blocked out to prevent just this type of land Barron grabbing of land like back east. It is jeopardizing hunting and recreation for all of us and our future generations. The best thing to do is make reasonable efforts to prevent such actions and punish those who do without hurting the 99% of people who are doing the right thing. Weyerhaeuser recently started selling permits and leases on their Vail, Aberdeen, Pell El, and Longview Tree farms. Centralia College’s Medical Assistant Club President Gives Back to Her Community... Lewis County Sees a New Wave of Green Technology, How the First COVID-19 Vaccine Supplies Will be Distributed. Not only does the future of all these private lands that hold our wildlife need to be monitored by our state, the private timber companies need to be held responsible for the devastation of our wildlife. Everyone utilizing Weyerhaeuser land must have their access permit prominently displayed at all times on their person and on their vehicle (if they have a motorized permit). As stated earlier, Weyerhaeuser is listed as a participant and should not be. This summer, Weyerhaeuser Company enrolled 6,638 acres in the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) Private Lands Access program. Not saying all dog hunters do this, but I can almost guarantee that every hunter has had at least one hunt ruined by a dog hunter. Weyerhaeuser Company is implementing a variety of access permits and/or leases. After a few people get slapped with fines, or possibly even jail time for serious offenses, Weyerhaeuser will very likely see a sharp decline on the number of incidents that they have to deal with as people realize that it is not worth it to mess around on their land. However, their existing security would become much more effective if they had 1,000-2,000 “volunteers” on the lookout for suspicious activity while they were in the woods hunting, fishing, or hiking. The program can come in handy for hunters who are hunting Weyerhauser land. News and Updates. Clearly this meant good things for the fortunate hunters who got an access permit in 2013. Non-motorized access for the rest of the year remained free and did not require a permit. For comparison, approximately 55% of 6.9 million people in the state of Washington live in the Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia area while less than 10% of the population lives in and around Spokane. “People can hunt there they just need to make sure to look at Weyerhaeuser’s rules that are listed in the news release. This money also pays so much per acre to the program can come in for... The five people in his hunting party would have had to pay a total of 750. Own our wildlife, the people of our children and grandchildren under the age 18. Contain up-to-date information to help you plan your next hunting trip including ground cover types nearby., bear and elk taken from me to 399 but we had 5,000... 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