GATEKEEPING
The Gatekeepers are a group of sportsman and hunters who volunteered to monitor the access gates that Weyerhauser Timber Company normally has closed during hunting season.
Weyerhauser agreed to open lands totaling 262,000 acres, IF unpaid volunteers would man the access gates during the periods of work activity. The Gatekeeper program opened these 262,000 acres resulting in an additional 40 days of hunting.
The official name of the program is, the St. Helens Tree Farm Access Program. This land is active timber harvesting land belonging to Weyerhauser Timber Company in Washington. The idea has been tossed around between several different groups for years. It took a step closer when the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife entered negotiations in 2005. Weyerhauser agreed to give the program a one year trial if the Department of Fish and Wildlife would administer the program as well as recruit and supervise the "volunteers" during the 2007 Big Game hunting season.
The results were totally unexpected by Weyerhauser. Vandalism of logging equipment was the lowest in years during the Gatekeepers patrol times. Traffic accidents are the prime concern for active logging areas especially conflicts with ATV's which are forbidden on Weyerhauser lands at all times. Confrontations between logging trucks and hunters was virtually nil!!! The additional harvest of tree munching elk that occurred on the "Tree Farm" was another benefit.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife received benefits from this program as well. The State Management Area around Mount St. Helens is the largest elk herd in Washington. A large portion of the available food source is Weyerhauser lands adjacent to the active volcano, Mount St. Helens. The herd size is about 13,000 animals. However the available food source can only sustain about 10,000 animals. With these additional hunting opportunities, the herd size will be reduced over a period of years, resulting in a more sustainable herd size as well as more hunting opportunity.
Thank you to Tony Kastella,
Orion member and Weyerhauser Gatekeeper
|
|
UPCOMING APPEARANCES OF JIM POSEWITZ
April 18 MT State U. Philosophy 106 Bozeman, MT
April 19 MT Wildlife Federation Helena, MT
April 25 MT Wilderness
Association Great Falls,
MT
May 27 International
Hunter Ed Assoc. Fairview, IL
June 23 NSSF
Shooting Sports Summit Colorado
Spgs, CO
July 27 Idaho “Poachers Club” Idaho
Sept 13/14
In Planning Stage Sheboygan, WI
Sept 22 Idaho Fish and Game Boise, ID
APPEARANCES OF ERIC NUSE and MARK HIRVONEN
May 18-24 NE Chapter of WL Society Field Course Caselton VT
May 28-30 Int'l Hunter Ed Assn Conf Ethics in Action Fairview IL
June 7 ME Dept Inland Fish & Game
Aug 9-10 Izaak Walton Leaque, Ethics in Action Woodmont MD
Sept 7-11 Assn. Fish & WL Agencies Saratoga Spgs NY
Sept 13 Ethics in Action/Orion meeting WI
|
|
|
|
|