I agree with Cast This about the sad state of development that blocks access to rivers and lakes, be they Lake Washington in an urban area or the Methow River in a rural area.

I also believe,however, that public access to rivers and lakes should be ensured. Therefore, on a lake or river surrounded by private land, the burden of ensuring public access to the waterside necessarily should fall on the landowners.

Cast This wishes me luck for a "perfect world". Well, I don't think I am an idealist. As a Seattle native having lived and worked in Asia, Europe and North America for the past 12 years, I have an inkling of what can and cannot be achieved realistically.

In Switzerland, for example, river and lake access may not be blocked by private land owners. It is possible (in theory) to walk the whole length of the populated Swiss shores of Lake Geneva. True, some large estates outside Geneva do not provide this access. Nevertheless, I used to often walk or bike on the 15 mile stretch of a shoreside boardwalk stetching between Lausanne and Montreux. This is something beautiful for the whole world to enjoy, including gun-toting farmers from Washignton and Bill Gates, whose place there provides public shore access like everybody else fortunate enough to own property on the lake.

I don't expect this to happen in the US - it almost certainly will not. There are, however, consequences for landowners who block access to public resources with their no trespassing policies. Consider Lake Washington as an example. If public access were ensured around Lake Washington, then the general public would become the constituency for the lake. As it stands now, the only constituents for the lake are boaters and people with houses along its shore. There is little sympathy from the masses for private landowners who block access to what should clearly belong to the public, i.e. the shore of Lake Washington.

Concerning farmland vs. urban residences and shooting of dogs & cows, one cannot seriously argue that walking over farmland is the equivalent of breaking into a house. Also, the loss of a cow is not the same as the loss of a dog - the cow is an economic asset and the dog is a family pet. Unfortunately, both cows and dogs do get shot, so while the farmers' problem is sad and regretful, it is not unique.

Using the Swiss example again, farmers there are required to provide access to hikers over their fields in the mountains. Thank goodness for that - humanity would be worse off if the Swiss Alps were blocked off private landowners and their grazing cows. Unlike Switzerland, in Washigton, humanity suffers because access to the state's rivers and lakes is blocked increasingly by no trespassing signs and barbed wire.

To wrap it up - private landowners who block access to lake and river shores are (whether they like it or not) preventing the general public from enjoying responsibly something that they should have the right to enjoy. I believe this is wrong. It would be nice to see a change in the attitude of all involved. Mutual respect and courtesy would go a long way - I won't hold my breath... good luck indeed. Welcome to America!

Gerard W.
Seattle, WA