Clarification on my original post: Department of Defense (DoD) personnel and their family members, which include active duty military, retired military, appropriated and non-appropriated fund employees and their immediate family members or two guests of these valid ID card holders with a vehicle having a valid DoD sticker on the windshield have not been required in the past (at least for the past 9 years) to obtain an Area Access Recreational Use Permit for fishing the Nisqually River on Fort Lewis property. For personnel other than what is cited above, that permit has always been required. This I have confirmed many times with the state game worden, the Fort Lewis Military Police, Fort Lewis Range Control, and the Northwest Adventure Center (the hub for outdoor recreation on Fort Lewis). This information is also found in the Fort Lewis Fishing Rules which expires 31 Mar 03.
My concern here is to being recently informed by the Fort Lewis Military Police (who do issue tickets for non-compliance of existing rules) and by Range Control (who are responsible for issuing the use permits to those non-DoD personnel cited above) that the rules have changed. I have been in contact with the Military Police Admin Office, Range Control, and the Northwest Adventure Center, immediately after hearing of this change earlier this week, trying to get a clearer interpretation of the existing rules as soon as possible. When that occurs I will post again.