Fishmaster,maybe you should exert some of your negative energy at another organization other than the WDFW, maybe uh, a Timber company?

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NEWS RELEASE

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Aug. 28, 2003

Contact: Mark Quinn, (360) 902-2402


Fire risk sparks new road rules on WDFW lands


OLYMPIA - Concerned about the high risk of wildfires, the Washington Department
of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is limiting vehicle access on lands it owns and
manages throughout the state to existing open roads.


Effective immediately, no off-road travel or parking will be allowed off
graveled roads or parking areas, said Mark Quinn, WDFW lands manager. Included
in this restriction are designated "Green Dot" road management areas, where
visitors are normally allowed to park or camp 100 feet from an open road.


"The fire danger is extreme throughout the state, and this is one precaution we
can take short of closing department lands to public access," Quinn said. "We
don't want to do that, and we're urging everyone visiting WDFW lands to abide
by the new road restrictions."


High summer temperatures, combined by sparse rainfall, have left moisture
levels in grass and brush at the lowest levels in decades, according to the
state Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service.


Besides urging compliance with the new WDFW road restrictions, Quinn asks that
hunters and other visitors take several additional precautions to avoid
sparking a wildfire on department lands. These include:


· Parking vehicles over exposed gravel or soil that is free of any
vegetation to reduce the chance of hot exhaust starting a fire.


· Checking the undercarriage of your vehicle for weeds or other
vegetation that could ignite.


· Avoiding smoking outside your car and using the ashtray for ashes and
cigarette butts.


· Using gas stoves for outdoor cooking. Virtually all of Washington is
closed to outdoor fires and outdoor cooking with anything except gas or
propane.


"If you're hunting, the safest way to do it is on foot," Quinn said. "Please
respect private property and take every precaution to prevent wildfires.
Everyone should carry a shovel, bucket and a fire extinguisher if possible."


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