Opinion surveys conducted by Responsive Management in January/February 2002 included several questions about private lands and the closely related issue of hunter access. These were both identified as important issues during a public involvement process in 2001.

Hunters strongly agreed with the importance of private lands for wildlife management and for hunting access. Most hunters also support providing incentives to private landowners in exchange for habitat enhancements and access.

Hunters also agreed that access to private lands is important, even if fees are charged. The majority of hunters said they would be willing to pay a fee for access to private land, (except turkey hunters) and they were willing to pay more than $6 per day for this access. Although willingness to pay declined quickly when the fee exceeded $10 per day.

Hunters also felt that WDFW should develop programs to pursue public access through easements, cooperative programs, and walk-in-only programs.

Road closures were identified as important to hunters for controlling hunter numbers, reducing illegal activity, and reducing impacts to wildlife. Hunters expressed support for cooperative road management systems, temporary hunting closure areas, closure during critical times of year, and designating refuges to maintain game species in local areas.

There is fairly strong support from hunters for a variety of landowner programs. WDFW has been involved in many programs over the years; some have been more successful than others. Even with these existing programs, hunters and landowners would like to see more. Recent closures of private industrial timberlands in southwest Washington, limited waterfowl hunting access in western Washington, limited pheasant hunting access in eastern Washington, extensive road management systems in south central Washington, agricultural damage concerns across the state, and a lack of information about access to public lands and WDFW lands has resulted in many questions and concerns from hunters and landowners.