Private Lands Wildlife Management Area (PLWMA):
Private Land Partnerships for Hunter Access
(Discussion Paper)

August 20, 2004

Depiction of Updated and New WDFW Private Lands Hunter Access Programs. Click to enlarge

Access to private land continues to be a significant issue for Washington hunters as identified during scoping and development of the 2003-09 Game Management Plan (GMP). As identified in GMP strategies, several steps have been taken to update current programs and develop new ones. This discussion paper summarizes the updated current access programs and lays out a first draft of new proposals. We are asking for comments and recommendations for the new proposals at this time. The new proposals include a replacement program for PLWMAs called the Private Lands Access Permit Program and a new program called the Hunter Access Management Program. Comments should be submitted to WDFW by September 15, 2004. Depending on the level of interest or concern, a second draft may be developed for further comment prior to finalizing our recommendations this winter.

On a parallel track is a proposal to fund this expanded hunter access program using a $5 surcharge on hunting licenses. Your comments and assistance in developing a strong access program will be greatly appreciated. Please send comments to George Tsukamoto in care of the Wildlife Program at the Olympia office.

George Tsukamoto
Wildlife Program
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capital Way North
Olympia, WA 98501

Or email to: wildthing@dfw.wa.gov

Background:

The agency has a long history concerning hunter access opportunities onto private lands. Initially many of the programs were developed to combat the proliferation of fee hunting on private lands and the trend towards leasing lands to private hunting clubs. Now much of what seems to be driving hunter interest is the extensive closure of roads into private industrial timberlands and diminishing access for waterfowl and pheasant hunting.

Depiction of Updated and New WDFW Private Lands Hunter Access Programs:

Farmer/Sportsman Program: This represents the current updated programs designed to provide maximum flexibility to the landowner in allowing public access; incorporating habitat enhancements largely through other granting programs such as USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), etc. This program and staff are concentrated in the Columbia and Snake River Basins. The main incentives for landowners to allow hunter access are:

1. technical assistance from WDFW staff including help acquiring habitat enhancement grants;
2. increased hunter access assistance and control using WDFW signs; and
3. greater response emphasis from WDFW enforcement officers.

Updated Elements:

• Signs used in the program will be reviewed and standardized
• Signs will posted a minimum standard distance.
• Permission and registration slips will be standardized
• Public maps will be produced that identify lands as FFH, RH, or HWP and include public lands open to hunting.

Hunt by Written Permission:

• All HWP signs require landowner name and phone number
• Hunters must have permission slips signed and issued by the landowner.
• Permission stubs will be collected at the end of the season from cooperating landowners and summarized in a report.

Private Lands Access Permit Program: This proposal is a replacement of the Private Lands Wildlife Management Area Program (PLWMA), which will end following the 2005-hunting season. The basis of this program is to have the private landowner cover the cost of hunter access by generating funding directly from the hunter-user of the private land.

Elements:

• The emphasis is on access to closed lands or lands where access is significantly restricted
• The benefits to WDFW in terms of meeting management objectives and the public opportunity must be significant
• The minimum number of permits that a property must be able to support for entry into this program is 25
• A hunting permit and an access permit are required for all state licensed hunters
• Landowners are responsible for boundary descriptions and signing
• Minimum requirement of greater than 5000 acres or maximum of two PLAPP’s per District
• Cooperative agreement and annual contract required, but not a management plan
• Customized hunting seasons and geographic area are identified on the permit
• Permits will be shared (minimum of 75/25 for bucks and bulls and 50/50 for antlerless) between the landowner and the general hunter
  

Several factors will affect the share rate including amount of public land in the area, landowner interest, and migratory nature of the herd

• Landowner discretionary permits (may be sold, bartered, or ???)
• General hunter permits may be raffled by the landowner or provided through WDFW drawing
• All hunters whether using landowner discretionary permits or general hunter permits must receive the same opportunities

NEW: Hunter Access Management Program:

If funding were provided by the legislature, WDFW would assist private landowners in development and management of access. The focus for this funded assistance will be to address priority access issues. The GMP process identified private timberlands, pheasant and waterfowl areas as the highest priorities. A pilot program for pheasants was implemented last year and test programs for waterfowl have been implemented over the past several years. All of these programs require that WDFW rather than the landowner provide/manage hunter access. The landowner does not select who may hunt on the property. Maps of these lands will be provided to the public.

Waterfowl Cover Crop Program – This is an annual incentive program where landowners are paid to leave corn stubble or other winter cover crops on their lands as well as provide hunter access.

Elements:

• Winter cover crops that provide feed for waterfowl would be leased using Migratory Bird Permit (Duck Stamp) funding Hunter access management costs would be provided from this new funding proposal (see below)Program would be concentrated in high waterfowl harvest areas of the state such as the north Puget Sound, Chehalis River Basin, and Columbia River Basin. Lands must be enrolled in the “Feel Free To Hunt” or “Register To Hunt” type access programs or other agency managed access or be closed to all hunting if appropriate to meet management objectives.

Partnership for Pheasants – Lease payments are available to private landowners who sign a long-term agreement to develop pheasant habitat on their property and allow hunter access. Funding would be available for lands within the Pheasant Management Focus Areas (currently the Snake River breaks)

• Habitat enhancements would be funded through the pheasant enhancement program and hunter access management would be funded from this new funding proposal
• Highest habitat enhancement priority is retention or development of brood rearing habitat
• Brood rearing habitat adjacent to federally protected CREP lands is a high priority
• Lands are chosen and payment is based on the type, amount, and location of proposed improvements
• Lands must be enrolled in the “Feel Free To Hunt” or “Register To Hunt” access type programs or other agency managed access.
  

Private Timberland Access – This would essentially be a new program where WDFW funds would be used to assist in the development and management of hunter access with emphasis on industrial timberlands (the property itself would not be leased). The GMP identifies southwest Washington, central Washington (Yakima and Kittitas counties), and northeast Washington as the priorities.

Elements:

• Assist landowners with road management strategies to manage users during the hunting season.
• Road management strategies would be developed to ensure adequate access
• Provide funding for signs, gates, padlocks, etc.
• Assist with funding for security guards, gate keepers, or use volunteers to help manage access points.
• Coordinate with private landowners to address property damage and litter cleanup
• Enhance liability protection for the private landowner who provides hunter access through a formal agreement with WDFW
• Provide enforcement support
• Lands must be enrolled in the "Feel Free To Hunt" or "Register To Hunt" access type programs or other agency managed access

Funding Proposal:

• A surcharge of $5 per hunting license to generate approximately $1.2 million per year.
• $550,000 per year to hire six staff members stationed in areas with extensive timberlands, pheasant, and waterfowl priority areas. These positions would work with landowners to set up access programs, develop road management plans, manage agreements, coordinate with landowners etc. This funding would also include one policy level position to oversee and direct development of all access programs.$650,000 per year for access mgmt., signs, road maintenance, leases, property damage mitigation, security needs, and costs for litter clean-up, developing parking areas, hunter mgmt. controls such as gates, locks, signs, fencing, etc. and renovation of roads.