10-year Recreation Strategy for WDFW-managed Lands (2022)

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) manages over a million acres of land in Washington state offering unique opportunities for exploration and recreation.

Like many public land managers, WDFW faces complex challenges in managing visitor access and recreation on department-managed lands. WDFW provides recreation access within the bounds of its steadfast commitment to protecting, and providing fish, wildlife, ecosystems, and tribal treaty resources now and into the future.

The goals of this 10-year strategy are to offer quality recreation opportunities on WDFW-managed lands, increase protections for natural, cultural, and tribal resources, and strengthen relationships with tribal, state, federal and local governments, nonprofit and local organization partners, local communities and diverse stakeholders.

This strategy will require significant near- and long-term investment. The estimated non-capital cost for implementation is $40 to $60 million. Prioritized near-term actions include making WDFW-managed lands more welcoming, developing data and systems to support planning and management, curtailing illegal activity, piloting expanded recreation planning processes in priority areas, and ramping up department capacity for planning and managing recreation.

WDFW invites our partners and visitors to join us in this effort to enhance recreation opportunities on WDFW-managed lands while preserving these special places for generations to come.

To achieve these goals, WDFW will pursue six strategic initiatives:

1. Recreation Planning: Plan to accommodate outdoor recreation where it is compatible with conservation goals and other management priorities.
2. Education and Engagement: Engage diverse Washingtonians in planning and managing recreation and encourage the development of a stewardship ethic in all visitors to WDFW-managed lands.
3. Use and Impact Monitoring: Develop and manage data systems that support recreation planning and management decisions.
4. Rulemaking: Regulate recreation uses of WDFW-managed lands to protect the health and safety of fish, wildlife, habitat, department personnel, neighbors, and other visitors.
5. Travel Management: Develop a sustainable multimodal travel management program that addresses the designation, development, decommissioning, maintenance, and monitoring of roads and trails on WDFWmanaged lands.
6. Capacity and Funding: Develop the tools, workforce, and sustainable funding to deliver on the vision of the 10- year Recreation Strategy for WDFW-managed Lands.