(The Center Square) – The Washington State Department of Natural Resources is asking the public for feedback on its first statewide recreation strategic plan.
DNR’s Outdoor Access and Responsible Recreation Strategic Plan has been in the works for more than a year and is expected to be finalized before the end of the year.
The plan is meant to set the agency’s priorities for recreation management and outdoor access on DNR-managed lands. The plan to ensure natural, cultural and tribal resources are respected and promoted throughout the state while offering high-quality, accessible recreation opportunities is a response to a 21% increase in visitation to DNR lands from 2019 to 2020.
“Along with an increase in visitation comes an increase in public abuse of DNR lands,” DNR Statewide Recreation Manager Andrea Martin said during a Monday news conference . “We’ve seen an uptick in unsanctioned trail building, illegal dumping, timber theft and user conflicts on trails and in campgrounds.”