On Sun, 4 Jan 1998, Janet Carroll wrote:

>...if the manager of the Skagit Wildlife Area were approached when the
> towhee was first observed and told that there was likely to be many
> birders coming to see the bird, do you think that the safety zone have been
> expanded to accomodate this event.

Well Janet, those are excellent questions and I was thinking along the
same lines. I have asked (via email to regional Wildlife Management staff)
a question or two about this issue. To me it makes perfect sense to manage
some of the Wildlife Area for winter birding. However, I may be unaware
of some important factors in such a decision. I was, for instance,
surprised to find out that an access to Ward Lake here in Olympia was
deeded to the Department of Fish and Wildlife with a strict condition that
the property be managed for fishing access only.

Kelly McAllister
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

P.S. I have no authority in this matter. I am just a District Biologist
(for Thurston and Pierce Counties) with some ideas about who might be
worth engaging in a discussion on the topic.