Sno- park passes are for the whole state, as well as Oregon Sno-park areas
and are intended to pay for the snow removal and monitoring in the parking
areas. They are good from Oct 1 to May or whenever the snow season is
officially over. They are available at State Park offices, from the rangers
at the locations, and at various retail outlets that sell outdoor winter
gear; ie: REI, etc. they are fairly quick to ticket, I might add.

Kristin Stewart
Olympia, WA

----------
> From: Richard E. Johnson <johnsonre at wsu.edu>
> To: katehammill75 at hotmail.com
> Cc: tweeters at u.washington.edu
> Subject: Re: access stewardship stickers
> Date: Monday, March 05, 2001 11:36 PM
>
> Kate and Tweeters,
>
> I suspect part of the problem regarding permits is that there seem to be
a
> number of different permits created by different agencies for various
> purposes that may affect a birder, and a birder often discovers these by
> surprise after having driven 50-200 miles to get to a place. Suddenly
> he/she is faced with a delemma. Backtracking to find a place to purchase
> the permit may take longer than finding the bird sought after, and also
> require spending an extra day or more (I have found the necessary govt
> office closed all weekend, for example), as well as burning more fossil
> fuel, etc.
>
> Examples of permit questions/problems:
>
> The recent report of White-winged Crosbills in Mt. Spokane State Park has
> birders going there, but the birds are at a Sno-park in the State Park
and
> parking there requires a special permit. Where do you get the permit and
> for how much? Is this the same permit as for Sno-parks you see marked
along
> Interstate 90 in the Cascades? Probably not, since this one is in a STATE
> park.
>
> Last summer I had driven 50 or so rough, dirt miles into a back area in
the
> Blue Mtns only to be faced at a trailhead with a sign saying parking
there
> required a permit. They've gotta be kidding: there's probably one vehicle
> there a month, and they require a permit?! I had been hiking in other
parts
> of the Blues the previous couple days and never encountered such a
> requirement. I found a ranger station IN the Blues and they said I had to
> go to the USFS office in Pomeroy. Drove 30 more miles to get there (again
> over mostly rough roads) and found the office was closed for the next two
> days. But patrolmen who might give citations WERE out on forest service
> roads. This is a bit disconcerting. People can't always drive to a place,
> discover they can't bird until they get a permit and can't get a permit
for
> a few days, then have to make a special trip for the permit on another
day,
> and finally make the origianl planned trip a week or so later than first
> planned. For me, the extra driving to do that would have added up to
nearly
> 400 miles. I'll pay for the permit if they'll pay for my extra time and
> gas!! I think you get the point. I wanted to cooperate, but after so much
> hassle, I lost my interest in cooperating.
>
> I think it would be a very useful project if someone (combined tweeters
> project, or Wash. Ornithol. Society?) created and posted a list of ALL
the
> foreseeable permits for all the types of places a birder might go, where
to
> buy them, and cost. Forest Service and other agency offices could also
> distribute the lists, making for wider knowledge and less hassle for all.
> Then someone planning trips could use the list to be sure all the bases
> were covered BEFORE making a trip.
>
>
> Dick Johnson
> Pullman, WA
> johnsonre at wsu.edu
>
>
>
>
>
> >Tweeters:
> >
> >I've been reading a few negative reactions to the access-stewardship
> >stickers required to park at various State maintained hunting, fishing
and
> >birding sites, especially in Sno.Co.
> >Some folks seemed very upset to get tickets for not having one, and
others
> >seem to think because it is "public" land that free access is our right.
> >"Public" doesn't mean free. We as the "public" share a responsiblity to
help
> >maintain these great spots.
> >The extremely modest fee the state charges for these stickers (a mere
$10.00
> >a year!) is less than most birders spend on coffee and pastries in the
first
> >hour of a birding trip.
> >Two weeks ago my family and I were birding up at the Wyle Road Access
and
> >witnessed a birder giving the warden a extremely hard time about the
> >"unfair" cost of access. All the while a pair of $1200.00 Swarovski's
hung
> >around his neck!
> >I bring all this up now because at the end of March the current stickers
> >expire and you should purchase new ones. The cost is a mere $10.00 ( or
if
> >you buy a fishing license they're free).
> >you can buy them at most hardware and sport shops or anywhere you buy
> >fishing and hunting licenses.
> >So Birders, let's stop complaining about these stickers, especially the
> >cost, and be thankful we have places left to use them at.
> >
> >kate
> >
> >kate hammill
> >seattle, wa.
> >mail to:katehammill75 at hotmail
> >_________________________________________________________________
> >Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
>