Hi Tweeters,

When several of us were at the Hoquiam STP a couple of weeks ago the person
on duty said that we were not to walk on the boardwalk because it belonged
to a different agency. I think that he said that it had something to do
with the airport that is just beyond the sewage ponds. It sounds like we
are all getting different answers depending on what staff is on duty at the
time.

Mary Anne Thorbeck
Seattle
maryannethorbeck at attbi.com


----- Original Message -----
From: "Rachel Lawson" <RachelLawson at softhome.net>
To: <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, October 02, 2002 12:17 AM
Subject: Access to Hoquiam STP boardwalk


> There seems to be some confusion as to whether birders are allowed to walk
> out onto the wooden boardwalk/bridge at the Hoquiam STP. According to
Ruth
> Sullivan, birders are never, ever supposed to go out there. But I was out
> there on Saturday with many other birders, and we were given permission to
> enter the area inside the gate and go out onto the boardwalk. After we
all
> had a chance to see the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Bob Norton, Doug Watkins,
> and I spent about half an hour talking to one of the very nice staff
people
> in the headquarters office, and he definitely said that birders are
welcome
> to walk through the gate and go out onto the boardwalk, AS LONG AS THEY
> SIGN IN AT THE OFFICE FIRST (as I stated in my BirdBox report). There is
a
> book on the counter for this purpose. He said that many birders don't
know
> that they are allowed on the boardwalk, but they are. So, all I can say
> is, check in at the office and do what they say.
>
> Rachel Lawson
> Seattle
> RachelLawson at softhome.net
>
>