Re: EE Wilson
Here is the article fron the Statesman Journal-- as you can see this is for 2003-2005-- But there are some pretty scary things here-- read it and weep-- Sorry it is so long--
HENRY MILLER, Statesman Journal
April 30, 2002
The popular October pheasant hunts at E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area could be eliminated under worst-case budget cuts in the 2003-2005 Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife budget outline.
If increased fees for fishing and hunting licenses are not approved by the 2003 Oregon Legislature, mothballing the 1,600-acre wildlife area north of Corvallis is among the money-saving proposals to cover an estimated $8.4 million shortfall.
Mothballing, according to a report from the department's External Budget Advisory Committee, would mean eliminating the last remaining full-time position, dropping the October fee pheasant-hunt program and dog trials, cutting most habitat im-provement projects and reducing maintenance.
Not mentioned in the report is whether the popular trout-stocking program would be axed at E.E. Wilson Pond.
The budget situation, and a three-tier package of proposed license and tag fee increases which would forestall the cuts, are the topics at a series of public meetings.
There is one tonight in Portland, a second meeting Wednesday at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, and a May 7 session in Tillamook.
"What we'd like to see is a very good turnout of people at the meetings," said Jerry Ray of Corvallis, a board member of the National Foundation for Wildlife, which opposes the cutbacks.
E.E. Wilson is unique among the state's 14 wildlife areas in that it gets 100 percent of its budget from fishing and hunting license and tag fees, said Dave Budeau, the area manager.
Other wildlife areas get funding from license fees and up to 75 percent federal money paid back to states from a surcharge on firearms and ammunition.
"Our area has been kind of the Rodney Dangerfield of wildlife areas," Budeau said.
In 1997, staffing was cut to one full-time position and the state pheasant raising program was eliminated.
Effects of the cutbacks would be devastating, said Ray.
"When you take away the management of the area, you have chaos," he said.
Without maintenance and oversight, it wouldn't take long for blackberries and weeds to choke trails and roads or for trash-dumping and illegal motorcycle riding to begin, Ray said.
"It's a very, very unique area," he added about the network of roads on the former military base that make the wildlife area handicapped-accessible and popular for bicyclists.
Figures indicate E.E. Wilson is the most-used wildlife area for its size, Budeau said.
"Per acre, our area gets more hunter visits than any other wildlife areas," he said.
In 2001, check stations recorded 6,252 hunter visits for the October pheasant hunts.
Another 6,840 filled out the required no-cost walk-in access permits to monitor visitors to E.E. Wilson Pond.
"We checked hundreds of anglers, and there was only about 70 percent compliance (with the permits)," Budeau said, so visits by anglers are believed to be more than 9,000.
Other visitors include bicyclists, hikers, bird-watchers, visitors to the pheasant display area and berrypickers, are estimated at about 25,000 annually.
The elimination of most programs at E.E. Wilson is one of a list of proposed cuts under the budget outline. Others include:
•Elimination of staff positions statewide, including most volunteer-coordinator posts.
•Dropping the white sturgeon monitoring program on the Columbia River and estuaries.
•Closure of the North Nehalem and Rock Creek hatcheries.
•Cuts in the Wildlife Damage Program and assistance programs for landowners to improve habitat for wildlife.
•Cutting the winter feeding fund used to pay for wildlife feed during severe winters.
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Chuck
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