The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will host a public workshop from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 28, at the Winthrop Barn to discuss the development of a new Methow Wildlife Area Management Plan.
The workshop will offer community members the opportunity comment on the entire planning process, including recreation management at the Methow Wildlife Area and identifying new priorities and actions to protect, restore, and enhance fish and wildlife and their habitats, according to a WDFW press release.
“The Methow Wildlife Area is an incredibly special place that is important for conservation and recreation,” said Lauri Vigue, environmental planner with the WDFW, said in the release. “With increased visitor use of the area in recent years, addressing recreation impacts and demand while conserving critical wildlife habitats will be a major focus of the planning process.”
The Methow Wildlife Area is in the Methow River watershed and spans approximately 34,600 acres of land separated into seven units. The area consists of diverse habitats, including shrub steppe, grasslands and dry coniferous ponderosa pine forests.
WDFW manages the lands to maintain important migration corridors and habitat for mule deer. Protecting these corridors also benefits other wildlife, including songbirds, small mammals and salmon, the release said.
The Methow Wildlife Area’s recreational opportunities include big game hunting, cross-country skiing, birding and horseback riding. The WDFW is seeking feedback about recreational opportunities available on the Methow Wildlife Area through an online survey at https://publicinput.com/R2352.
