I got a response from one of the people that I emailed (name left out so he doesn't have any repercussions):
We are in the process of answering your questions. But I need to know which WMAs are you referencing and what trails in particular are you concerned about. All of the large WMAs in my District are leased areas therefore we share our trails (which are logging roads) with timber company contractors harvesting pine trees.
I sent back the following response
Thank you for the response. Some of the areas that I have noticed need some attention:
Red River WMA (Now RKY) – There is a road just north of the Yakey Check Station along Hwy 15 and a long ATV trail that skirts the north end of the property.
The ATV Trail in this area got so bad I had to stop hunting it because my ATV did not have a lift kit and a snorkel. (I’ve never seen timber harvests in that area in the 10+ years I’ve been going there)
Grassy Lake WMA – The Camping area just about requires a 4WD truck just to park there (and it was a fairly dry winter this year) and the ATV trails are in overall poor shape too. (Again no timber harvests there)
West Bay WMA – The roads are pretty bad but I understand that they are shared by the timber companies and I see the damage that their equipment causes
Acadiana Conservation Corridor – The boat launch at Hwy 29 is one of the worst I’ve ever launched at. When the current is flowing it’s almost impossible to get back on a trailer because of the direction it faces
These are just of the few areas that I’ve noticed over the past several years. I’m sure there are a lot of other areas.
It just seems to me as an outside observer that a great number of these small deficiencies could be fixed with very little resources and effort and yet we see them year after year
I’ve hunted several other areas of the state that do an excellent job of maintaining the parking areas and trails. That was the reason behind my question of how the budgets are divided
If Bayou Macon WMA can have gravel parking areas and trails why does Grassy Lake WMA get neglected? Is this a budget issue or a planning issue?
I don’t mean to be a bother but as an active outdoorsman I would like to ensure that my children and their children have a place to hunt in the future
As stewards of the land I feel that all outdoorsman would benefit from some improvements in our public lands
Again I thank you for your response and I look forward to further discussions about these topics
|