New Walker Valley 2010 User Survey for grant application

2010 Walker Valley Off-Road Vehicle Area User Survey

Your Input Is Needed by June 30, 2010!  This Is Your Opportunity To Show Your Support For Continued Funding For Walker Valley!

June 2010

What’s Up?

The funding that provides maintenance dollars for the Walker Valley ORV Area is currently coming from federal grants (called RTP grants – Recreation Trails Program).  These are competitive grants and the process starts all over every 12 months. DNR is now in the process of applying for the next 12 month grant cycle. This grant process is very competitive with no guarantee that DNR will win the grant. Much will depend on how important maintaining Walker Valley ORV Area is to you, the ORV riding public, in meeting your needs.  That means DNR needs to hear from you! Fill out the User Survey on the back page and send it to DNR.  The survey information is used as evidence of user support for the grant application.

Why is it important to keep Walker Valley maintained and operating?

The 36 mile Walker Valley ORV Area is used by over 40,000 riders every year. It is one of the few designated ORV areas open year-round to motorcycles, ATVs and 4x4s in the state – and the only ORV area on state land north of Everett. Walker Valley also has a large number of natural resources to protect, such as streams and wetlands. The trails are maintained in large part through competitive grant funding and volunteer efforts.  This funding makes it possible to have a 36 mile, year-round ORV riding area available to riders from all over the state.  The grant funding goes toward taking care of everything you see at Walker Valley, from keeping the trails open and useable, to keeping the toilet facilities clean and garbage picked up, to repairing damaged facilities, and to working with volunteers on trail maintenance projects.

What is DNR doing with this survey information?

As part of the grant application process, DNR is seeking comments and letters of support from ORV users about the need to continue to fund maintenance and operations at Walker Valley. This information will be part of the grant application documentation to show user support and need for the funding.

What can I do?

Now is the time for you to let DNR know what your ORV needs are and whether you support continued funding to maintain and operate the Walker Valley ORV Area for another 12 months.

Send DNR your comments and letters of support by June 30, 2010.

Fill out the User Survey on the back page and send it to DNR.

Or send an email to jim.cahill@dnr.wa.gov

Walker Valley ORV Maintenance and Operations User Survey

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) needs to hear from you by June 30. 2010. Pass the word on to clubs and organizations you belong to so they can comment as well.  One way to comment is to fill out this user survey and send it in to DNR.  You can mail it to the address below, attach it to an email, or give it to a DNR field person you see.  You don’t have to use the survey form, but we still would like to know how and whether Walker Valley is meeting your needs as an ORV rider.

Walker Valley User Survey:

1. Does having access and use of the Walker Valley ORV Area fill a critical need for ORV riders?  (For example: does it provide for a range of opportunities for different types of ORVs and skill levels?  Does it provide opportunities for the whole family? Is it important to you to have year-round access?)

1. How many times do you ride at Walker Valley every year?  How many miles of trail do you ride in a day?

1. How many miles do you have to travel from home to ride at Walker Valley?

1. Has your riding and use experiences at Walker Valley benefited from maintenance work (such as trees blocking trails removed, toilets cleaned, garbage picked up, and trails fixed and kept useable)?

1. Do you support continued operation and maintenance of Walker Valley ORV Area?

1. Any other comments you want to share?

Send this survey and your comments to:

WA. State DNR, Attn. Jim Cahill,

919 N. Township

Sedro-Woolley, WA 98294

Or email them to:

jim.cahill@dnr.wa.gov

Thank you and hope to hear from you!