From the desk of Jon Snyder
Outdoor Recreation and Economic Development
Senior Policy Advisor to Governor Jay Inslee
December 2019
- Budget concerns at federal agencies:
Wildlife refuges suffer under budget cuts and staff shortages
The ongoing, back door bid to commercialize our national parks
Invasive cats, pigs and more plague most US parks, report warns. Can they be stopped?
- Is time in nature really good for our health? REI is paying to find out.
- Washington Fish and Wildlife police work without backup protecting state’s natural resources
- Car tab initiative impacts:
Car tab initiative could cut into orca recovery
Dear State Democrats, It’s on You to Repair the Damage I-976 Has Wrought
It’s time to make our transportation system less efficient
WA outdoor business news:
Final Summer Lodging Results At Western Mountain Destinations Are Mixed; Winter Holding Steady
At $2.6 billion increase, tariffs hit all-time high for outdoor industry
Zumiez Notches Another Quarter Of Positive Comps
Nike cuts ties with Amazon, but shoes won’t vanish
Trail news:
Roy Yelm Prairie Line Trail receives PSRC funding
Plans begin forming for Dayton-Waitsburg trail
Hunting and Fishing news:
WDFW Commission Denies Petition To Restrict Popular Skykomish Fisheries
Fishers are back in the North Cascades
The secret preserve that brings baby turtles back to the Columbia Gorge
Billy Frank Jr. Salmon Coalition is a return to cooperation
WDFW sticks with meetings outside law
Got squid? Why officials say you should catch and eat it out of Puget Sound
Additional news:
Swastikas found painted on turtles at Renton park
Editorial: Pave Mountain Loop Highway with good intentions
Paddleboards vs. pilots: Kenmore Air, Lake Union neighbors clash over crowded waters
AAA Warns Pedestrian Detection Systems Don’t Work When Needed Most
Public pleads to county council for vacation rental moratorium
2019 US Cyclocross National Championships coming to Lakewood Dec. 10-15
Surfrider Foundation Releases 2019 State Of The Beach Report (WA State receives “B” grade)
How ‘landscape urbanism’ is making gentrification look like fun
DNR cancels proposal for Silverdale Ridgetop land exchange
OUTDOORS: Commission to consider Miller Peninsula site of next full-service state park
There is such a thing as a free bus, and we should all take it in 2020
National Gold Medal Award cites Washington State Parks for second year in a row
Spirit Lake tunnel needs $5M to $15M work; officials stress need for access road
British Columbia will no longer log in key Skagit headwaters
Foundation is suing Mountaineers over the use of name
Stiff pushback against decision to allow Mount Rainier-area resort to keep moving
We must rethink what a student athlete is and teach entrepreneurial skills
Congratulations, Sounders and Seattle — and bring on World Cup games in 2026
Race, survival, and birding while black
Spokane Centennial Trail medallions moved after thieves steal hundreds of them
Planning:
WSDOT Active Transportation Plan – We want your opinion—deadline December 15
WDFW seeks applicants for positions on waterfowl advisory group
Grants:
EarthLab launches second round of Innovation Grants: Do you have a collaborative and impactful project idea related to pressing environmental challenges? Apply to the EarthLab Innovation Grants Program. Through this program, EarthLab seeks to invest in teams of academic and community partners that pursue innovative ideas to motivate change. All disciplines at UW are encouraged to apply: https://earthlab.uw.edu/grants/
Jon Snyder
Outdoor recreation and Economic Development Senior Policy Advisor to Gov. Jay Inslee
Office: 360-902-0488 Mobile: 360-584-3804
Featured Image: USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships in Lakewood, WA. poster

Todd Elsworth is one of the many “Mossy-haired lunatics roaming the dripping peninsulas”, described in “I’m Here for the Weather” by Tom Robbins. As executive director, he works to fulfill our mission to teach the health benefits of nature, promote outdoor recreation, and steward the places where we play.
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