Washington Fly Fishing Forum banner

The 7400 Bridge Rd. Gate

5K views 25 replies 16 participants last post by  Steffan Brown 
#1 ·
Yep, for you guys that like to have access at the 7400 bridge on the Wynoochee, there is a brand new, shine gate out by the highway. I don't think they put it there for decoration.
Sky Ecoregion Cloud Road surface Infrastructure
 
See less See more
1
#13 ·
I know someone that swings with keys to that new gate and he has assured me he will make sure I can get up there anytime I would like too. But what prevents people with helicopters from just flying over those gates ? It seems like they are just blocking access to the 99% lower class.... I say Occupy the Nooch.
 
#14 ·
After thinking about it, I'm not quite as concerned as I was initially. Most of the private roads that are open to the public up there have gates at the points of entry that are almost never closed. Yes, it seems an odd practice to install a gate that might not be used, but it could be a measure they take to make it a quick job to close an area should the owners decide to do so.

In the meantime, as long as we are still allowed entry, let's bear in mind the reasons why such areas are most often closed by timber companies: littering and abuse/theft of the resources. If you see some jackass littering or otherwise abusing the land, remind him that our access to the area is conditional on our good behavior. Then, hope, against all odds, that he listens.
 
#19 ·
According to timber companies gates happen for three reasons: theft at logging sides, vandalism at logging sides and eleswhere, and dumping, not minor littering, but truckload sized dumping that all too often has included hazardous materials that the company is then on the hook to clean up. Much as I hate gates, it's hard to argue with that reasoning.

Sg
 
#23 ·
Shit! The 7400 line is a traditional put-in takeout for the river!
It has become a public right of way, merely by the fact of regular public usage by fisher people over the years! What's that phrase I'm dredging for...ah, yes... Eminent Domain!

A friend of a friend of a friend of a friend of mine supposedly claims that there are quite a few outlaw scofflaws around who regularly take their 4-wheelers or dirt bikes past closed gates and red dots (here in Grays Harbor Co) and never seem to get apprehended. Into the hills they vanished....its all a fun game of cat and mouse to them, anyway.
I couldn't name any of those jokers, :rolleyes: but if I could, I wouldn't ever ask them to go fishing with me.

I seriously doubt that the cost of employing security personnel to police the kind of rebellion that would arise (if this and other favorite gates are closed) would be covered by selling "fishing permits."

Many of my former access roads are now gated or red-dotted, and my local stream fishing world is getting smaller. I'm not amused.

It pisses me off to hike in or ride a mountain bike in past a gate that only closes the road to motor vehicles (walking, biking. horseback OK), and then find 4-wheeler tracks all over the place, often having gouged muddy ruts in the trail.

So now, due to many gate closures in the recent past around here, I have to burn more fuel and waste more time to drive long distances to a decent hike-in spot just to go stream fishing (other than fishing tidewater from a boat). I have already been gated out of 4 (maybe more, already, as far as I know...won't know til I go) of my former local hike-in cutthroat spots that first required a drive in on logging roads. I am not amused by this.

Weyerhauser, Green Diamond, and their ilk have too much power in this state. Maybe they should be forced to re-open recreational access, or else get bucked down to size.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top