Vandalism On DNR Ground - PLEASE READ!!!

[Grumpy]

Hi, folks:

The Recreation Program needs your help. Vandalism at our recreation sites is taking a big bite out of our strapped budget. If you witness any abuse to resources, vandalism, or illegal dumping on DNR-managed lands, please report these incidents. Be sure to note any license plate numbers and get a description of any vehicles involved. If the matter doesn’t require an immediate law enforcement response or for after hours and on weekends call 800-562-6010. Otherwise, call 911. You can also contact the regional offices directly for non-emergencies. A list of phone numbers is at: www.dnr.wa.gov/AboutDNR/Regions/Pages/Default.aspx


Damage in Capitol State Forest

Those of you who live in the South Puget Sound area may have seen an article in Monday’s Olympian about vandalism at Capitol State Forest at: www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/908945.html. We also wrote about the issue recently for DNR’s Blog, at http://bit.ly/k5hnt.

This vandalism is not an isolated case. Vandalism is happening all across the state on DNR-managed lands. As our recreation budget gets leaner, we have to do more with less. When vandals strike, we often must redirect our dwindling resources to repairing or replacing damaged items, such as the new signs that were recently installed in the forest.

In June, vandals shot up or otherwise damaged 30 brand new signs in Capitol Forest. Some of these signs were damaged beyond recognition and will need to be replaced. View photos of the damage at: www.flickr.com/photos/wastatednr/sets/7 ... 787018462/


Though it may seem as if signs can’t be that expensive to replace, this damage adds up. It will cost us nearly $1,000—in time and materials—to replace the signs that are no longer readable due to vandalism. Here’s the breakdown of the costs:

- Large blue “Capitol Forest Entranceâ€