I’m sorry if you received a cool reception. I’m sure that they are getting a
lot of calls right now because hunting season just started. The Region 4
office was already aware of this issue before I contacted them. So I would say
that the message is getting through.
From: Angela Hoffman [mailto:ahoffman1979@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Monday, September 12, 2016 3:56 PM
To: Kevin.Breault@xxxxxxxx
Cc: tn-bird Listserv; Susan Lanier
Subject: Re: [TN-Bird] Re: WMAs and birding
Thank you, Susan, for your quick action, and to you, Kevin, for your support
about getting something done on this issue.
My attempt to reach someone in the TWRA Region IV office was much less
successful than that of Susan, so I'm glad that she and others may be able to
get the message through. When I called their office this afternoon in an
attempt to express my concerns, I was not allowed to speak with anyone beyond
the initial receptionist and got a very cool/curt reception from her. I did
finally get to leave a message for the wildlife manager, upon a second request,
but was told that he was out of the office for meetings most of this week. That
cool reception makes me thing that others may also be voicing concerns. Through
a friend who is part of the local mountain/trail biking community, I have also
learned that hunting at Forks has been a major discussion topic among that
community in the past week, days before our experience. Again, my concern is
for public safety, so I hope that hearing concerns from more than one
recreational community may now prompt action on TWRA's behalf.
Good birding,
Angela Hoffman
Angela M. Hoffman
Knoxville, TN
ahoffman1979@xxxxxxxxx<mailto:ahoffman1979@xxxxxxxxx>
On Mon, Sep 12, 2016 at 4:13 PM, Kevin Breault
<Kevin.Breault@xxxxxxxx<mailto:Kevin.Breault@xxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Thanks, Susan, where it is clear that there is an issue, the state and other
jurisdictional entities must get on this.
Kevin Breault
Brentwood, TN
________________________________________
From: tn-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:tn-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
<tn-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:tn-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>> on behalf
of Susan Lanier <Susan.Lanier@xxxxxx<mailto:Susan.Lanier@xxxxxx>>
Sent: Monday, September 12, 2016 2:59 PM
To: tn-bird Listserv
Subject: [TN-Bird] Re: WMAs and birding
I've sent a message to TWRA Region 4 about your concerns about awareness of the
hunting season at Forks of the River WMA and asked about putting up temporary
signs. It makes sense to me but I don't have a lot of control of the results.
https://www.tn.gov/assets/entities/twra/attachments/hunting_seasons_summary_16-17.pdf
Susan Lanier
-----Original Message-----
From: tn-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:tn-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
[mailto:tn-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:tn-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>] On
Behalf Of kde@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:kde@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, September 12, 2016 2:35 PM
To: tn-bird Listserv
Subject: [TN-Bird] Re: WMAs and birding
*** This is an EXTERNAL email. Please exercise caution. DO NOT open attachments
or click links from unknown senders or unexpected email. - STS-Security***
As Angela points out, the Greenway bordering FOTR WMA is a high-use area.
It connects the WMA directly to Ijams Nature Center and the much-publicized
Knoxville Urban Wilderness trail system. However the WMA has also always been
a high-use area for hunting and dog training. Those sunflower fields aren't
just there to be pretty.
In the past, there was typically temporary signage posted at the WMA parking
lot indicating when the WMA is closed to non-hunters. But I haven't went there
regularly in many years (sadly) so not sure what is common practice now.
However, if you come in on the Greenway from Ijams', there may not be any
warnings posted since that is maintained by the city and county... even though
it runs directly beside the sunflower/dove fields.
The official Outdoor Knoxville website for KUW
(http://www.outdoorknoxville.com/urban-wilderness)
has (if you scroll down far enough) the following to say about hunting on the
FOTR WMA...
"
Forks of the River Wildlife Management Area The South Loop main route winds
from the Ijams Quarry Trails along the paved Will Skelton Greenway that skirts
the Tennessee River and the fields of the WMA. The greenway ends at the woods
edge and merges onto the singletrack Whaley Trail which snakes along the river
to the Anderson School Trails. The WMA internal trails traverse through open
fields, hardwood forests, and hedgerows all home to an abundance of wildlife
and songbird activity.
Hunting: Please be aware that the Wildlife Management Area is an active hunting
area managed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency. Special conditions
apply to this property and are listed below. This Forks of the River Wildlife
Management Area is managed for hunting and habitat conservation by the
Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency. The TWRA works collaboratively with Legacy
Parks Foundation, Appalachian Mountain Bike Club, and the Parks and Recreation
departments of both the City and County of Knoxville to provide for
non-motorized, recreational mixed-use within the WMA. During hunting season,
all internal trails are closed to non-hunters but the Will Skelton Greenway and
Whaley Trail stay open year round.
Forks of the River Hunting Seasons for 2016:
Aug. 27, 2016 through Feb. 28, 2016: open after 12:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday
April 2, 2016 through June 11, 2016: open after 12:00 pm every day Note that
the Will Skelton Greenway and Whaley Trail remain open at all times.
A complete list of regulations and more information about TWRA are available at
http://www.tn.gov/twra/section/hunting-in-tennessee
Big thanks to the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club and all the volunteers that
helped build these beautiful trails!
"
Dean Edwards
Knoxville, TN
On Mon, 12 Sep 2016, Angela Hoffman wrote:
Wow, little did I know that my safety warning post about Forks of the=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================
River WMA would spark such discussion! All of the discussion I've read
so far seems to be addressing important and pertinent issues that we,
the birding community, need to consider as we interface with
regulatory agencies, other users of such properties, and the public.
For a little background on why my concern was raised so much by the
lack of signage at Forks, I did want to share this: it is a special
case. Had this been most other WMA areas, my concern wouldn't have
been the same, as the need for checking hunting seasons would be more
obvious (though I do still think signage is a win for all involved).
This property, however, is within the city limits of Knoxville, has a
paved City greenway running alongside its perimeter, and is visited by
hundreds of regular (read: non-hunting and
non-wildlife-aware) people *per day* on a good day if you include
those who walk or bike the greenway. During July and August, the
property also draws hundreds of people per day to view and take
pictures among the fields of sunflowers planted there. Because of
that, it seems like a special case in which most don't see it as a
hunting property, even those of us who are aware of what a WMA is,
which is why I posted the warning -- not for myself, but for others
and their safety. Also, we have visited Forks in previous years when
temporary signage *has* been visible about the possibility of hunters
being present, and we then did the responsible and reasonable thing: read the
sign and turned around to drive home.
Regarding the very real limitation of resources to pay for signage, I
don't see there being a need to create signs that list specific
seasons or dates or that change from year to year. Similar to some
seasonal road signs, a sign could be created that is closed in the
folded position and locked and which can then be unlocked and opened
during any hunting season to simply state "Hunters may be present - proceed
at your own risk" or similar.
Additional explanatory signage, with maybe a link to the state's
website, would be nice, but not needed.
Good birding to all,
Angela Hoffman
*Angela M. Hoffman*
Knoxville, TN
ahoffman1979@xxxxxxxxx<mailto:ahoffman1979@xxxxxxxxx>
