Washington Trappers Association August 2010 Report

President — Bruce Vandervort, 5338 US Hwy 101, Humptulips, WA 98552; phone: 360-288-2466; e-mail: brucevandervort@hotmail.com

Vice President West — John Consolini, 17030 Marmount ST SE, Monroe WA 98272; e-mail: itrap4you@yahoo.com

Vice President East ­— George Brady, P.O. Box 535, Pateros, WA 98846; phone: 509-923-2326;
e-mail: cascadeb@televar.com

Executive Secretary — Ralph Dobson, 711 196th Street NW, Arlington, WA 98223; phone: 360-652-2132; e-mail: rlph.dobson@gmail.com

Treasurer — BJ Thornily; 63 Redmond Rd., Republic, WA 99166; phone: 509-775-2936;
e-mail: bobbiemike@yahoo.com

NTA Director — Bob Maier, 38 Francis Dr., Walla Walla, WA 99362; phone: 509-529-9568;
e-mail: bob_maier@hotmail.com

Membership options:

• Individual membership including subscription to Trapper Predator Caller — $30
• Junior (under 18) with subscription to Trapper Predator Caller — $15.50
• Associate (non-trapper) including subscription to Trapper Predator Caller — $15.50
• Senior Citizen (over 70) including subscription to Trapper Predator Caller — $10.50
• Lifetime membership — $250
• Lifetimer subscription to Trapper Predator Caller — $10.50
Dues entitles members to all newsletters, meeting notices, discount entry to workshops and the annual rendezvous. All monies are used to protect your right to trap.
Complete membership application on first page of association section and send dues to:

WSTA
(A non-profit organization.)
PO Box 3687
Arlington, WA 98223

http://www.watrappers.com

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

This is the first report I am making that will be on our new website. That’s right, we now have a website. I can’t tell you how many tribulations I’ve went through to get this done. It’s been a long and sometimes discouraging road but we have it now and I have to say it looks pretty good. In the coming weeks there will be changes as we get the bugs worked out but by the time you see this it should more or less be a finished product. Check it out at watrappers.com

It’s been a while since the Spring Business meeting. Of course I’m writing this up at the last minute and going by memory but three things come to mind.

First was our legislative committee. We discussed our strategy and I put a proposal forward dealing with wording for a bill for next year. I brought this up because of meetings I had with Brian Blake, Chair of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. My proposal was narrowly defeated. I think this will make it harder to get a change in the law but we will have a bill and to that end we will be putting out a paper on speaking with your legislator. We need more contact with our legislators, not just mail but one on one meetings. We will have something out for you by Rendezvous.

The other things dealt with contributions, one to FTA to help with their media project and the other to Montana to fight the initiative that was being circulated. Both were approved but the Montana donation was conditional on the initiative being approved for the ballot. The last I had heard it sounded like that was not going to happen so probably get to save our money for other projects. We are still paying back the lifetime fund from our own initiative fight so it will probably go there.

The Rendezvous is on the 27th, 28th and 29th of August at Cashmere again. Eric will be arranging things and he did such a good job last year I’m sure this year will be a hoot. Haven’t been to one in a few years? You should really try to make it and bring the whole family. Eric really put on a family oriented rendezvous last year. Things for everyone’s interest even non-trappers.
I’ve been asked why we are having it at Cashmere every year now. We used to alternate between the west side and east side but not for quite a while now have we had one on the west side. The problem is with the cost. The Chelan Expo Center formerly the Chelan County Fair makes us a real good deal. We cannot even come close to finding facilities for the price in western Washington. Everything I have checked out is just way expensive and we really have to watch the budget. Hope you understand.

I’ll have our fair booth at the SouthWest Washington Fair in Chehalis on the 17th through the 22nd of August so stop by if you get the chance or if you want to help out give me a call. I’ll be looking for people to help with the Western Washington Fair in Puyallup September 10th through the 26th also so keep that in mind. We can always use some help.

Something I want to clear up from an earlier column I wrote. I reported on the new rules for NWCOs coming out and I mentioned that the landowner would become the owner of any furbearing animals caught by NWCOs and that they could give the animals to the NWCO to do with what ever he/she wanted. This is true but I should have pointed out that animals trapped in body gripping traps under the permit system still cannot be sold. The wording in the new rules does not supersede the wording in Initiative-713.

Check out the website and see you at the rendezvous.

— Bruce Vandervort
 

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