Willard info

[SBennett]

Is the Willard manager allowed to make the decision of banning atvs and snowmobiles?
If so, that is BS and we all need to unite and force a change. If an atv or sled is registered properly we should be allowed to use them anywhere a boat or jet ski is allowed.
I think these managers who make crappy decisions like this forget where their paychecks are coming from. WE pay our boat/atv/sled registration fees. WE pay our launch fees. WE pay our State income taxes. WE pay our Pitman/Robertsons (sp?) user taxes.
Anyone agree or am I in the minority?
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000FF]There have been some changes in the state parks management and in different park regulations during the past year or two. Formerly, ATVs and snowmobiles were allowed on the ice at Willard, as long as they accessed via launch ramp. New manager and new rules.

One of the changes this year was that Jeff Rasmussen...formerly manager at Yuba...was promoted to an upper management level in the Salt Lake offices. He has been a good friend to BFT and has helped provide info and sort out problems in the past. I have emailed him for a clarification on the rules and hope he can provide some (good) answers. I'll post his reply. Not sure if he is in the offices this week.

Now breathe through your nose and be patient.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]

[SBennett]

I will try to be patient.

I will never ice fish Willard or even run an atv/sled there either.
I am just an advocate for user rights, especially when a person pays taxes and maintains a machine in proper condition (ie. no fuel or oil leaking on the ice).
[signature]

[wiperhunter2]

James Morgan is the new Willard bay park manager, this is what he Emailed me recently,"[#0000bf] I am not planning to allow OHV's on the ice here at Willard. I had considered the possibility but feel it is a safety issue with the condition our ice normally is. It is also in State Park policy what parks may be accessed on the ice by OHV's and Willard Bay is not on the list. Sorry for this inconvienience but I feel it is for the overall safety of the fishermen. You may be interested to know that we are working on a project in the south marina that will allow for access longer in the year. We have also received most of the fishing docs for the north marina and as soon as we get the rest in and weather permitting we will be installing them. Hope this information helps and please let me know if I can be any further assistance[/#0000bf]."
[signature]

[RockyRaab]

I hope Morgan meant "fishing DOCKS". Having the boat docks closed to anglers always upset me. I understand WHY they are closed (security for the boats) but an angler-accessible dock would erase the disparity.
[signature]

[wiperhunter2]

Since this thread is getting off topic, I'm going to detatch it and change the title to "Willard info".
I ask James a few questions about his Email above, here is his response:
[#0000ff]We are trying to get a parking area and vault toilet put in at the end of the south camp ground for fishing access to the bridge right there. This will allow for a closer parking area for fishermen to utilize instead of walking from the main boat parking lot. By us putting in the vault toilets it provides facilities further into the year after we winterize the other restrooms to keep them from freezing. We are also trying t get a vault toilet put in at each of the boat ramps. This will atleast provide for an extended open season at the south marina, how far extended is still yet to be determined. Once we have the project approved and in place I may know better how long that will be. This project obviously wont happen for this winter but I hope to have it by next.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]We currently do not have any fishing docks here at Willard Bay. The docks I am talking about are new and will not be replacing any of the old one but be put in at the north marina specifically for fishermen to fish from. There will be no boat access to these.[/#0000ff]
[signature]