Crime Observation & Reporting Training (CORT)

[Rich McVey]

At our club meeting on Tuesday, our club execs announced that they all took this training called "Crime Observation & Reporting Training (CORT)," Eyes in the Woods.

Gets you trained as a crime reporter for when you see some poaching going on or other heinous activity in our fisheries.

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Streamwatch is a program that allows sport clubs the opportunity to take a leadership role in protecting aquatic resources in local areas. Many stream, lake and saltwater resources suffer damage annually from poaching, wild-fish keepers, litter, trespass, closed season and over limit abuses. The Crime Observation and Reporting Training (CORT) program developed by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Eyes In The Woods (EITW) allows concerned citizens the opportunity to contribute by reporting illegal activities. Local WDFW Wildlife Agents will be giving CORT training statewide starting this year!

The best preventative enforcement tool available in any remote streamside, lake, bay or tide-flat location is the knowledge that any person there may be a trained crime observer and member of Puget Sound Anglers, whose sign at the access proclaims their commitment to protecting local resources with WDFW and EITW.

http://www.eyesinthewoods.org/CORT/cort" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... utline.htm

[Rich McVey]

Cascade Musky Association has joined forces with Eyes In The Woods through Streamwatch.

Streamwatch is a program that allows sport clubs the opportunity to take a leadership role in protecting aquatic resources in local areas. Many stream, lake and saltwater resources suffer damage annually from poaching, litter, trespass, closed season and over limit abuses. The Crime Observation and Reporting Training (CORT) program developed by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Eyes In The Woods (EITW) allows concerned citizens the opportunity to contribute by reporting illegal activities.

The best preventative enforcement tool available in any remote streamside, lake, bay or tide-flat location is the knowledge that any person there may be a trained crime observer and member of Cascade Musky Association, whose sign at the access proclaims their commitment to protecting local resources with WDFW and EITW.

Cascade Musky Association has adopted ALL seven(7) tiger musky stocked lakes in Washington: Lk Tapps, Mayfield Lk, Merwin Res, Evergreen Res, Newman Lk, Silver Lk and Curlew Lk through Streamwatch.

You will be seeing these signs posted at access points at all of the lakes listed.
Another way CMA is taking a pro-active roll in protecting the environment.
If you see a sign missing or damaged, please let us know and we will get it replaced.

The chairman of Streamwatch informed CMA that just the posting of the signs has cut down on littering.

Let's do our part and keep that litter picked up.

http://www.eyesinthewoods.org/fish/streamwatch.htm

[Bigbass Dez]

This is an awsome deal here .. As a matter of fact once i do a little more research on this im gonna bring it up at one of our Club meetings .. Thanks RaMcVey for the info bro !

[Misselley]

I believe anyone that wants to become CORT certified is able to and I think I heard the class is free. Cabelas is supposed to be holding some of these classes. The more of us out there keeping an eye on our fisheries the better for all. This could also help WDFW out with their budget cuts if some of us are helping out this way.

[flippinfool]

YOU MUSKY GUYS ARE AWESOME NOT AS AWESOME AS US BASS GUYS BUT PRETTY CLOSE!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rich McVey]

YOU MUSKY GUYS ARE AWESOME NOT AS AWESOME AS US BASS GUYS BUT PRETTY CLOSE!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Flippin... I think


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http://www.eyesinthewoods.org/fish/streamwatch.htm

[Rich McVey]

New partnership aims to restore vandalized American Lake boat launch

OLYMPIA - The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Eyes in the Woods, a non-profit volunteer organization, have joined forces with approximately 25 members of a newly formed citizen’s group to improve public safety and reduce vandalism at the American Lake public boat launch.

Managed by WDFW, the American Lake boat launch and public recreation site in Pierce County is used by thousands of boaters and anglers each year, but vandalism and other illegal activities present ongoing challenges, said Steve Sherlock, WDFW statewide access site coordinator.

"At the American Lake access site we constantly deal with vandalism, gang activities, illegal dumping and criminal activities of all kinds," said Sherlock, who oversees more than 700 outdoor access sites - mostly boat launches - around the state. "We’re concerned that these activities could put visitors using the site for fishing and enjoying the outdoors at risk."

The new partnership formed by WDFW, local citizens and Eyes in the Woods, which recruits community volunteers to help protect natural resources, aims to change that situation, Sherlock said.

"Eyes in the Woods has played a valuable role with WDFW over the years in recruiting volunteers to observe, document and report criminal behavior and poaching violations on state and private lands," Sherlock said.

Trained in these non-confrontational reporting techniques by WDFW enforcement officers and Eyes in the Woods, the local American Lake volunteers will provide a presence at the launch site and monitor recently installed surveillance cameras.

The combination of eyewitnesses and camera footage will be particularly helpful to WDFW enforcement officers responsible for the area, said Lt. Steve Crown, WDFW’s enforcement training coordinator.

"The data gathered will help WDFW officers follow through on arrests and hopefully deter destruction of department lands and facilities," Crown said. "Our intent is to work with these volunteers and other people using the site to keep the area open for its intended purpose."

Dave Anderson, a local activist whose family has owned Bill’s Boathouse on the lake since the 1970s, is a key backer of the effort. As president of the Tillicum/Woodbrook Neighborhood Association, Anderson said community members have come together before to clean up the site, but he hopes this new monitoring and reporting approach will be more effective.

"Past clean-up projects helped for a time, but the new relationship with Eyes in the Woods and training from WDFW enforcement offer a more long-term approach for keeping the site safe and clean," Anderson said. "We’re pleased that folks have turned out for the training and are taking an active role to preserve public access to American Lake."

A kick-off work party for the newly trained and certified volunteers is scheduled Saturday, Sept. 26, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., at the American Lake Tillicum boat launch. The volunteers will pick up garbage, re-paint restroom facilities, trim vegetation, post Eyes in the Woods signs and clean the boat launch site.

More information on WDFW’s water access sites is available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/lands/water_access .

[Rich McVey]

Tillicum residents clean up troubled boat launch site

http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/ ... 7cd1c.html

07:10 AM PDT on Monday, September 28, 2009

By TONYA MOSLEY / KING5 News

VIDEO CLIP

TILLICUM, Wash.- For years the American Lake boat launch in Tillicum has been known for the worst; prostitution, drug use and vandalism kept many away. Washington State Fish and Wildlife once deemed it the worst boat launch access site in the state.

To make matters worse, as of late, budget cuts prevented the fish and Wildlife Department from keeping it maintained.

Today, those who live near the boat launch in Tillicum are working to turn that reputation around. They've formed a new group aimed at keeping the boat launch safe and clean. The hope is that the effort will catch on.

"This is a pristine lake and it's just our responsibility to take care of our property," says Tillicum Neighborhood Association President David Anderson.


It's a solution arrived at by Fish and Wildlife. The Department is now teaming up with residents like Anderson and the anti-poaching group "Eyes In The Woods." "The land belongs to the public and the public needs to take ownership," says director of Eyes In The Woods Tony Wells.

This weekend Eyes In The Woods teamed up with more than 20 residents to clean, paint and restore the area. They also installed surveillance cameras to deter criminals. Wells says, "They're just one tool in the toolbox for us to secure this area."

The hope is that this effort will make the boat launch and waterfront inviting for everyone.

"It's not people coming into a poor community that make it a community," says Anderson. "It's actually the people that live there, roll up their sleeves, they're the ones that make the difference."

[Blackmouth]

Thanks for posting!

[MrJohn]

Looked it up and made signed up for June 30 at Cabellas.

Anyone else going? Carpool maybe?

[OlyWaTJ]

Just signed up for the June 17th class at Cabela's in Lacey.

[Amx]

http://www.eyesinthewoods.org/index.php ... h&showday=" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.eyesinthewoods.org/index.php/en/?Itemid=151" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;