Go Play Outside Alliance of Washington (GoPAW)
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The Go Play Outside Alliance of Washington and its many recreational partners, associations, organizations (non-profit & government) promote and support youth based outdoor recreational activities.
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March 12, 2012 updates
Youth Fishing Dates are starting to come in. See the Kids' Fish-In for more information.
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WDFW has responded to GoPAW's Go Play Outside Fund Inquiry.
ON March 10th, GoPAW recieved a letter from WDFW addressing the Letter of Inquiry (see below for link to read this letter) sent on 2/23 and will be posted following the Board meeting on 3/21 (next week).
If you have interest in this issue, you are welcome to attend and participate in the discussion that will be had. The meeting is Wednesday, March 31st at 11am to 1 pm and will be held at Cabella's in a conference room adjacent to the deli on the second floor.
In the meantime, please consider making your youth donations directly to GoPAW, or a local outdoors club that provides youth related activity support within your home community so that the non-profit outdoors programs and organizations across the state that have recieved funds from this program will continue to be supported. GoPAW does not take any adminstrative overhead fees for these donations and is dedicated to the support of youth based outdoor educational activities.
WDFW has given its oppinion on the GPO donation fund it had established in 2003 in support of that specific partnership and now says that it is a fund that they can allocate in accordance some formula that they are developing to contract out.
Is this really what your donations were intended to be used for?
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Many questions are coming via email regarding 2012 youth fishing activities. We are attempting to get all the dates of the local events, if you do not see one listed, please contact the local community group that has been doing these in the past. GoPAW is only a supporter of these events at this time as we are providing through a grant (ALEA - WDFW) the Rods and Reels.
Check the Kid's Fish-In program page for any further information.
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WDFW Youth Donation Fund information Update
On February 23, 2012 a formal letter requesting information about the Go Play Outside account funds that were donated by the public through WDFW Licensing for the advertised purpose by WDFW to be provided to its non-profit partnership to dispurse for youth based program activities. Additionally, a request was also submitted to the agency for information regarding documentation of agency policy regarding this fund and its uses.
WDFW has been recieving between 11,000.00 and 25,000.00 annually from the public through this donation account (found on the agency website at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/wdfw/donate.html/) This site expressly mentiones what these funds will be used for and while advertised, the agency has withdrawn its participation from this partnership and therefore is not representing what it is using these funds for. The website quotes the following:
"Help Our Youth Experience the Outdoors
This donation supports youth educational programs that provide outdoor recreation and conservation education to get young people outdoors to encourage them to become conservation stewards. Your donation will help to pass on outdoor skills and experiences through partnerships with other organizations."
Let it be known that if your are interested in donating to this fund that your dollars may not be used in accordance to the advertised purposes. These funds are public dollars that are given for a specific purpose outside of State or Federal Allocation funds. They may not be used outside of the advertised purposes. GoPAW has taken the position that there is in appearance a fraudulant activity happening within the agency leadership and is trying to clarify the issues for the public. GoPAW has made every effort to work with the agency on this issue and while saddened that it has come to this, as a public agency WDFW is responsible for a full disclosure of this issue. At this time, no commuication has been recieved regarding the letter that was mailed. The agency has 15 days from the reciept of the actual letter (on February 24th) to disclose when it will respond. After that timeline is set, WDFW will be held to that timeline by GoPAW. If it fails to do so or to meet the original timeline as is required by state law and public disclosure rules, GoPAW will then file with the WA state Auditor a formal complaint. Currently the letter as attached below has been sent to the Governor, Legislature (House and Senate key leadership), and all of GoPAW's partners through out the state of Washington, including U.S. Fish and Wildlife.
Select this letter to read the RFI letter sent on Feb. 23, 2012
February 21, 2012
It is with sincere hope that you will read the following and give some thought to what this means, then contact your representatives in the legislature and voice your oppinion one way or another. By its registration, GoPAW is not allowed to lobby or particpate in this process. This said, GoPAW can provide educational information about issues and hope that it is fully considered.
To the Citizen's of the State of Washington,
The Go Play Outside Alliance of Washington has been working hard to retain the partnership agreement that it has had between itself and WDFW. This has failed to be successful as the Department has chosen not to communicate with us and has completely, it appears, cut the use of the Donations made by license purchasers and others on behalf of this program for this program.
GoPAW is in the process of submitting a formal request for information concerning the Go Play Outside Initiative and its trademarked logos and slogan. It has also requested an accounting of the funds received through the advertised Go Play Outside Program site attached to the WDFW Licensing webpage and licensing systems contracted through out the state.
When GoPAW receives the requested infromation it is our intent to post it all on this webpage for the public to read and consider. Please check back and watch for this. In the meantime, please consider this informaton, as currently there are no funds being used for this program and these dollars are being used for some other purpose, which GoPAW believes in in conflict with the intended purpose.
Youth Fishing Programs
GoPAW is not doing or managing any youth fishing activities this calendar year. In attempt to facilitate these events, GoPAW has applied for an recieved an ALEA grant in the sum of $110,000 from the state to purchase Rods and Reels for events that have in the past been scheduled around the state. GoPAW will add information to its site when it recieves dates from these locations. Please contact the local groups, which was the case in 2011 also for more information.
It is our understanding that events will happen in the following areas:
Clear Lake, Spokane
Lake Sacajawea, Longview
Klineline, Vancouver
Longs Pond, Lacey
American Lake, Lakewood
Sarg Hubbard Pond, Evergreen Parkway in Yakima
Columbia Park, Kennewick
Silver Lake, Everett
Moses Lake
Leavenworth USFWS National Hatchery
and in Colfax (WSU Extension) and Kent (City Parks and Rec)
GoPAW is only a partner through its ability to secure limited funding for equipment for the above events.
GoPAW will also be participating in the following Events during the 2012 calendar year
The Puyallup Fair (snowshoeing, fish pond, and pellet gun range)
Leavenworth Salmon Days (booths for Archery, Pellet guns, Snowshoe track and assisting with the Fly-fishing / fishing activities by providing fish for this event)
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See, I got'em, you can too!
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Founded in 2003, GoPAW is aregistered non-profit(formerly known asthe"Washington Wildlife Coalition") and ist he statewide promoter of events that youthcan attend or participate in to learn about activities and opportunties that abound in the state of Washington. Links to the many different groups and partnerships are being constantly being added to help connect everyone together to learn about activities and opportunities to "Go Play Outside." Check in often as this page will be updated on an ongoing basis. It is our hope that you will find this website helpful in connecting your family with the many great opportunities that Washington State has to offer its citizens and visitors.
