Did anyone think, “You have to be kidding” when they read on page A-14 of the Dec. 4, 2013, Gazette about the New Wildlife Plan by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge?

It’s regarding horseback riding on the spit. If you missed it here is what it said: The Service will now allow horseback riding along the same half mile stretch of beach near the parking lot, but there’s a catch: there’s no way to access the beach on horseback.

“What?” Yes that’s right you can do it — but there’s no way to do it. They have closed the horseback trail that we used to access the beach.

Now the only way you could ride is if you received a safe and legal access route from private landowners to cross their property to the beach.

Right, that’s going to happen isn’t it? Do the Fish and Wildlife Service think the public can’t see what they are doing? Once again it looks as if our privileges are being taken away and the agency stands behind a false statement, “You can, but really you can’t.”

I believe, when this was first discussed, it was our representative, Kevin Van De Wege, who said if horses weren’t allowed to continue to ride on the beach he would work to have that ruling changed.

I hope that is true as it would restore my faith in our government. Little by little our privileges are disappearing without a protest.

Mr. Van De Wege, please help us. If anyone would like to join me in this request, e-mail him at Kevin.VanDeWege@leg.wa.gov. Let’s see if we can make a difference with his help. It’s time to take a stand.

Judy Larimore

Sequim