Gov. Inslee signs bill adding fluorescent pink to hunters' safety options
Photo credit: WDFW
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- "Pink has become the new orange."
Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday signed a bill to add fluorescent pink as a color option for hunters clothing.
Right now hunters are required to wear a minimum of 400 square inches of fluorescent hunter orange clothing during specific hunting seasons.
“Orange will always be the classic safety color, but I think our state’s hunters can appreciate something new and different – and because fluorescent pink doesn’t blend in with anything else in the forest or field, it also offers the excellent visibility we need for safety,” said Sen. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver.
According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, hunter injuries and incidents have gone down significantly since the state started requiring hunters to wear orange.
“By adding fluorescent hunter pink, we are providing more choices to our hunters,” said David Whipple, hunter education division manager. “Women are one of the fastest-growing hunting groups, though we believe that this option will feel inclusionary all to new hunters. This attention is also helping to highlight the safe behaviors for continued reductions in hunter injuries and incidents.”
The new law takes effect in July.