by John Kruse, April 05, 2020

Washington has enacted the strongest measures in the nation when it comes to limiting outdoor recreation. Following Governor Jay Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” decree, agencies have closed access to all state public lands, boat launches and have even closed recreational fishing. Several federal agencies, notably the US Forest Service, have closed campgrounds, day use sites and even trailheads at the request of Governor Inslee as well.

It’s understandable if you have a serious need to get out of the house and enjoy a dose of nature as a way of coping with the stress of this coronavirus pandemic. This week I’ve got a few suggestions about some places you can go to breath some fresh air while hiking, wildlife watching and maintaining that all important social distance.

My suggestion? Heading to some federal public lands you may not have thought of visiting before. However, let’s first talk about limiting your COVID-19 footprint so you don’t contribute to the spread of this virus.

Talking to state officials over the last two weeks I’ve heard a similar message as to what Kelly Susewind, the Director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, had to say when he announced the postponement of the youth turkey hunting season and early spring bear hunts in Washington: “Every stop for gas, food, or a restroom break can introduce the virus to areas it hasn’t yet reached.”

Keep in mind many people show little to no symptoms of having the coronavirus and you might actually be one of those people. With that in mind, consider making a trip where no stops for gas, food or restroom breaks are necessary before you reach your destination. What destination would that be? This week, we are suggesting Bureau of Land Management lands in Central and Eastern Washington.

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT LANDS ARE OPEN WITH SOME RESTRICTIONS.

Jeff Clark, the Public Affairs Officer for the Spokane District of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) says, “There's about 425,000 acres of BLM lands in Eastern Washington. Despite being open, we do support Gov. Inslee's Stay Home-Stay Healthy proclamation so we're hoping people who enjoy our lands right now are not traveling far and that they are following CDC guidelines to stop the spread of COVID-19.”

The following BLM Recreation Sites are closed to the public:

Yakima River Canyon including the Umtanum, Big Pines, Lmuma and Roza Recreation Areas – Kittitas County
Liberty Recreation Site and Campground – Kittitas County
Chopaka Lake Campground – Okanogan County

As of April 2nd, all other BLM lands were open for public use to include the following recreation sites:

Boundary Dam (water access only) – Pend Oreille County
Split Rock (at Palmer Lake) – Okanogan County
Palmer Mountain – Okanogan County
Lakeview Ranch and Pacific Lake – Lincoln County
Coffeepot Lake and Twin Lakes – Lincoln County
Douglas Creek – Douglas County
Saddle Mountains – Grant County
Fishtrap Lake and Folsom Farms – Lincoln County
Hog Canyon Lake – Spokane County

Fishing may not be an option at these places right now but hiking, wildlife watching, and wildflower viewing along with getting some fresh air in some wide-open spaces certainly is. Before you go, check the Oregon/Washington BLM website for coronavirus updates and restrictions www.blm.gov/oregon-washington. In addition to this, maps identifying BLM lands with more information about recreation sites can be found at www.blm.gov/visit.

Speaking of fishing, I received some questions about whether you can fish on Colville Tribal Lands right now. The answer is “No”. The Colville Tribal Fish and Wildlife Commission closed non-member sport fishing on March 31st until further notice and entry on to the Reservation is restricted for non-members as well.

One other option for outdoor recreation? Bureau of Reclamation Lands. There are thousands of acres of these lands in Washington State, and many are adjacent to waterways. These lands are currently open for access but there is a catch. If the federal reclamation land is managed by a state agency like the Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, the rules of that state agency apply which means no access. On the other hand, if the Bureau of Reclamation Lands are administered independently, you can access them. A good resource to check for this can be found at www.usbr.gov/pn/recreation/index.html and a handy resource for mapping public lands such as BLM and Bureau of Reclamation Lands can be found at http://publiclands.org/

One other important note. Restrooms (where available) may be locked and there likely is no garbage pick-up at these sites so pack out what you pack in and leave these places pristine for the next visitor.


John Kruse – www.northwesternoutdoors.com and www.americaoutdoorsradio.com



PHOTO CREDITS:

This herd of mule deer were not social distancing on Bureau of Reclamation land in Grant County– J. Kruse
Colorful basalt rock formations can be seen at Pacific Lake on BLM land in Lincoln County – J Kruse