BAKER CITY, Ore. (July 30, 2020) – In response to rising fire danger levels, additional Public Use Restrictions, or Phase B PURs, will go into effect across the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest at 12:00 a.m. on July 31, 2020.

Phase B PURs prohibit campfires, wood stoves, and briquette fires.  Campfires are allowed in fire pits provided at developed recreation sites, where all flammable material should be cleared 10 feet from the edge of the pit, and the pit should be free of overhanging material. Anyone with a campfire must have a tool that can serve as a shovel and at least one gallon of water.  Campfires must be attended at all times and completely extinguished prior to leaving.  Remember: “If it is too hot to touch, it is too hot to leave.”

Campfires are also allowed in Designated Wilderness Areas – however, campfires are not allowed in the Lakes Basin of the Eagle Cap Wilderness, where campfires are prohibited year-around to reduce their impact on this popular destination and reduce the risk to public safety.

Chainsaw use is not allowed during Phase B PURs without a permit.  Firewood permit holders should follow the terms of their permits, which govern chainsaw use according to Industrial Fire Precaution Levels (IFPLs).  Generators are allowed only if fully contained in the bed of a pickup truck or in an area that has been cleared of all flammable material at least 10 feet away.  Other internal combustion engines are prohibited, except for motor vehicles.

Motor vehicle travel off developed forest roads and trails is not allowed due to the risk of a vehicle sparking a wildfire in the dry grass and encroaching vegetation.  Exception: Vehicles may be used to access campsites located within 300 feet of an open developed road.  All motorized travel on roads closed by gates, barricades, berms, rocks, or logs is prohibited.

With tinder-dry forest fuels and high daytime temperatures, conditions are prime for human-caused forest fires. We ask that you be extremely careful when out in the forest.  To learn more, contact your local Forest Service office or visit our websites (http://bmidc.org/restrictions.shtml, www.fs.usda.gov/wallowa-whitman, http://bluemountainfireinfo.blogspot.com).

Please call 911 to report a forest fire.

###

Wallowa-Whitman National Forest
1550 Dewey Ave., Suite A
Baker City, OR 97814
https://www.fs.usda.gov/wallowa-whitman
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WallowaWhitmanNF
Twitter: @WallowaWhitman

Contact: Peter Fargo, 541-523-1231

Campfires will continue to be the centerpiece of family campsites across Northeast Oregon’s three national forests. However, beginning June 1, forest visitors are required to build their campfire in a fire pit surrounded by dirt, rock, or commercial rings, in areas cleared of all flammable material within a three‐foot radius from the edge of the pit and free of overhanging material. A shovel and one gallon of water are required to be in your possession while building and tending campfires. These requirements also apply to the use of charcoal briquettes.

Forest managers understand campfires are an important part of the outdoor camping experience.

“The intent is to allow campfire use while promoting safe campfire building techniques that, in the long run, will protect lives, property, and our natural landscapes,” said Brian Goff, Umatilla Fire Management Officer.

The seasonal regulation does not prohibit the use of campfires, when conditions permit; it only designates proper conditions for safe campfires. The June 1 date for campfire safety regulations in dispersed and developed campsites is meant to encourage campfire safety before fire season comes full‐swing.

“There’s a long history of wildfire in the Blue Mountains and we do not expect that to change. This summer will be particularly challenging,” added Goff. Though lightning is the number one cause of wildfires in this area, human‐caused wildfires are preventable, unpredictable and can occur anywhere with no warning.

“Historically, the public has practiced safe campfire techniques and it is much appreciated,” shared Bret Ruby, Wallowa‐Whitman Fire Management Officer. “However, the potential for large human‐caused wildfires still exists,” added Ruby.

Seasonal campfire regulations are in effect June 1 through October 31, unless more restrictive measures are warranted. During times of high or extreme fire danger, forests will implement additional Public Use Restrictions, also known as PURs, which will further restrict the use of campfires, chainsaws, smoking, and travel. PURs will be implemented in phases, based on increased fire danger, hot and dry weather conditions, and concern for public safety.

“We get very busy at this time of year dealing with the numerous lightning caused fires, so preventing the added workload from human caused wildfires is our ultimate goal,” said Roy Walker, Malheur Fire Management Officer.

Forest officials recommend the following campfire safety precautions:

Find more campfire safety information at http://www.smokeybear.com/campfire‐safety.asp.

Please call the appropriate Forest’s Information Hotline for up‐to‐date restriction information:

Umatilla National Forest Information Hotline: Toll‐Free, (877) 958‐9663

Wallowa‐Whitman National Forest Information Hotlines: Baker City, (541) 523‐1234; La Grande, (541) 962‐8679; Joseph, (541) 426‐5552

Malheur National Forest Information Hotline: John Day, (541) 575‐3000

The businesses and communities along the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway welcome participants in the Hells Canyon Motorcycle Rally this weekend. Thousands of motorcyclists are expected to gather in Baker City and spend the next few days exploring byway country and beyond. There are lots of events and opportunities to view the amazing bikes at Baker City. Go to www.hellscanyonrally.com for more information.

Via this byway website, we are often asked for byway travel tips. Below is my response to a recent request for RV parks along the byway:

As you may have seen on maps, the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway is a loop that intersects Interstate 84 at Baker City and La Grande. From those two communities, it circles around the magnificent Wallowa Mountains. There are two nice RV Parks in Baker City. Mountain View RV, www.mtviewrv.com, is set back about 1/2 mile from the freeway, and Oregon Trails West RV Park is located at Exit 302. At and near La Grande, there is Eagles Hot Lake RV, with a nice country setting, www.eagleshotlakerv.com, and La Grande Rendezvous RV, right off the freeway in La Grande, www.lagranderendezvousrvresort.com. In Elgin, 20 miles north of La Grande on OR Hwy. 82 (the byway itself and also called Wallowa Lake Highway), HuNaHa RV is owned by the city and has a nice setting right on the Grande Ronde River, http://www.cityofelginor.org/Hu-Na-HaRVPark.php. There is an RV park in the town of Wallowa, and in Enterprise, Joseph, Halfway and at Wallowa Lake. My favorites would be Wallowa Lake State Park, http://www.oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=20, and Park at the River, www.parkattheriver.com, both at the South end of Wallowa Lake and just beautiful. You can find more about most of these and others in the area on www.goodsamcamping.com, then search under the zip codes 97814, 97850 and 97828. I recommend reservations for any of the RV parks during the summer season.

The byway covers over 200 miles and the landscape is very diverse with quite a variation in elevation, going from sage covered hills east of Baker City to high valleys surrounded by mountain peaks at Halfway, Joseph and Enterprise, to the forested mountain pass that links Halfway with Joseph, and the Minam Grade that connects the Wallowa Valley with Elgin. It then drops into the lush farm land of the Grande Ronde Valley at La Grande.

I hope all of my links work for you. There are also lots of Wallowa Whitman National Forest campgrounds,  and other, smaller RV parks throughout the byway. If you haven’t been to the websites below for further information on our area, including other types of lodging facilities, you might want to check them out. The byway goes through three counties, each with their own chamber of commerce, and the regional tourism website is a great resource. Enjoy your visit. I don’t know how much time you have to explore the area, but you are likely to want to come back for a longer stay, and we hope you can. Please let me know if you have further questions.

www.visitbaker.com

www.wallowacountychamber.com

www.unioncountychamber.org

http://www.basecampbaker.com/baker-county-oregon-rv-parks.html

www.visiteasternoregon.com and then select Northeast Oregon

Janet, Hells Canyon Scenic Byway

Photos by Timothy Bishop

Baker City, OR – With the Memorial Day weekend around the corner, National Forests are gearing up for the start to the traditional Northwest recreation season. A wide range of activities awaits in Oregon and Washington’s 16 national forests, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, and Crooked River National Grassland: camping, hiking, biking, horseback riding, fishing, caving, hunting, mushrooming, bird watching, and simply driving for pleasure to name a few. Summer is a great time in the Northwest to get outdoors and explore the forest you haven’t quite made it to yet.

On the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, there are campgrounds, trailheads, boat launches, and many other undeveloped attractions awaiting you. Unlike some public lands, you can camp nearly anywhere in your national forests – please just leave your site cleaner than you found it.

A lot of snow remains at higher elevations on the Wallowa-Whitman, such as in the Eagle Cap Wilderness and on some of the upper mountain roads; however this is a great time of year to visit Hells Canyon and the lower elevation trails around Baker City, Enterprise, and La Grande. Some campground and trailhead maintenance may be delayed due to addressing safety concerns, such as hazard trees, rocks on roads, water testing, etc. so before travelling, please check with the local Ranger District to obtain current information. You may also find current condition information on the Forest web site at this location: http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/ConditionReports.

If you are looking to travel the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway, please be advised that Forest Service Road (FSR) 39 is under construction beginning at the junction of Highway 86 (out of Halfway, OR), going north on FSR 39 for 13 miles to the junction with FSR 66. This section of the road is referred to as the North Pine section and is closed to all travel at this time. The detour route (FSR 66) for the construction is still inaccessible due to high elevation snow levels. However, travel to Hells Canyon Overlook is accessible via FSR 39 from Joseph, Oregon. Please see the Forest web site for complete construction information and schedule of operation: http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/WallowaMtnLoopRd.

Some campgrounds require reservations – www.recreation.gov – and some trails require a pass to help us keep them maintained – Passes and Permits in Your Northwest Forests. However, all 24 million acres of National Forest System lands in the Northwest belong to you and beckon for you to come visit.

Good news: There are three fee-free days and a fee-free weekend left this year, two coming up in June:

• National Trails Day – June 7
• National Get Outdoors Day – June 14
• National Public Lands Day – Sept. 27
• Veterans Day Weekend – Nov. 8-11

For other Oregon and Washington Forest’s recreational opportunities and restriction information, check out what’s available at: Your Northwest National Forests.

Wallowa-Whitman Ranger District’s Contact Information:

*Photo by Sarah B. Anderson