More public, private land reopens after fire-related closures
Published 3:00 pm Sunday, August 25, 2024
- The Virtue Flat area is among several Access and Habitat Program private land parcels that have reopened to public access after being closed for several weeks due to extreme fire danger.
LA GRANDE — With the archery hunting season set to open Aug. 29, the access situation for bowhunters has improved.
Tens of thousands of acres that had been closed since July due to wildfires or wildfire danger had reopened to public access as of Aug. 19.
This includes both national forest land and some sections of private property enrolled in Oregon’s Access and Habitat Program, which pays landowners to allow limited access to their properties.
These Access and Habitat Program areas in Northeastern Oregon have reopened: M.R King Ranches, Troy Ranches, Iron Mountain, Virtue Flat, Foster Ranch, Glass Hill, Owsley Canyon, Bear Creek, Carman Ranch, Harshfield Ranch, Divide Ridge, Heppner Regulated Hunt Area, Social Ridge, Four Mile and Bunker Hill.
Hunters and others accessing these areas should follow all local fire restrictions which typically include no campfires, no off-road vehicle travel, and the requirement to carry a 2.5-pound fire extinguisher in a vehicle or ATV.
Manulife (formerly Hancock) Forest Management lands in the region remained closed as of Aug. 19.
On Aug. 12, the Umatilla National Forest reopened the section of the North Fork John Day Ranger District east of Highway 395, and reopened parts of the North Fork and Heppner districts north of Forest Service Road 53 and west of Highway 395. The next day, the Malheur National Forest reopened the area west of Forest Service Road 4100, including Delintment Lake and campground, which had been closed due to the Falls Fire.
On Aug. 15, the Umatilla National Forest reopened an area on the Pomeroy Ranger District that had been closed due to the Cougar Creek Fire. The forest has reopened all campgrounds, trailheads and roads north of Forest Service Roads 4304, 43 and 44, and areas west of Forest Service Road 40 as it runs along the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness.
On Aug. 19, the Malheur National Forest reopened part of the Blue Mountain Ranger District closed due to the Courtrock Fire.
More information about closures on the Umatilla is available by calling the toll-free hotline, 1-877-958-9663.
