Methow Valley Ranger District
24 West Chewuch
Winthrop, WA 98862
(509) 996-4000 Voice
(509) 996-2208 Fax
North Cascades Smokejumper Base
23 Intercity Airport Road
Winthrop, WA 98862
(509) 997-9750 Voice (509) 997-2077 Fax
Dream it, Plan it, Do it,
Visit our stunning and unique National Forests. The Pacific Northwest is home to many beautiful places, but our forests are a wonderful surprise. We invite you to visit and see if you don't agree. There is a variety of country from craggy peaks to rolling meadows, to rich old growth forest, and classic groves of ponderosa pine. We're called the Sunny east side for good reason: summers here are hot and dry, and our winters are famous for brilliant clear skies and plenty of snow.
May 8, 2009 - Slash from forest thinning
operations is being turned into fuel for electricity with the first
biomass utilization stewardship project to be offered on the Okanogan-Wenatchee
National Forest.
May 4, 2009 - Prescribed fire personnel
will be working in several areas as the prescribed burn season continues
in the Methow Valley. Fawn 28 and 17, two units located in the Fawn
Timber Sale 4 miles SE of Mazama and Burgett 49 located 14 miles north
of Winthrop in the Eightmile drainage could be ignited on Tuesday or
Wednesday if the weather is favorable.
May 1 , 2009 - Tonasket Ranger District plans to
inventory and control noxious weeds as needed on approximately 3, 500
acres of forest land this summer. These acres are annually inspected
for the presence of weeds and then treated either by hand pulling,
releasing biological control agents or using applications of herbicide. “Normally,
we start our control program in May, this year the cold spring is getting
weeds off to a slow start in the mountains” stated Mark
Morris, Tonasket District Ranger.
May 1, 2009 - Tonasket Ranger District is looking
for volunteer campground hosts for several popular campgrounds this
summer season.
Volunteer hosts provide information about the area opportunities;
monitor compliance with fee schedules, rules and regulations; perform
light maintenance duties such as litter pick-up, bathroom cleaning,
and campfire ring maintenance. Qualifications include a great attitude,
an interest in the outdoors and enjoying being around people.
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
is seeking feedback on an action plan for the future management of
developed recreation sites, including campgrounds, trailheads, and
rental cabins. Through the Recreation Facility Analysis (RFA) process,
the Forest has drafted a “Proposed Program of Work,” outlining
possible management actions for 359 sites over the next five years.
The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest is completing the first step
of planning under the 2005 Travel Management Rule (also known as the OHV
Rule) which requires the designation of routes for motorized vehicle use
and prohibits cross country motorized travel. The Rule only applies to
summer motorized routes; snowmobile routes are not being evaluated.
Additional information about the national OHV/Travel Plan Rule may be
found at: www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/ohv
The Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests are asking for help from people interested in planning the future of Forest Service developed recreation sites. The goal of this process, termed Recreation Site Facility Master Plan (RSFMP), is to help the Forest Service plan and provide quality recreation experiences desirable to the public in the future. Several workshops are planned so the public can provide input in identifying the unique characteristics and recreation demands for developed sites located in the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests. For more information check the web site at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/wenatchee/rsfmp/