All DNR-managed land in Eastern Washington to Be Closed Starting

All DNR-managed land in Eastern Washington to Be Closed Starting Friday

If you have plans to camp, hike, or do other recreational activities on DNR land in eastern Washington this weekend and beyond, you’ll have to wait for conditions to change, head to the west side of the state, or take a trip to a neighboring state – it’s just too darn hot and dry for the state to risk it.

Extreme fire danger has forced the Department of Natural Resources to close ALL recreational and public access to DNR lands in eastern Washington. Pretty much everything east of the Cascades will be a no-go for public access to DNR-managed state lands, conservation areas, community forests, and associated roads, trails, campgrounds, recreational sites, or recreational facilities.

The DNR says they will continue to monitor the situation, and won’t set a reopening date until fire conditions improve. To get updates on recreation openings and closures, visit this site.

The DNR joins the Umatilla National Forest and Confederate Tribes of the Colville Reservation in closing lands in eastern Washington.

Check out this map of the affected DNR regions here.

STATEWIDE BURN BAN CONTINUES

The statewide burn ban remains in effect. No outdoor burning, campfires, the use of charcoal briquettes, fire pits or prescribed burns through September 30, 2021. Fines typically start at $2,000 and could be as high as $10,000. Learn more from the Washington Department of Natural Resources site.

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.