Fee-Free day, events and volunteer projects at National Forests on Sept. 24

By Garrett Christensen on Wednesday, September 21st, 2022 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News

WALLOWA COUNTY – (Release U.S. Forest Service) National Public Lands Day is Sept. 24, and the USDA Forest Service is celebrating with a fee-free day and by hosting community events across the United States.

Visitors will enjoy fee-free access on Saturday to all Forest Service-managed sites where day-use fees are normally charged. In addition to offering fee-free access, some locations will host special celebrations and educational activities. National Public Lands Day is also celebrated with many volunteer events to “give back together” on National Forests and other public lands.

Please note: this one-day fee waiver does not apply to permits, campgrounds and cabins, or some expanded-amenity and concessionaire-managed sites.

National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest single-day of volunteer activities. The day recognizes the immeasurable recreation and conservation value of America’s public lands. Across the United States in 2021, 46,227 volunteers participated in 536 events, contributing 185,108 hours of their time, which was valued at an estimated $5 million.

You can learn more about this special holiday on the National Environmental Education Foundation’s National Public Lands Day page.

National Public Lands Day events on National Forests in Washington and Oregon this Saturday include:

Volunteers will help the Forest Service and Estuary Partnership and Confluence improve native habitat at Sandy River Delta while learning more about the site’s history with Forest Service Field Rangers in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Information and pre-registration at this link. Also, dog owners can join Trailkeepers of Oregon and Forest Service Field Rangers at 10 a.m. for an “Ambassadog” hike, practicing leave-no-trace dog etiquette. Find more info here.

The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest and the Grande Ronde Model Watershed will host a National Public Lands Day event at Bird Track Springs Restoration Site, along the Grande Ronde River. Visit the event page at the NEEF website for more.

Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland recreation staff will host a trail work party for work on the Skull Hollow Trailhead and Cole Loop Trail reroute. Registration is closed for this event.

A trail party will conduct crosscut sawyer log out work, tread repair, drainage improvement and brushing on the Olympic National Forest Church Creek trail. Registration is closed for this event.

For more information about National Forests in the Pacific Northwest, visit our regional website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/r6.