Responsible Recreation During Hunting Season on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

By Garrett Christensen on Monday, August 8th, 2022 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News

BAKER CITY – (Release from the U.S. Forest Service) Recreating in Eastern Oregon is a time for many to connect with nature, put down their cell phones, decompress, and enjoy beautiful scenery with family and friends. Some people even have a favorite spot they like to visit every year, if not every weekend. But what if somebody monopolizes that spot as if it’s their own private getaway?

“Recreating responsibly ensures that all visitors to the Forest have a good experience,” said Brian Anderson, Wallowa Mountains District Ranger. “Picking up your trash, adhering to stay limits, and not storing or caching items on public lands are keystones of responsible recreation.”

Anderson also explains that when visitors build structures, cache items, leave behind trash or occupy sites longer than the 14-day stay limit, it negatively affects the experience of other Forest users. By following the Forest Service guidelines for recreating on the Forest and in the wilderness, it safeguards the natural environment for everyone, including the wildlife who call the Wallowa-Whitman home.

To support a positive camping experience for all who visit the Forest, Forest Service employees and law enforcement are currently extracting and impounding caches and camps that are known to be in violation of the caching and stay limits. Illegally built structures will also be being removed.

Visitors are reminded that the following are prohibited:

Caching personal property for a duration more than 72 hours within designated wilderness
Camping/leaving camp equipment for a duration that exceeds the 14-day stay limit. Building structures such as shelters, tables, toilets, etc.
Cutting or damaging standing live trees.
Leaving campsites in an unsanitary condition by leaving trash or human waste (poop).

Camps that are in violation of these prohibitions have the following negative effects that we are trying to mitigate:

Cached camps often contain items that attract a variety of wild animals. When animals get into these caches they can become habituated to eating human food. This can result in negative wildlife interactions with visitors. Additionally, animals tend to tear caches apart turning them into the trash. Please respect other visitors and wildlife by not caching your camp.
Structures built around trees tend to damage and kill them. Structures generally also degrade quickly becoming hazards for anyone else wanting to use the site in the future. Please help keep your forests healthy and safe for the visitors that come after you.
Caching camps and staying more than the 14-day stay limit blocks other people from accessing areas and enjoying their public lands. Please be considerate of other visitors when occupying sites.
Leaving trash in your camp diverts Forest Service staff who would otherwise be working to maintain and improve recreation infrastructure such as campgrounds and trails. Please help us make the best use of tax dollars that we can.

We encourage all visitors to recreate responsibly and follow the principles of Leave No Trace and minimum impact camping. For a list of comprehensive rules and regulations please reference the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) found in 36 CFR 261.1 through 261.23.

To learn more about the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, please visit our website (www.fs.usda.gov/wallowa-whitman) or contact your local Forest Service office.

Please call 911 to report a wildfire.