Seasonal forest road closures begin Oct. 1
October will bring seasonal road closures to forest land.
In a release from the U.S. Forest Service, they say that on Tuesday, October 1, 2019, the Olympic National Forest will close and lock seasonal gates on the south part of the forest.
These closures include areas on;
- The 2451 road in the North Fork Skokomish River watershed
- the 2354, 2353, and 2361 roads in the South Fork Skokomish River watershed; and
- the 2294 (two gates) and 2270 roads in the Wynoochee River watershed
According to the release, the closures are designed to;
- increase wildlife utilization of habitat;
- reduce the siltation of lakes and streams;
- provide diverse recreational hunting opportunities;
- reduce harassment levels on deer and elk; and
- increase the escapement rate of buck deer and bull elk.
These closures are expected to last through Thursday, April 30, 2020, are part of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Olympic National Forest and the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife.
The closures extend only to the use of motorized vehicles; accessing the road systems behind the gates via hiking or mountain biking is still permissible.
For questions, please contact Betsy Howell at Olympic National Forest, 360-765-2230.
