New Oregon map shows what fire-affected recreation sites are open, closed

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Oregon’s Natural and Cultural Resources Recovery Task Force released an interagency status map Wednesday to help the public navigate the status of popular recreation areas impacted by the 2020 wildfire season.

The September 2020 wildfires swept through approximately 1.3 million acres of land in Oregon across multiple jurisdictions. Many of these areas contain favorite public recreation areas still closed due to the severity of impacts and continued recovery operations.

To help minimize impacts on recovery efforts, prioritize safe recreation and reduce risk, natural resource management agencies released Oregon’s Recreation Site Status Map.

This map provides a centralized hub to help inform the public as they plan to take advantage of Oregon’s many outdoor recreation opportunities.

Federal and state land management agencies, along with tourism and outdoor recreation partners, collaborated on this interagency status map that shows open, closed and reduced service areas on a single map, regardless of reason for closure and across multiple jurisdictions.

Coordinated by the State’s Wildfire Recovery efforts, this project was widely led by the Oregon Office of Outdoor Recreation, with technical help from the USDA Forest Service and other partners including the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, Bureau of Land Management, US Army Corps of Engineers, Oregon Department of Forestry and Travel Oregon.

To ensure safe recreation and reduce risk, the public is strongly encouraged to check whether an area is open before visiting, and to respect closures.

Some areas are unsafe to enter due to the danger of slides or damaged trails. Fire-impacted areas may be undergoing recovery and restoration efforts such as road repairs, ecological surveys, reseeding or hazardous tree removal.

Popular recreation areas will open as safety and recovery statuses improve, officials said. For more information on specific sites, please contact the responsible land management agency. For general information on the state’s recovery efforts, please reach out to fire.info@state.or.us or visit https://wildfire.oregon.gov/