Oct. 25: Help Plan the Future of Recreation, Trails in the Teanaway Community Forest
The Washington departments of Natural Resources and Fish and Wildlife (DNR and DFW) are inviting outdoors enthusiasts to help plan the future of recreation in the Teanaway Community Forest.
- The Middle Fork Teanaway in fall. Photo by David Hagen.
The Washington departments of Natural Resources and Fish and Wildlife (DNR and DFW) are inviting outdoors enthusiasts to help plan the future of recreation in the Teanaway Community Forest.
Join DNR and DFW October 25 for a meeting to kick off the recreation planning process.
6:00-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25
Putnam Centennial Center
719 E. Third St.
Cle Elum, WA
The meeting will begin with a presentation followed by the opportunity to comment on what you want to see in the forest at listening stations hosted by agency staff. Hikers should attend the meeting to help the state agencies define the types of and areas for recreation activities within the forest.
Get more information about the meeting from DNR.
Visiting the Teanaway and protecting the landscape for future generations
Designated as Washington state’s first community forest, the 50,000-acre Teanaway Community Forest was purchased by the state in October 2013 and is a cornerstone of the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan. Washingtonians have been recreating in the Teanaway River Valley for generations, but the area currently lacks a formal trail system.
Maintaining and expanding recreational opportunities, including hiking trails and camping, is one of the goals of the community forest. The recreation planning area begins at the headwaters of the Yakima Basin and includes parts of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest where hikers can discover some of the state’s most iconic geologic formations, like Exclamation Point Rock. The forest also contains nearly 400 miles of free-flowing streams that fish and wildlife rely on for their habitat.
WTA has participated in the Teanaway advisory committee since 2014 and hopes other members of the hiking community will take this opportunity to participate in the recreation planning process.
You can learn more about the forest in WTA's previous posts and in the hiking guide:
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