Middle Fork Camping Closure

A dispersed camping closure along part of Forest Road 56 and Forest Road 5640 went into effect June 1^st. Attached is the closure order and map. The decision to close dispersed camping stems from the 2017 Wild and Scenic River designation of the Middle Fork River. The reasoning for closure in the CRMP Is as follows. Dispersed campsite inventories conducted in the summer of 2017 identified 45 dispersed campsites in the proposed closure corridor, most of them within 50 yards or less of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River. The majority of site surveys recorded the presence of litter, unburied human waste, damaged trees, and denuded riparian areas. Since 2017, approximately 15 of the dispersed campsites have been converted into day-use areas with the development of the Garfield Ledges Trailhead and the Camp Brown Picnic Area. This proposed management action would further reduce recreation-related impacts to riparian areas and would improve the recreation experience for day-use visitors.