Entiat Ranger District to Host Open Houses on Sustainable Recreation Strategy; Community Input Sought to Inform Strategy

Release Date: Sep 17, 2019

Entiat, Washington — The Entiat Ranger District will host an open house Saturday, October 5 from 3-5 p.m. at the Entiat Fire Station, 2200 Entiat Way, to collect community input to inform the development of the Entiat Sustainable Recreation Strategy.

For those who cannot attend the Entiat meeting, a second meeting will be held Monday, October 7 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Chelan County Fire District office at 206 Easy St, Wenatchee, WA.

Attendees of the open house can expect a brief introduction from Forest Service staff and the Western Washington University research team followed by the opportunity to visit interactive stations to give feedback.

People are also invited to check out the:
Entiat Sustainable Recreation Strategy Storymap 

 

Be sure to look for the link at the bottom of the storymap to sign-up to participate in the sustainable recreation survey that will be available in mid-October.

 

Over the last five years, annual wildfire events have damaged recreation facilities in the Entiat Ranger District in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. With an eye toward the future, the Forest Service has begun development of a sustainable recreation strategy to guide planning into the future to meet community needs in a time of change.

“Together with the community and individuals who use these public lands, we want to develop a strategic plan for how to manage recreation in the Entiat Valley looking 10 to 30 years into the future,” said Jon Meier, district recreation program manager. “We’re asking folks to think about what we should sustain. We’d like to know what recreation activities are important to you and your family for today and for generations to come.”

An important goal of the Forest is to enhance recreation opportunities and provide excellent customer service while protecting forest resources. We’re working with the community to determine how to manage recreation interests locally in a sustainable way. We recognize this strategy will also be grounded in ecological, fiscal, and capacity realities.  Your input will help us identify and build a vision of where the strategic and sustainable opportunities exist.

Last spring, a team of researchers from Western Washington University began working with Entiat Ranger District managers. Over the summer researchers collected trail condition data and interviewed community stakeholders about initial thoughts regarding recreation in Entiat Valley. Along with interviews, the open house will provide another avenue to collect community input. The team has also developed a formal User Survey that will be available later in October.

People are also invited check out the Entiat Sustainable Recreation Strategy storymap at fs.usda.gov/goto/entiat-rec-strategy. Be sure to look for the link at the bottom of the storymap to sign-up to participate in the sustainable recreation survey that will be available in mid-October. 

For more information about the project contact the Entiat Ranger District at 509-784-4700. 

2015 family hike along the #1433 Pyramid Mountain Trail. Pictured are Madeline, Doug, Brooklyn, Cameron Eisenhard and Wade Dahl. Credit: Tracy Eisenhard

 

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