Cle Elum, WA (July 29, 2022)- A new firewood gathering area is now available at the Rider’s Camp in the Manastash drainage on the Cle Elum Ranger District. Firewood may be cut from decked logs or from dead and downed trees located within the posted area that has recently undergone treatment for a 2020 Mountain Pine Beetle infestation.

To transport firewood a free personal-use firewood permit and load tags must be obtained from the Forest Service office in Cle Elum or the Ellensburg Visitor Center.

Visit the Forest website for information on forest product permits: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/okawen/news-events/?cid=fsbdev3_053611. People camping in the Taneum and Manastash area can also gather camp wood at this location. Contact the Cle Elum Ranger District for more information: 509-852-1100.

Rider’s Camp has been closed since 2021 for hazard tree mitigation due to the mountain pine beetle infestation which caused high mortality rates in the lodgepole pines within and surrounding Rider´s Camp which rendered the campground unsafe for occupation. Live trees in Riders Camp and Manastash trailhead have been treated with an anti-aggregation pheromone and the Forest Service is working to reopen Rider’s Camp as soon as possible once the remaining hazard tree mitigation work of dead standing trees has been completed.

Woodcutters are reminded to always check for the current Industrial Fire Precaution Level or IFPL) at https://fortress.wa.gov/dnr/protection/ifpl/ .

As a general practice is advised to not move firewood too far away from the source area where it was collected due reduce the risk of infecting forests in other counties or states from beetle infestations. For more information visit: https://invasivespecies.wa.gov/campaigns/buy-it-where-you-burn-it/.