Before you leave home for your next Northwest outdoor adventure or camping trip, be sure to check the latest conditions for your road travel route and final destination, including any forest, campground, park, and trail closures. Also, create a safety plan for worse-case scenarios, like wildfire evacuation. Here are resources to help you be prepared […]
Travel & Safety in Northwest Wildfire Country Read More »
Finding the most accurate, up-to-date information about regional burn bans, current wildfire conditions, and recreation and travel restrictions throughout the Northwest can be complicated and confusing. Have you ever wondered: Is the campground where I have upcoming reservations still open? Are my favorite trails closed? Which roads are safe for travel? Where is it safe
Best Sources for Northwest Wildfire Information Read More »
The more children know about a scary situation, like learning about wildfires, the less fearful it is. Equip your children with knowledge about fire science and ecology, forest habitats, wildfire safety and prevention tips, and wildland firefighting techniques. Here are some of the best resources currently available for introducing and teaching children about wildland fires.
Learning About Wildfires: Resources for Kids Read More »
Last September, Senator Maria Cantwell cosponsored the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act (S. 1842), a bipartisan bill that stretched across several western states. The bill includes a wildfire funding fix that would secure badly-needed funding for fire suppression and would allow funding to flow to wildfires in a manner similar to other federally declared disasters, freeing
Senator Cantwell Prioritizes Wildfire Disaster Relief Read More »
Kurtis Robinson is not someone who sits back and watches life happen. That’s true in his work as president of the Spokane chapter of the NAACP and in his involvement on a number of other community-minded and social justice-focused organizations (Better Health Together, the Revive Center for Returning Citizens, Smart Justice Spokane, and Just Lead
Wildlands Firefighter: Profile of Kurtis Robinson Read More »
STATE ADDS ADDITIONAL $70,000 TO FOREST HEALTH GRANT FOR SPOKANE ********************************************** On the heels of a $50,000 grant for a forest health project at High Drive Park, the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has granted an additional $70,000 to the City of Spokane Urban Forestry program for similar work at Palisades Park and Camp
State adds to Forest Health Grant Read More »
By Claire Thompson  Cover photo courtesy of Claire Thompson I spent most of the summer of 2022 clearing trails in burned forests. The Entiat River drainage in north central Washington, where I was working for the Forest Service, had been torched by a series of fires over the past two decades: 2006’s Tin Pan, 2014’s
Fire-Season Palette Read More »
OUTDOORSY EVENTS CONSERVATION & STEWARDSHIP OPPORTUNITIES at wildfire preparedness in your own backyard with a Firewise Risk Assessment, free for Spokane County residents through the Spokane Conservation District (Spokanecd.org/departments/forestry-department/firewise/). Those located outside Spokane County should check with their area’s Department of Natural Resources or other agencies for similar opportunities.
Inland NW Trail & Outdoor News Read More »
Backcountry skiing and snowshoeing offer peace and quiet, solitude, and immersion in nature that can be a challenge to find in our busy and increasingly urban world. The serene calm of an pristine, snowy landscape. The thrill of breaking trail through a powder-filled meadow. The quiet swish of your skis along a white forest trail.
Republic and the Kettle Range—A Backcountry Skiing & Snowshoeing Shangri-La Read More »
Use these 10 travel planning tips to help you make the most of your spring and summer adventures during the COVID-19 pandemic era.
10 Travel Planning Tips for Summer 2021 Read More »
