The State Department of Natural Resources will impose a statewide burn ban on all department-protected lands from July 1-Sept. 30. That includes all forest lands in Washington under DNR fire protection, but does not apply to federal lands.

The threat of wildfires from escaped outdoor burning is high during the summer months due to dry forest vegetation. Each year, DNR strives to keep all wildfires under 10 acres. Already this year, DNR has had 35 wildfire starts simply from escaped outdoor burn piles, which have burned approximately 434 acres.

“Wildfires are dangerous for people and property and result in large …

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The state Department of Natural Resources has announced it plans to open the seasonal Tiger Mountain State Forest mountain bike trails Saturday. These trails provide mountain biking opportunities in the central Puget Sound area for bikers of all skill levels.

The openings include the Iverson Railroad Grade, Northwest Timber and Preston Railroad Grade trails.

Biker should be aware of potential isolated road closures.

During weekdays in April, several culvert installations may close the Main Tiger Mountain No. 4000 forest road and will likely delay recreationists traveling this road. During mid-summer, crews will be installing a vehicle bridge on the …

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The State Department of Natural Resources will lead the effort to remove an estimated 20 tons of creosote-treated wood debris today through April 12 at Indian Island County Park near Port Hadlock in eastern Jefferson County.

For public safety reasons, the park will be closed from April 10-12 while a helicopter and heavy equipment remove the debris gathered by crews.

In addition to DNR; also working on the project are Jefferson County Public Works, Parks and Recreation Department; state Department of Ecology; Washington Conservation Corps/Puget SoundCorps, and Washington State University Beach Watchers.

The creosote-treated wood debris contains hundreds of chemicals, …

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The state Department of Natural Resources this morning announced the statewide burn ban has been lifted from DNR-protected lands, a move that comes earlier than anticipated. Heavy rainfall throughout the state in recent weeks has eased the summer fire danger and the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center’s September outlook calls for below normal temperatures and above normal precipitation.

The agency urges continued caution with all potential fire sources, including tools, vehicles, camp stoves and other equipment and activities.

Current and expected conditions allow the agency to lift the statewide burn ban before i planned to do so on …

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The state Department of Natural Resources is holding a week-long, online discussion about recreation on department-managed lands from Monday through Friday.

Each day of the week, the DNR Forum will ask a different question about recreation on department-managed lands, with topics ranging from funding strategies, public need, planning and safety. The forum is a moderated discussion that provides department staff an opportunity to hear from the public.

The department’s recreation budget has decreased considerably in the past several years, resulting in reduced services or closures in 40 recreation areas in 2009. Expected budget shortfalls could lead to additional closures.

Each …

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Even as cooler weather dominates the forecast for some parts of the state, the state Department of Natural Resources will maintain its statewide burn ban until Sept. 30. During the ban, campfires may be allowed, but only in approved fire pits in designated campgrounds. Campers are not allowed to build their own fire pits.

Department officials suggests always checking to see if there are additional local restrictions on campfires before leaving home to go camping or hiking. Because campgrounds may choose to ban campfires, it’s best to check with the campground host before lighting a campfire, said a department news …

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The State Department of Natural Resources said this afternoon it is receiving an unusually high volume of calls reporting abandoned campfires throughout Pierce and King counties. Calls are coming in from both the public as well as from department and U.S. Forest Service patrols.

There have been 67 fires started this year as a result of escaped or abandoned campfires, a department official said.

“We want to thank the public for reporting costly, abandoned fires,” Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark said in a news release. “These fires need to be properly put out before they turn into large fires …

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The state Department of Natural Resources is warning people of wildfire dangers this weekend. With very high temperatures, low humidity and breezy conditions in the forecast, grasses and other fuels will dry out quickly. Under these conditions, one spark can lead to a catastrophic wildfire.

“We can’t emphasize enough how important it is to follow burn restrictions and be careful with fire,” said Joe Shramek, manager of DNR’s Resource Protection Division, in a news release. “Over the next few days, I’m especially concerned about the potential for wildfires in areas west of the Cascade Mountains because of the dry, easterly …

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