Southern Oregon 29 June, 2022– As the weather continues to trend towards warming and drying, officials with the Bureau of Land Management Medford District, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest and Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest Oregon District are increasing campfire restrictions on those lands located within the boundaries of the Wild section of the National Wild and Scenic Lower Rogue River. The Wild section flows from Grave Creek to the mouth of Watson Creek.
Effective 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 1, 2022, the building, maintaining, attending, or use of a fire is permitted only within a raised fire pan or similar device that will contain the fire and its residue, in an area that is free of natural vegetation, and below the high-water mark. All ashes must be carried out. As a preventative measure, groups traveling on the river must have a shovel and bucket.
Additionally, smoking is only permitted while on watercraft on waterways, or on vegetation-free sand and gravel bars located between the river and high-water mark.
The BLM administers the stretch of the river between Grave Creek and Marial, which is protected from fire by ODF Southwest. The Forest Service manages from Marial and downriver to the mouth of Watson Creek.
These restrictions apply both to those traveling down the river on a watercraft, as well as those hiking the Rogue River National Recreation Trail.
Restrictions are designed to limit fire danger to the extent possible. Stage 1 restrictions will be in place until November 30, 2022, unless rescinded before that date.
Thank you for recreating responsibly and doing your part to prevent human-caused fires!
Additional fire restrictions may be put in place as fire season progresses. Current restrictions can be seen here:
Interested in more information regarding fire safety notifications and regulations on public lands in southwest Oregon? Helpful sites include:
- The RRSNF Alerts and Notices page;
- The BLM OR/WA Fire Restrictions Page;
- Follow the BLM, RRSNF and ODF on Facebook;
- Follow the BLM, RRSNF and ODF on Twitter; and
- The SW Oregon ODF blog