BLM will Require Overnight Wilderness Reservations in King Range
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ARCATA, Calif. - The Bureau of Land Management will require permits by reservation for overnight use in the King Range Wilderness and Backcountry Management Zone of the King Range National Conservation Area beginning Jan. 9, 2017. The requirement will not affect day-use visitors or campgrounds outside the wilderness or backcountry areas.
The new overnight wilderness permit system will limit the number of people entering the King Range Wilderness and backcountry zone for overnight use to 60 entries per day during the peak season of May 15-Sept. 15, and 30 entries per day during the non-peak season of Sept. 16-May14.
Starting Jan. 9, 2017, King Range visitors can go to www.recreation.gov to book their overnight permits. They can also make reservations by visiting the BLM Arcata Field Office in Arcata or the King Range office in Whitethorn. Reservations will cost $6 per permit. The current backcountry permit system, with self-registration at trailheads, will remain in place until Jan. 9.
The new permitting requirement will help the BLM preserve opportunities for solitude by managing the number of visitors to the King Range Wilderness and backcountry zone. Overnight use has increased by more than 150 percent since the King Range Wilderness was designated in 2006, from 12,400 overnight visitors to more than 34,400 in 2015.
"The new permit system will help meet the intent of the Wilderness Act by reducing overcrowding,” said Molly Brown, BLM Arcata field manager. "Current use levels have negatively impacted the wilderness character of the King Range Wilderness, particularly along the Lost Coast Trail."
The BLM decided to implement this permit reservation system after receiving extensive public input over more than a decade as part of the King Range National Conservation Area Resource Management Plan and the King Range Wilderness Management Plan.
Additional information regarding the permit and management plans are available online at www.blm.gov/ca/arcata/kingrange, by request to the BLM Arcata Field Office, (707) 825-2300; or request to the King Range Office, PO Drawer 189, Whitethorn, CA 95589, (707) 986-5400; or by sending an email request to CA338@BLM.GOV.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.