Bureau of Land Management and Josephine County close recreation sites along Rogue River
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Medford, Ore – As a result of the Rum Creek Fire, the Bureau of Land Management, in coordination with the Josephine County Sheriff and Josephine County Parks, is closing recreation sites along the Rogue River. The closure effects all recreation sites from Hog Creek to Grave Creek.
Josephine County Parks that are currently closed include Hog Creek County Park, Indian Mary Park and Campground, Ennis Riffle County Park, and Almeda County Park and Campground.
BLM recreation sites that are currently closed include Hog Creek, Hellgate Overlook, Stratton Creek, Rainbow, Carpenter Island, Rocky Bar, Robert Dean, Chair, Rand, Smullin Visitor Center, Argo, and Grave Creek. Additional public lands closures exist around the Rum Creek Fire.
Recreational boaters will not be able to put in or take out starting at the Hog Creek Boat Ramp downstream to Grave Creek. Robertson Bridge County Park is the furthest downstream recreational river take-out.
At this time, Bear Camp Road remains open.
Members of the public may not enter closed areas, and all uses—including hiking, boating, hunting and camping—are prohibited. Northwest Team 13 in unified command with Oregon Department of Forestry Team 1 is currently engaged on the fire.
“The BLM doesn’t take river closures lightly and we tried to keep the river open as long as possible,” said Bill Dean, Grants Pass Field Manager. “We apologize for the impacts to the rafting community and will re-open these recreation sites as soon as it is safe to do so.”
The BLM, Josephine County Parks and Pacific Northwest Team 13 will conduct daily assessments in an effort to re-open the river as soon as it is safe to do so.
Maps of the closure areas are available on the Bureau of Land Management’s website: https://www.blm.gov/programs/public-safety-and-fire/fire-and-aviation/regional-info/oregon-washington/fire-restrictions
For additional information about the Rum Creek Fire, please visit https://www.facebook.com/rumcreekfire2022; or https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8348/ To be added to the daily email list, please email 2022.rumcreek@firenet.gov
For the latest road and weather condition updates, visit https://www.tripcheck.com/.
Please call 911 to report any signs of new fires.
A list of personal use restrictions, as well as closure orders, are available at https://www.blm.gov/programs/public-safety-and-fire/fire-and-aviation/regional-info/oregon-washington/fire-restrictions. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter @BLMOregon.
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.