Private forest lands closing due to fire danger

WHITE SALMON — Eight private timber companies in Skamania, Klickitat and three other counties will be closing their forest lands to public entry beginning Saturday due to fire danger.

The lands total about 250,000 acres and include holdings in Yakima County plus Hood River and Wasco counties in Oregon, said Ken Bales, chief forester of SDS Lumber Co..

Most of the land closing is in western and north-central Klickitat County near the communities of Trout Lake, Glenwood and Goldendale.

The companies include Hancock Forest Management, Weyerhaeuser Columbia Timberlands, Stevenson Land Co., Broughton Lumber Co., Kreps Ranch LLC, Kreps Family LLC, Western Pacific Timber LLC and American Forest Management, Inc.

The properties will be closed to all public entry until the Washington Department of Natural Resources reduces the Industrial Fire Precaution Level to status No. 1

Security patrols have been assigned to enforce the closure.