U.S. Forest Service Powder River District Ranger Thad Berrett attended the Washakie County Commissioners meeting on March 19 to give the county an update on the district’s policies, ongoing projects and activities.

According to Berrett, the Bighorn National Forest will be continuing regulations that were set in place last year, which require food storage for wildlife attractants and enforcing a 14-day stay limit.

According to the Bighorn National Forest website, the initial regulations were signed into order in May 2023 due to issues and conflicts and expired in December 2023 for re-evaluation. Updated regulations were signed on March 18, 2024, and will be enforced until December 2027.

A communications release from the Forest said, “Issues range from lack of available campsites, large numbers of campers and sites left unattended for long periods of time, lack of compliance with the 14-day stay limit order, to increasing resource damage on roads, water quality, meadows, and riparian areas, and increasing wildlife/human conflicts.”

To reduce damage and conflict and to increase fairness among recreators, the Forest will continue a Forest-wide, year-round 14-day stay limit. After 14 days, recreators are required to move a minimum of five road miles to a new camping area. Road camping within half a mile of U.S. Highway 14 will remain closed as well.

According to published regulations, food and scented items, referred to as “wildlife attractants,” will be subject to food storage regulations.

Wildlife attractants include game carcasses, trash, pet food, used plates and utensils and personal hygiene products such as deodorant and toothpaste.

If not attended to by an alert person, regulations state that wildlife attractants must be suspended or stored properly. Suspended attractants must be 10 feet from the ground and four feet away from supporting poles or trees.

Proper storage includes certified bear-resistant products, or closed vehicles, trailers or buildings. Storage cannot have openings, lids or covering that would allow for bear entry.

TENSLEEP CLIMBING PLAN

According to Berrett, the District is closely examining two plan alternatives for their Tensleep Canyon Climbing Management Plan.

Berrett said the District is still considering its initial proposed action plan, which includes re-allowing route development in defined areas, along with constructing outhouses and a parking lot.

The District is also considering not allowing additional route development, opposing their initial plans.

“We had some specific comments that didn’t want any more route development, so we decided to go ahead and analyze [that option] closely,” said Berrett.

The District will determine if current routes provide enough recreational opportunity for climbers. Berrett said this alternative will allow for re-bolting for the safety of climbing and would still include the construction of the planned parking lot and outhouses.

Berrett said the District plans to have another public comment period and meeting in June, when their intentions with the management plan will be clearer following analyzation of the alternatives. Berrett added that they still intend on completing the plan in time for regulations to be implemented in 2025.

Washakie County Commissioner Chairman Aaron Anderson expressed concerns about recreation impacts on the water quality of Tensleep Creek, potentially as a result of heavy climbing usage upstream. Anderson said he knows of Ten Sleep residents reporting an increased amount of trash in the creek, and encouraged the District to look into water quality reports.

FOREST PROJECTS

Berrett said the Forest is moving forward with a forest-wide infrastructure thinning project. The project will involve, “Hand thinning, piling, and burning around core infrastructure sites to lessen the susceptibility of the area to wildfire and increase resiliency,” according to the Bighorn National Forest website.

Berrett said the project is a categorical exclusion, meaning it is not expecting to have a significant environmental impact, and will not be subject to an environmental assessment or the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). However, Berrett said Forest wants to inform the public about the project.

The District is additionally working on a timber harvest proposal and vegetation project that will take place west of the Powder River Pass.

The Pole Creek Vegetation Management Project will include commercial timber harvests, fuel reduction thinning, prescribed burning treatments, aspen and riparian habitat improvement and changes to the road system, according to the Bighorn National Forest website.