Editor’s Note: Recreation Reports are printed every other week. June 17, 2014 School is out, the weather is great, kids are full of energy, and parents are wondering what to do with all that energy. Why not take a hike, a bike ride, have a picnic, or camp in the Okanogan- Wenatchee National Forest? There are over 5,700 miles of trails, 137 highly developed campgrounds and 8,200 miles of roads to travel in the forest all offering a wide array of recreation opportunities. Before heading to the woods, ask the older kids to do a bit of research about the area they will be visiting. Ask them to map out how to get to the chosen spot, find out if any passes/permits are needed or if any restrictions are in effect, what hazards they might encounter (such as bees, wasps, snakes, high water, etc.), what plants and animals they might see, and what safety items they should carry with them (hint--check out the 10 essentials list). Once the research has been completed, it’s time to head to the woods. Before leaving home make sure someone knows where you are going and when you will be returning. Fill out a trip itinerary form. Don’t be afraid to get dirty. Wear good walking shoes, no flip-flops, and comfortable clothing including a hat. Sunscreen and mosquito repellent are must haves. Kids love games. Why not try one of the following games or suggestions when recreating with kids in the woods. 1. Woods scavenger hunts. Create a list of items to hunt for while visiting the forest. There are a variety of lists available on the internet or use the list on page 3 as a quick start. 2. For kids who know their ABCs, look for items with names that begin with each letter of the alphabet--A for acorn, B for bee, C for creek…all the way through the letter Z. 3. Do you hear what I hear? Try walking quietly or stop and listen for one minute. What sounds do you hear? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). 6-17-2014 Okanogan- Wenatchee National Forest Recreation Report page 2 of 22 4. Encourage children to touch nature—rough tree bark, smooth or bumpy rocks, scratchy leaves, soft feathers, pointy pinecones. 5. Look up, down and all around. Look for animal signs—tracks, scat, piles of dissected pine cones, holes in the ground or in the trees. Play the game, “I Spy with My Little Eye” to encourage everyone to look around. 6. Encourage children to “pack it in, pack it out.” Not only can kids pack out their own trash, they can bring along some trash bags and rubber gloves and take time to clean up the woods. Award points or pennies for each item placed in the trash bag. Don’t forget to pack a picnic lunch or snack. Pack unusual food items that will remind children of the fun they had in the woods. Even everyday food items can become exotic and fun when given new names. For example, raisins on peanut butter on celery = ants on a log, nuts = chipmunk crunchies, grapes = monster frog eggs, peanut butter and jelly sandwich = Bigfoot bait, and water = jungle juice. Ask the kids to make up their own names, then laugh at their creative suggestions. Enjoy the forest, have fun, but always be respectful of the woods and creatures that live there. For more information go to the forest web site at www.fs.usda.gov/okawen or contact the nearest national forest office. TRIP ITINERARY Today’s Date: _____________ Departure Date: ___________ Departure Time:__________ Return Date: ______________ Return Time: ____________ Destination:________________________________________ Starting Point:______________________________________ Ending Point: ______________________________________ Route you will follow:________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ How Many in the Party: ___________ Names of party members and their cell numbers: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Emergency Phone Numbers :________________________________ Emergency Contacts (names & phone #s):___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Vehicle Make/Model and License plate number: ____________________________________________________________ Did You Check? Local Weather Forecast? Closures? Restrictions? Did you tell someone your plans and where to find your itinerary? 6-17-2014 Okanogan- Wenatchee National Forest Recreation Report page 3 of 22 Forest Touch, See, Find Me Scavenger Hunt Can you find me? Can you see? White flower Something green Fern Something red Feather Something brown Dandelion Something yellow Black and white rock Something blue Litter or trash Something purple Seeds Spider web Can you touch? Small, medium and large pinecones Something round Mushrooms Something flat Birds nest Something soft Moss Something living 3-leaf clover Something nonliving Butterfly Something heavy Ant, worm or caterpillar Something light Two different birds Something rough Animal tracks Something smooth “Y” shaped tree branch or twig Something wet OFFICE ADDRESSES and PHONE NUMBERS: Chelan Ranger District, 428 W. Woodin Ave., Chelan, WA 98816; 509-682-4900; hours M-F 7:45 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Cle Elum Ranger District, 803 W. 2nd Street, Cle Elum, WA 98922; 509-852-1100; hours M-F 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; closed for lunch 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. Entiat Ranger District, physical address 2108 Entiat Way, (P.O. Box 476), Entiat, WA 98822; 509-784-4700; hours M-F 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Methow Valley Ranger District, 24 West Chewuch Road, Winthrop, WA 98862; 509-996-4000; hours M-F 7:45 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Naches Ranger District, 10237 Hwy. 12, Naches, WA 98937; 509-653-1401; hours 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; closed for lunch noon to 12:30 p.m. Okanogan Valley Office, 1240 South Second Ave., Okanogan, WA 98840; 509-826-3275; hours M- F 7:30-4 p.m.; closed for lunch 11 a.m. to noon Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Headquarters office, 215 Melody Lane, Wenatchee, WA 98801; 509-664-9200; hours M-F 7:45-4:30 Tonasket Ranger District, 1 W. Winesap, Tonasket, WA 98855; 509-486-2186; hours M-F 7:45 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Wenatchee River Ranger District, 600 Sherbourne, Leavenworth, WA 98826; 509-548-2550; hours M-F 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. THE 10 ESSENTIALS: Carry the 10 plus essentials when traveling in the backcountry—a map, compass, fire starter, water proof matches, extra food, extra water, extra clothing, knife, flashlight with spare batteries and bulb, first aid kit, sunglasses, cell phone, and a space blanket. SAFETY: When recreating in the woods let someone know where you are going, when you plan to return, and what to do if you don’t return on time. Remember to let them know when you do return. Make sure your vehicle is in good working order. Dress appropriately for all weather conditions. Avoid cotton clothing and dress in layers. Stay dry, shed layers if you are sweating, add layers if you are cold. Wear sturdy waterproof boots. Stay warm, stay dry, stay safe, and have fun. 6-17-2014 Okanogan- Wenatchee National Forest Recreation Report page 4 of 22 SPECIAL FOREST PRODUCTS: Permits are required for gathering forest products including firewood, mushrooms, transplants, rocks and minerals, posts and poles, floral cuttings, pine cones, and boughs. Please contact Forest Service district offices for specific information. There is a minimum charge of $20 per permit. Free use permits are available for small quantities of certain items for personal use. Special forest products permits for personal use firewood, personal use river rock and commercial use beargrass are available from the Cle Elum Ranger Station. COMMERCIAL MUSHROOM PERMITS: Commercial mushroom permits are available for purchase at the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest headquarters office and the Cle Elum and Wenatchee River ranger district offices. Commercial mushroom permit fees are $20 for a 4-day permit, $50 for a 30-day permit or $100 for a season permit which ends on July 31. A mushroom harvesting area map and harvesting information brochures are available at these offices and on the forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/okawen . PERSONAL USE MUSHROOM PERMITS: Personal use mushroom gathering of three gallons per day is free. No permit is required. Mushroom gathering is prohibited in Wilderness areas. WOODCUTTING INFORMATION: Woodcutting permits are on sale at all Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest offices. The minimum firewood permit is $20 for four cords of wood. The cost for permits over the four-cord minimum is $5 per cord. Generally, woodcutters may cut wood that has fallen to the ground and standing dead trees (except wildlife habitat trees). There are a few things to keep in mind when preparing to go woodcutting: It is a good idea to scope out an area for wood before purchasing a woodcutting permit (the permits are not refundable). A woodcutting permit is required. The permit and woodcutting stubs must be in the woodcutter’s possession when cutting firewood. A woodcutting area map is a necessity. These maps show the areas that are open and closed to woodcutting and are available free with the woodcutting permits. After shutting off the chainsaw, woodcutters need to remain in the area at least one hour to watch for any potential fire starts from woodcutting equipment. Please validate the woodcutting stub (load ticket) by cutting out or marking out with a permanent pen the month and day that woodcutting occurs. The stub must be attached to the load when the vehicle is moved from the cutting site.