SULTAN — Backcountry enthusiasts are going to find fewer toilets and at least one locked gate in a section of Department of Natural Resource land east of Spada Lake.
Starting this fall, DNR officials plan to remove amenities at some recreation sites around the state, including at the Morningstar Natural Resources Conservation Area, a 30,000-acre forested area that can be accessed from the Sultan-Basin Road.
Campgrounds on the list are Beaver Plant Lake, Big Greider Lake, Boulder Lake, Cutthroat Lakes, Little Greider Lake, Lower Ashland Lake, Twin Falls Lake and Upper Ashland Lake.
Trailheads include Ashland Lakes, Boulder Lake, Greider and Reflection Ponds.
People can still use trails, park in parking lots and stay in campgrounds, but they should expect to find no toilets, picnic tables, signs or garbage service at many campgrounds at Morningstar.
At least one access road from the north will be locked in the fall. The South Shore Road sustained winter damage and the agency doesn’t have money to fix it.
“It’s a tough decision,” Candace Johnson, assistant region manager for DNR. “I know most of these sites are very popular but we simply don’t have the resources.”
The state Legislature slashed the agency’s budget by nearly 50 percent, and officials were forced to make cuts, said Mark Mauren, a recreation program manager for DNR.
Officials opted to cut lesser-used areas in remote places where it was more expensive to provide services.
At Morningstar, back-country toilets can be difficult to maintain and require a helicopter to replace. Picnic tables get stolen and used for firewood and can be difficult to replace, he said.
Reducing services at the dozen trailheads and campgrounds at Morningstar should save the agency about $67,000 annually.
Debra Smith: 425-339-3197, dsmith@heraldnet.com.
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