The US Fish & Wildlife Service has finished its final CCP (Comprehensive Conservation Plan) for the Hanford Reach area and posted it (in several parts, or as one large PDF) on the Service’s web site. Here are some highlights of the plan:

• 26,000 acres of land would be opened to the public, while about 2,000 would be closed.
• The White Bluffs boat launch would remain open to motorized boats, and two other launches (Vernita and Ringold) would be developed.
• 100 miles of trails would be developed.
• A trail would be developed for hiking on Rattlesnake Mountain, but hikers won’t be allowed off the trail.
• Horseback riding will be allowed, but only on approved roads and trails.
• Two new photography sites are proposed.
• As many as eight new wildlife viewing sites are proposed.

According to the USFWS web site, the plan can’t be approved until late September at the earliest. You can learn a lot more by visiting their Hanford Reach web site.

(photo courtesy pfly)

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