WDFW to seek public input on draft management plan for L.T. Murray Wildlife Area in Kittitas County

Public invited to June 21 open house in Ellensburg

OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will soon be looking for public input on a draft management plan for the L.T. Murray Wildlife Area, located in Kittitas County. The Department anticipates the draft document will be available online on June 16. 

The public is invited to join WDFW staff at an open house, scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, June 21, at the Armory Building at the Kittitas County Events Center, 901 E 7th Ave in Ellensburg to learn more and share feedback on the draft plan.

The plan will guide habitat enhancements, shrubsteppe protection and restoration, wildlife management, forest health, wildfire prevention, public access and outdoor recreation, and other land management activities for the 118,300-acre L.T. Murray Wildlife Area for the next 10 years. 

“It’s important to us that as we plan for the future of the L.T. Murray we’re hearing from the broad community of people who cherish it most,” said Cynthia Wilkerson, WDFW Lands Division manager. “This open house and the public review process gives us another opportunity to do that.”  

The draft plan and additional details will be available on WDFW’s website on June 16. Between June 16 and July 14, members of the public can comment on the plan as part of a state environmental review process on the WDFW’s website, by email, or by mail to Lisa Wood, P.O. Box 43200, Olympia, WA 98504-3200. Comments will be accepted through July 14. 

The L.T. Murray Wildlife Area includes five wildlife area units and is managed to protect a diverse array of habitats and species. From the shrubsteppe hillsides and conifer forests to the meadows and water corridors of the Yakima basin, the area supports a broad array of fish and wildlife. 

The wildlife area provides critical winter range for deer and elk and big horn sheep habitat, and supports several rare, endangered, and culturally significant plants and animals.  Public recreation opportunities in the wildlife area include hunting, camping, wildlife viewing, fishing, target shooting, motorized recreation on the Green Dot system, horseback riding, mountain biking, and hiking. 

All members of the public are invited to share their perspective and participate in WDFW public feedback opportunities regardless of race, color, sex, age, national origin, language proficiency, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, veteran status, or basis of disability.

WDFW manages more than a million acres of land and hundreds of water access areas throughout the state. By actively managing lands, restoring habitats, and preserving wild places, the Department serves as stewards for Washington’s natural places, protecting the state’s land and water for its human and wildlife.