Cooperative Road Management Areas

Why Close Roads?

Studies in the Pacific Northwest have shown that most big game animals avoid active roads by at least one-quarter mile, and some move as much as four miles to escape traffic. Closing roads can provide large undisturbed areas for wildlife, like elk, deer, bighorn sheep, eagles, and wild turkeys during critical times of the year.

Intensively managed forests may have three to nine miles of road for each square mile of habitat. For each mile of road, at least four acres are directly removed as productive habitat.

Animals need energy to survive. Energy spent moving away from disturbances can deplete the energy needed to survive to late spring or give birth to a healthy elk calf. By limiting disturbance, road closures can enhance the health, reproduction, and number of animals in an area.

What's Being Done

WDFW, with the help of state, federal, and private landowners, coordinates the closure of certain roads to reduce hunter crowding and disturbance to wildlife. Roads have been closed to vehicular traffic in over 65 areas, providing over a million acres of relatively undisturbed prime hunting habitat. It is illegal to operate a motor-driven vehicle on closed roads unless exempted by WDFW or the cooperative agency or company.

Road management areas are generally not closed to all entry, just motorized vehicles. You can walk, bicycle, or horseback ride in the area as much as you like! Please check with your local WDFW office for the status of E-bikes in each area.

There two types of road closures in the program:

1. “Posted Closed” System. Roads that are closed in an area are posted “closed to vehicular traffic, including ATVs.
2. Green Dot System. Under this system, all roads in an area are closed unless posted OPEN with a green dot. You may drive on any roads that have circular green reflectors posted along the roadway. Roads without green reflectors are closed to motor vehicles. To help users, large information boards can be found at major points of entry into the area. Areas under the Green Dot System are designated with "GD" in the table.

Only portions of the identified GMUs below contain road management areas. Due to changes in land ownership and multi-partner agreements, the final status of Cooperative Road Management areas may change. Check with cooperating landowners and Regional WDFW offices for any changes.

U.S. Forest Service Road Closure maps can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/umatilla/maps-pubs/?cid=stelprdb5414334. Each National Forest in Washington has a Motor Vehicle Use Map available on their website that provides a map of road use status/availability.