The Bureau of Land Management has announced some campground closures in Lane County because of understaffing.
Whittaker Creek and Clay Creek campgrounds, south of Highway 126 between Eugene and Mapleton, were scheduled to open at the end of April.
“We haven’t been able to find volunteer camp hosts, and we’re struggling with seasonal staffing," said BLM spokesperson Sarah Bennett. "Usually we increase our staff during the summer, during the busy recreation season, and we haven’t been able to do that to the necessary degree.”
Bennett said staff help to clean and maintain campgrounds, and that opening sites without those employees would be a risk to public safety.
She said Whittaker Creek campground may open later in the season if a host is found, but Clay Creek will not open this year.
Anyone who had reservations has been notified, according to a BLM press release.
