By order of Sheriff Darren Weekly, Stage 1 Fire Restrictions are in place for unincorporated areas of Douglas County. Ordinance No. O-012-004 restricts open fires, open burning, and the use of fireworks in the unincorporated areas of Douglas County. Additional information on fire restrictions stages can be located at the Douglas County Emergency Management website.
Commissioners will seek residents to serve on task force to evaluate camping in other places
Posted on July 22, 2025 2025DC OutdoorsNews and Events
Following community feedback and further fire risk analysis, the Board has decided not to pursue camping at Sandstone Ranch any further.
“We share the perspective of our citizens that we must find a balance between providing recreational amenities in Douglas County while also prioritizing public safety. While 65% of citizens indicate from our survey that camping should be a medium to very high priority, as chairman of the Wildfire Action Collaborative, I can confirm our community is not in a position to take risks around wildfire,” said Commissioner Abe Laydon. “That is why I not only support this motion, but also recommend the Board develop a citizen-led expert taskforce to develop a best practices plan to meet the competing needs of recreation and wildfire safety here in Douglas County.”
“We had an idea, we floated it to our community, and we heard loud and clear that it was a good idea, wrong location,” said Commissioner George Teal. “We hear you, and we want to be clear that there will not be camping at Sandstone. We look forward to continuing to engage with our community about the best uses for our open spaces.”
“This was always just an idea, and we’re thankful to those who completed our survey and those who reached out to us about camping at Sandstone,” said Commissioner Kevin Van Winkle. “We want you to know we heard you, and we are excited to continue to engage with our community on any topic.”
The Board wants to continue to engage in the best use of open spaces, including Sandstone and the more than a dozen other open spaces the County owns and maintains. The Board is going to convene a task force to study camping at other open spaces. Sign up for Douglas County Outdoors emails to be notified when applications are open.
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