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November Wind Storm

The windstorm caused extensive damage to our system late afternoon yesterday and into last night. As of 5:20 a.m., we have 416,488 customers out of power.

Our focus today is on critical infrastructure and public safety, as PSE has been fielding many 911 calls for safety/emergency needs. With daylight approaching, crews will continue assessing more of the overall damage to the region and provide restoration updates as information becomes available.

We anticipate a multiple day outage and encourage customers with critical needs to make alternate plans as we work to assess the situation and restore power.

 

alert 

Safety first. Never touch or go within 35 feet of downed power lines because they might be energized. Call PSE at 1-888-225-5773 or 911 to report problems.

Report and track power outages online

Hopkins Ridge Wind Facility

Our first wind facility is located in southeast Washington, 15 miles northeast of Dayton in Columbia County. For detailed information please visit our Dayton office. Map It

Hopkins Ridge encompasses 87 turbines capable of generating 156.6 megawatts of electricity. Read more facts about the facility.

Tours

Come discover the early history of Columbia County and see our Hopkins Ridge wind facility.

Puget Sound Energy's Hopkins Ridge Wind Facility is nestled between three bygone communities: Turner, Marengo and Covello. Many homesteaders carved out their living in this area. Now, only a few structures remain from these once bustling pioneer settlements. Please call 509-382-2043 for information about scheduling a guided tour. You may also take a self-guided driving tour to view the wind farm and surrounding historical sites. If you care to get out of your car and walk the grounds, you will need a permit (see Recreation below).

Recreation

Hunting, hiking, bird watching, walking the grounds and other recreational activities are allowed on the wind facility in certain areas subject to certain restrictions. Special rules are in place to ensure the safety of hunters, local residents, wind farm workers and equipment. More information is available through the wind facility hunting video and brochure. Remember, hunting on private lands is a privilege and, as with all hunting activities, rules and prohibitions are enforced by state game agents and local law enforcement.

Access to Puget Sound Energy's Hopkins Ridge wind facility, PacifiCorp's adjacent Marengo wind facility and Portland General Electric's Tucannon River wind farm is jointly administered by the utilities. With this shared access program, hunters only need to register with one utility to access any of these wind facilities.

Written permission for access to these lands may be obtained by completing the online registration form which must be picked up at a local store (The Last Resort Kampstore or Four Star Supply). You will select the store of your choice when you register online. Store contact information is in the table below.

Paper forms are also available at these pick up locations: The Last Resort Kampstore, Four Star Supply and Dayton Circle K. Store contact information is in the table below.

Locations The Last Resort Kampstore Four Star Supply Circle K
Address 2005 Tucannon Rd. Pomeroy, WA 99347
509-843-1556
www.thelastresortrv.com
2255 Villard St Pomeroy, WA 99347
509-843-3693
fourstarsupplypomeroy@outlook.com
No online registration, paper registration only
426 W. Main St. Dayton, WA 99328
509-382-1042
Open Seasonal Year-round Year-round
Hours Mar. 1 - Oct. 31:
Mon - Thurs:
7:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Fri - Sat:
7:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Sun:
8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Nov. 1 - Feb. 28:
Call for store hours
Mon - Sat:
6 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Sun: 7 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Mon - Wed:
4:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Thurs - Sat:
4:30 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Sun:
5:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

 

Hunting FAQ

  • Columbia County wind farm hunting and access guidelines video
  • Can I access land in the Hopkins Ridge, Marengo and Tucannon River wind facilities?

    Yes, but only with written permission. To get permission, complete the online application form or fill out a paper form at one of the three stores listed in the table above.

  • Can I access land in the Lower Snake River Wind Facility?

    Yes, but a different permit is required to access the PSE Lower Snake River wind facility. To get permission, complete the PSE Lower Snake River online application form. You will need to go to The Last Resort Kampstore, Four Star Supply or Deadman Creek Outfitters to complete the registration process and pick up the required permit, vehicle tag and map brochure.

  • What do I need to access the Columbia County wind facility properties?

    First, register for access online. Paper forms are also available at the online registration pick-up locations (The Last Resort Kampstore and Four Star Supply) and the in person only registration location, the Dayton Circle K, 426 Main Street, Dayton, WA 99328. If you register online, you will receive a confirmation e-mail instructing you to pick up final paperwork, before hunting, at the store location you selected (The Last Resort Kampstore or Four Star Supply). Your final paperwork includes a signed permit, vehicle tag and map brochure. This permit gives you access only to areas colored green on the map.

    While hunting, you will be required to carry your signed permit, vehicle tag and map brochure which identify the access boundaries and access rules. Each wind facility (Hopkins Ridge, Marengo and Tucannon) has its own Columbia County map brochure to help you locate public hunting areas. All members in your hunting party must have all the required paperwork with them at all times, with the exception of minors under 16 who are not hunting, they can be listed on the guardian’s signed Access Permission Agreement permit.

    Minors under 16 are required to have a guardian's signature to access the properties. Minors under the age of 16 and who are hunting must have their own Access Permission Agreement, must have completed a hunter's safety course and their permit must also be signed by their guardian.

  • Where can I hunt?

    Public access is available within the Hopkins Ridge, Marengo and Tucannon River wind facilities, but there are special rules in place to ensure the safety of hunters, local residents and wind facility workers. These public-access areas are marked on the Columbia County map brochures.

    Study the maps and keep them with you to ensure you are within a hunting zone. Signs will be posted, but not in all locations. The map brochures are your best guide. The detail maps include GPS coordinates to help you locate your position. The areas lie mostly on private land. Please follow the rules and respect the regulations so this access privilege continues.

  • Why are some areas open to access and others restricted
    and what do the map brochure colors mean?

    Puget Sound Energy, PacifiCorp (owner of the Marengo Wind Facility) and Portland General Electric (owner of Tucannon River Wind Farm) lease land from private landowners and the state of Washington to operate the wind facilities.

    Green Areas

    Hunting areas are identified in green on the map brochure as Public Access with Permit, obtained from local store. They are open to the public only after written permission is given. The map brochures are available at the Last Resort Kampstore (Tucannon River road), Four Star Supply (Pomeroy, WA) and the Dayton General Store (Dayton, WA).

    Yellow Areas

    Some landowners allow the public to contact them to ask for access on their lands and they decide who may have access and the landowner will issue the written permission, tag and map brochure. The landowner’s contact information is posted on their property.

    Tan Areas

    Other landowners privately manage access on their lands and do not allow hunting by the general public. These areas are marked on the map brochure in tan as Public Access Unavailable, private access permits only. If you see hunters or hear gunfire coming from these areas, it is because the hunters have received landowner permission. It does not mean you are allowed to hunt there too.

    Red Areas

    Some private landowners do not want their land accessed. These lands are marked on the map brochure in red as no hunting allowed. No access or hunting is allowed in these areas.

  • Why do I need to stop at The Last Resort Kampstore or Four Star Supply
    if I've completed the application online?

    At the store, you will be asked to complete the permit process by signing the Access Permission Agreement Form. State game officials and local law enforcement also require that hunters show picture identification if over 16-years-old, WILD Identification number and provide vehicle information. Finally, a vehicle tag and map brochure will be issued at the store and the corresponding number added to your permit. Each hunter will receive a copy to keep with him or her while on the properties and a copy will be kept on file.

    Online Registration Pick up Locations The Last Resort Kampstore Four Star Supply
    Address 2005 Tucannon Rd. Pomeroy, WA 99347
    509-843-1556
    www.thelastresortrv.com
    2255 Villard St Pomeroy, WA 99347
    509-843-3693
    fourstarsupplypomeroy@outlook.com
    Open Seasonal Year-round
    Hours Mar. 1 - Oct. 31:
    Mon - Thurs:
    7:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.

    Fri - Sat:
    7:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.

    Sun:
    8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

    Nov. 1 - Feb. 28:
    Call for store hours
    Mon - Sat:
    6 a.m. - 8 p.m.

    Sun: 7 a.m. - 8 p.m.

     


  • What are the PSE Hopkins Ridge, PacifiCorp Marengo
    and Portland General Electric Tucannon River wind facilities' access rules?

    The rules that apply while accessing the wind farm areas are spelled out in the Access Permission Agreement form that you will carry with you while on the properties.

    1. No hunting during wind turbine construction periods or posted closure periods.
    2. No access of any kind within 300 feet of the wind turbines, buildings or substations.
    3. No access of any kind within 1,000 feet of the wind turbines from the third Sunday of November through the third Sunday of February due to potential icing conditions.
    4. No pointing or shooting of any weapon at a target of any kind with people, wind turbines, poles, overhead power lines, splice boxes, J-boxes, maintenance vehicles, signs, fences, gates, maintenance facilities or a substation in your scope of view.
    5. No shooting from vehicles, across roads or from any maintained portion of wind facility access roads.
    6. No vehicle traffic of any kind on lessors' property except on county roads unless authorized in writing by lessor. Driving on wind turbine access roads is not allowed. This includes operation of off-road or all-terrain vehicles.
    7. No horses or pack animals are allowed on lessors' property unless previously authorized in writing by lessor.
    8. Do not block access gates or entrances.
    9. All hunters must abide by Washington State Game Rules and Regulations.
    10. All access may be canceled on lessors' land whenever it is deemed necessary by lessors or lessees.
    11. No overnight camping, parking or outdoor fires on lessors' property unless previously authorized in writing by lessor.
    12. Hanging vehicle tags must be clearly displayed and visible from outside of the vehicle when on the lessors' property.
    13. Your access permission agreement must be carried on your person while hunting within the Puget Sound Energy Hopkins Ridge, PacifiCorp Marengo and Portland General Electric Tucannon River wind facility areas.
    14. Violation of any of the rules will result in loss of all access privileges and possibly incur trespassing violations.
    15. Please consider removing gut piles or use lead-free ammunition to prevent attracting scavenging raptors to the wind farm area.

    To help ensure continued access to these lands, please report any violations of the rules or laws to the Columbia County Sheriff's Office 509-382-1100. In an emergency, dial 911.

  • Can my children come?

    Yes. Please note that children who are hunting must have their own signed permit. Only children who have completed a hunter's safety course are allowed to hunt. If your children are hunting and are under 16 years old a guardian must sign their permit. Children who are not hunting may be listed on their guardian’s access permit. All hunters are required to have a permit, regardless of age. Children over 16 years old are also required to show picture identification.