MOSES LAKE — Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the state Department of Natural Resources announced an extension to the closure of state lands through May 4, coinciding with Gov. Jay Inslee’s extension of his stay-at-home order.

The extension will apply to all camping on state lands as well as boat launches and water access sites, wildlife areas and day-use recreation areas, according to the statement released by the DNR, WDFW and State Parks Commission.

Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, who leads the DNR, called the decision to extend the closure “an extremely difficult one” to make.

Franz said our trails, campgrounds and outdoors are “core to who we are” in Washington but added this sacrifice is a necessary one to protect neighbors and loved ones.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife anticipated announcements being made on Monday regarding fishing and hunting seasons. With the extended closure of the parks, campers with state park reservations through May 4 will be notified and receive a full refund.

For more information on state park operations and closures, visit parks.state.wa.us/COVID19. Information on hunting and fishing seasons can be found at the WDFW website, wdfw.wa.gov.