In the next few weeks, the Mt. Hood National Forest is expected to release a new plan that may dramatically change how many of us play in the woods.
It comes with the rather boring sounding title of “Travel Management Plan”. But it represents a major shift in thinking and management of the forest.
Like all National Forests, Mt. Hood must come up with a new travel plan that limits the areas where off-road vehicles are allowed to go. Under the old way of thinking, off-roaders can go pretty much everywhere, even if that means going blazing a new trail through a forest, a meadow, or across a stream. Some areas are closed to off-roaders, but for the large part the forest is wide open to them.
Under the new way of thinking, off-roaders will only be allowed on trails that are designated for that kind of activity. And no more going off the trail. That kind of recreation, officially called “cross country travel” won’t be okay any more. In other words, unless off-roaders have permission to be there, they have to stay out.
The change began in 2005 when the U.S. Forest Service ordered all National Forests to draw up plans to limit off-road travel. Back then, we were on the tail end of huge explosion in the numbers of off-roaders using the woods. Off-road machines were getting bigger, faster and stronger – making it easier for the drivers to do great harm to the environment. In 2004, the damage caused by off-road vehicles was officially named as one of the four top threats to the health of the National Forests and Grasslands.
What will happen on Mt. Hood?
It’s too early to say. In a preliminary plan, known as a Scoping Document, Mt. Hood officials propose creating six areas throughout the forest where off-roaders will be allowed.
The next step is the release of the Environmental Impact Statement, which is expected to come out this week or next. The EIS will have an updated version of the Travel Management Plan, plus some alternatives to consider. This will be a very influential point in the process, and will set the agenda for the debate that will play out in September and possibly into October.
At first, the change appears to be a slam dunk victory for environmentalists and quiet recreationists, a group that includes hikers, bird watchers, fishermen, horse riders, mountain bikers and hunters. Any new plan is expected to dramatically limit off-road travel. There are an estimated 3500-4000 miles of roads in the Mt. Hood National Forest. If the current plan was approved without any changes, off-roaders will be limited to about 224 miles of roads and trails.
But local environmental groups are concerned for a number of reasons. One of the proposed off-road areas, called LaDee Flats, is wedged up against two Wilderness areas, the Salmon Huckleberry Wilderness to the northeast and the newly created Roaring Fork River Wilderness to the southeast. An off-roader who doesn’t understand or won’t obey the new rules could easily stray into these wildernesses and do severe damage to environmentally sensitive areas.
Another area, called Bear Creek, is on the north side of Mt. Hood. Deb Wachselblatt of the environmental group Bark says this is considered the “quiet” side of the mountain. “There’s no documented use of that area by motorized users and it’s adjacent to wilderness area,” she says. “It would really diminish that quality if there was motorized use there.” Forest officials propose adding 40 new miles of off-road, single-track, trails at Bear Creek. Mt. Hood’s Jennie O’Connor Card says the off-road community wanted an area where only motorcycles would be allowed, and the forest is trying to fill that niche for them.
Wachselblatt says with only a few law enforcement staffers on the payroll, Mt. Hood officials simply don’t have the resources to make sure the new rules are followed. “It may be the case of a few bad seeds that make rogue trails. But once those rogue trails are established I think other people will probably ride on them,” she says. “The Forest Service is still going to have a problem on their hands.”
O’Connor Card agrees that Mt. Hood has “limited” law enforcement staff, but adds the Forest also works cooperatively with other law enforcement agencies.
(NOTE: Deb has left Bark since our interview with her.)
What’s happening elsewhere in Oregon?
Probably the best person to answer that question is Randy Rasmussen, the West Coast representative for the American Hiking Society. Based in Corvallis, Rasmussen has worked with environmental groups around the state on Travel Management Plans.
Rasmussen says, so far, the results are mixed. For the most part, he likes the plans that have been approved for the Willamette and Siuslaw National Forests. On the other hand, he’s says the draft plan for the Rogue River-Siskiyou Forest is about as bad as it gets. Rasmussen says it converts hiking trails into off-road trails, gives official status to some rogue trails, adds trails in potential wilderness areas and in parts of the forest that are considered “sensitive botanical” areas.
He and Wachselblatt believe that quiet users of the forest have been outgunned in this debate by the off-road community. Rasmussen says quiet users have a big stake in these plans. “If you’re a quiet recreationist, you’re trying to get away from the sights and sounds and mechanized intrusions of modern society,” he says. “But it shouldn’t mean you have to go to wilderness to get that.” Rasmussen thinks it should be easier to find quiet forests that are closer to home.
“Quiet recreationists, by definition, seek out quiet opportunities and that’s becoming a limited resource in our national forests. There are fewer and fewer quiet places in large part because of off road vehicles.”
What happens next?
Once the Mt. Hood travel plan EIS is released, there will be a minimum 30-day period for public comments. Mt. Hood officials will also hold a series of public meetings, and one of them is expected to take place in Portland. A final decision is expected before the end of the year.
RESOURCES:
American Hiking Society: Travel Management Planning
Bark: Mt. Hood Off-Highway Vehicle Plan
Mt. Hood Travel Management Plan (you may have to scroll down this page to find it)
Blue Ribbon Coalition (off-roading group, supported by members and the off-roading industry)
