Forest Service: Wilderness areas need permits, protection

The U.S. Forest Service’s plans to limit the number of people who can use certain trails into three Central Oregon wilderness areas during the summer months have been a long time coming, although they aren’t expected to take effect until 2020.

And when they do, the restrictions will only apply to the summer months between the Friday before Memorial Day and Sept. 30.

In the decision that was released Wednesday, the agency announced plans to set permit quotas for 30 of the 80 trailheads in three wilderness areas. According to Deschutes National Forest Public Affairs specialist Kassidy Kern, it’s necessary in keeping with the federal Wilderness Act.

“What we’re hopefully doing this is we’re sustaining this condition that your grandfather or my grandfather would have seen into what my children see,” Kern said Thursday.

Increased use of the Three Sisters, Mt. Washington and Mt. Jefferson Wilderness Areas has led to trail degradation, trash, human waste and illegal campfires.

Bend nonprofit Oregon Wild officials said they support the decision. Wilderness Program Manager Erik Fernandez said he believes it’s a step in the right direction.

“Most people say, it’s not perfect but it’s better than the current situation, where it’s just a madhouse and a circus and people everywhere, and I can’t park,” Fernandez said.

“I think most people would rather see a plan where it’s like, ‘OK, I know I’m going to get to go on the trail. I’m going to be able to find a parking spot and I’m not going to have herds of people going down the trail to compete with,'” he said.

Permits will be required on popular trails like Greens Lakes Trailhead, where 80 day-use permits will be handed out per day. Elk Lake Trailhead will have 24 permits a day, Todd Lake 12 permits a day and Devil’s Lake Trailhead 100 permits a day, should current plans stand after a 45-day objection period.

“If you hike South Sister in August, you’re going up with hundreds of your closest friends,” Kern said. “And we were just looking at the use days, and on a heavy day in August, there are 400 people going out of the Devil’s Lake Trailhead. It’s not adhering to the wilderness ethic.”

But not every hiker is happy with the plans, including Bend resident Arnold Gordon.

“I don’t see any reason to change it,” he said. “I don’t know that you need to limit,it. It’s self-limiting, as long as there is no additional room for cars. I think it’s just another gimmick to take money.”

Some people see the benefit and are willing to pay to keep coming back, including Sunriver resident Tom Long.

“We all hope that we’re going to have this for a long time,” Long said.

There will be permits reserved for spontaneous “day-of” hikers.

Also the permits only apply to the listed trailheads, not places such as Elk Lake or Todd Lake, which are not in official wilderness areas.

The amount fees and fines have not been discussed yet — that’ll happen next year.

Until then, people participating in the first public comment process have 45 days to file objections.

For the full decision text, click here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/nfs/11558/www/nepa/105465_FSPLT3_4483291.pdf