FS hopes to open Cultus Lake Campground by late July

Deschutes National Forest officials told Rep. Greg Walden during his visit to Cultus Lake on Saturday that the site’s popular campground will be open after hundreds of dead or dying trees are removed in the next few weeks.

Earlier, the Forest Service had announced that the campground would be closed through the summer because the tree removal had to wait until fall due to northern spotted owl habitat.

Bend-Fort Rock District Ranger Kevin Larkin said they are now hopeful the campground will be open before the end of July.

Larkin said the number of dying trees at the campground caught officials by surprise.

“We expected we would have some issues with hazard trees in the Cultus Lake Campground, but the scope and scale of the problem surprised us,” Larkin said.

Some of the trees are naturally dying, while others are diseased and rotting at the roots or from the inside out.

Walden, Deschutes National Forest officials and the owner of the Cultus Lake Resort met to discuss how to take care of the damage and get the campground open again for part of the summer.

Walden said he got involved due to one question: How did we get to this point?

“I can’t imagine having your reservation all in place, everything ready to go and then discover, ‘Oh, sorry, we have a hazard tree problem and we have to close the campground this summer,” the congressman said.

“That’s really disappointing for a lot of people,” Walden added, “so we have to figure out a better strategy in the future.”

Resort owner Sandie Campbell said while she’s glad the campground will open at all, what happened is mind-boggling to her and avid users of the lake.

Campbell said the lake is unique and a home to many.

“It’s the generations. I literally have generations of people coming,” she said. “When we first got here, their kids were in their arms. And now their kids are bringing kids. So it’s just — it’s a family.”