Deschutes Natl. Forest proposing Jeep OHV trails

The Deschutes National Forest said Monday it has opened a public comment period for an analysis of developing Jeep trails in the Rim Butte area of the forest, south of Newberry Crater.

The 30-day public comment period on the Rim Butte OHV Jeep Trail Project environmental assessment opened last Tuesday, May 28.

The environmental assessment analyzes the effects of creating designated routes for off-highway vehicles within the Rim Butte area, located east of Highway 97 and south of Newberry National Volcanic Monument.

The environmental assessment considered two alternatives, in addition to the no-action alternative.

One alternative includes 33 miles of looped trails. The other alternative includes 17 miles of looped trails, with more difficult technical terrain.

Both alternatives include toilets, staging areas and campsites.

Designated routes would be located on areas of existing disturbance, such as skid trails, as much as possible.

Areas of new trail would require minimal disturbance to define the trail tread, officials said.

In some cases, trees and shrubs may be cut. In most cases, obstacles would be left, to create technical difficulty.

“People driving Jeeps tend to like the more challenging terrain than other OHV types,” said Jean Nelson-Dean, the forest’s public affairs coordinator. “They don’t need a lot of it, but it needs to be difficult to climb, etc.”

Nelson-Dean said she was unsure if it was the first such area, “but it is the type of OHV use we are most limited on within the Deschutes National Forest.”

“People have been asking us to do something for a long time, and this proposal is trying to fit that request,” she said.

The comment period is intended to provide those interested in or affected by the activity an opportunity to make their concerns known.

Those interested in commenting can find the document and directions for commenting at
http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/nepa_project_exp.php?project=39213 or by stopping by the Bend-Fort Rock District Office, 63095 Deschutes Market Road, Bend, OR 97701.
For more information, contact Peter Sussmann at (541) 383-5594.