USFS drops Sisters-Black Butte paved path plan

Sisters District Ranger Kristie Miller said Tuesday evening she has withdrawn her decision to proceed with a controversial project that would have built a paved path from Sisters to Black Butte Ranch.

It’s her second such trail project withdrawal in the Sisters area in recent months.

As before, Miller cited a lack of a community compromise around building the proposed trail as her reason for withdrawing her decision.

“She believes that there was a great deal of support for a trail by community members,” the announcement said. “However, there did not seem there was a way to compromise with objectors to the trail, based on resolution meetings held over the past few weeks.”

In her withdrawal of the decision, Miller suggested that a broader, community led process could develop a proposal for a variety of trails that might meet the needs of the community.

“If the community brings forward a well-supported, community trail proposal we could consider that proposal through future environmental analysis,.”

In June, the ranger district dropped plans for another paved path near Sisters, a 1.1-mile 12-foot-wide multi-use path between Sisters High School and the Crossroads subdivision, also due to public comment.