Stevens Road parcel night closure sparks reaction

The public is no longer allowed to use the Stevens Road Tract on Southeast 27 th Street and Stevens Road from the hours of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

The Oregon Department of State Lands signed an emergency closure notice Monday. Signs were posted on the property explaining the new rules regarding the land. The public is also prohibited from using firearms or driving vehicles on the property.

The 640-acre parcel in southeast Bend is state-owned land. The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office says about 20 to 30 people are camped on the property and often trash is left behind. Many people who use the area for recreational use say they’ve noticed the litter.

“It was piled up three (or) four months ago — I mean, a huge area,” southeast Bend resident Colin Pesterfield said Monday. “Probably three or four truckloads of stuff they had to get out of here.”

A Stevens Road Tract resident said he had noticed other campers leaving the waste behind as well. Evan Tipton has been living on the property since July and is searching for other land to live on.

“This is not what we chose, but it’s where we’re at,” Tipton said Tuesday night. “It’s not like we want to do this, you know, but we keep plugging along.”

Tipton, his wife, family members and dogs all live in an area on the property together.

Officials are hoping the individuals camping in the area choose alternative housing such as shelters. Those who use the area for recreation feel suitable living is a more appropriate option for those who have been staying on the Stevens Road Tract.

“They’re always going to be looking for somewhere,” Pesterfield said Monday. “The only way it’s going to stop is if they get more help themselves and more encouragement at the end of the day.”

Terry Tyler, who parked his van on the property more than a week ago, said the sheriff’s office gave him plenty of notice, but said he wasn’t sure it was the best decision to close the land at night.

“It’s not going to be pleasant,” Tyler said Monday. “They’ll have to go further out, and it’s already a long way to town from here.”