State to halt overnight access to 3 C.O. parcels

Effective June 1 , the public will be barred overnight and restricted from certain uses on three state-owned properties totaling 1,745 acres in Deschutes and Crook counties, the Department of State Lands said Monday.

The three parcels and the new permanent rules (which took effect on an emergency basis in February on the Stevens Road parcel) are:

* The 640-acre Stevens Road Tract, SE Bend: closed between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.; no motor vehicles; no discharge of firearms; no open fires
* The 945-acre South Redmond Tract: closed between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.; no open fires
* The 160-acre West Juniper Canyon Parcel, Prineville: closed between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.; no motor vehicles; no discharge of firearms; no open fires

Exceptions to the closures will be made for people conducting official government business, and other authorized vehicles.

The State Land Board adopted new rules implementing the restrictions at their April 14 public meeting in Salem.

The Department of State Lands conducted public meetings in the region about the proposed closure rules in January and February , and received public comments from Jan. 1 through Feb 16 .

The primary reasons given by officials for the new rules are increased illegal and nuisance activities on the lands (littering, reckless burning, drug and alcohol use), their vicinity to residential dwellings, and the potential for damage to wildlife and property from these activities.

More information is available in this Adobe Acrobat pdf file from the recent meeting:

http://www.oregon.gov/dsl/SLB/docs/agenda_items/2015_agenda_items/slb_apr2015_item3.pdf