New illegal dumping, camp site on Deschutes Forest
The Deschutes National Forest is in Central Oregon’s backyard, but with that comes illegal camping and dumping.
Trash is strewn about near a forest road, just off Skyliners Road past Phil’s Trailhead.
The campsite had newspapers dated from July 20, so people were there only about two weeks ago.
The trash included mattresses, blankets, Christmas ornaments, clothing, shoes, appliances, bottles and more.
The spot has been used for both dumping and camping.
Bend resident Lenora James happened upon the site Thursday morning when she was taking her dog out.
She said rapid population growth is just one small piece of this problem.
“It’s part of the explosion. It’s part of the rent increase. It’s part of mental illness. It’s part of the entitled that don’t think it’s their problem. There are so many spokes to this wheel,” James said.
“It’s just sad, and I’m shameful for all of us — not just the people doing it but the people who aren’t stepping up to make sure this doesn’t happen,” James said.
In March 2017, NewsChannel 21 reported on illegal dumping on Forest Road 4610. Since then, the area has been cleaned up, but it seems the garbage has just moved to a new location.
The fine for dumping can be up to $5,000 or six months in jail — and law enforcement will look through the trash to figure out who it belongs to.
There are a number of nonprofit groups dedicated to keeping the forest clean, including:
