Temporary forest road closures planned near Pistol Butte

The Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District of the Deschutes National Forest will temporarily close Forest Roads 4032, 4220, 4220-800, and 4230 near Pistol Butte southwest of Bend for road construction activities.

Beginning Tuesday, these forest roads will be temporary closed on a rotating schedule so that all areas will not be closed at one time. Construction will begin on Forest Roads 4220 and 4220-800, closing those road segments first.

Road reconstruction is needed to improve the road bed and roadside drainage in preparation for continued implementation of the Junction Vegetation Management Project. Roads will be signed and blocked during construction activities, so the public will need to use alternate routes to connect between Forest Roads 40 and 42. These closures are expected to last through Nov. 9.

The Junction Project includes a variety of logging treatments as well as understory tree and brush removal and eventually prescribed burning to increase forest resilience to insects, disease and wildfire.