USFS: New wilderness permits aim to curb impacts of crowds
Update: Adding video, Deschutes National Forest comments )
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- If you plan on hiking in the Cascades wilderness areas this summer, you might need to register for a permit ahead of time.
The Willamette and Deschutes national forests will implement a permit system for day and overnight use starting in May.
Permits will be required at 19 of the 79 trails in the Mount Jefferson, Mt. Washington and Three Sisters (east and west) wilderness areas.
Deschutes National Forest Public Affairs Officer Jean Nelson-Dean noted to NewsChannel 21 the new system still leaves plenty of trails that can be used without getting a permit.
"Sixty trails don't require permits,” Nelson-Dean said. “Sixty trails are always going to be available for spontaneous going out and enjoying these wilderness areas."
Nelson-Dean said the Deschutes National Forest has seen more than a 300% increase in recreational use over the past five years.
The new permit system's key goal is to direct people to the other trails while monitoring the main trail use.
"It's just a matter of trying to reduce use in some of these overused areas,” Nelson-Dean said.
She said some trails are facing resource and vegetation damage, an increase in garbage, and human and dog waste issues.
"Our goal is to allow people to access these wilderness areas, at the same time protecting them for future generations," she said.
From May 28 until Sept. 24, day use permits will be $1 per person, per day.
Overnight permits will be $6 for groups up 12 for as many as 14 days.
Reservations open on April 6 at 7 a.m.
Nelson-Dean said they do plan to penalize those who ignore the permit system.
"Well, in our first year, we know that this is new, right? So we will try to educate people first,” Nelson-Dean said. “If people continue to violate that, then there are fines going up if they continue to violate the permit system."
She said they are working with Deschutes Public Libraries to create a free check-out pass for those with financial limitations.
Nelson-Dean said they understand that this may take some getting used, but she feels after years of research and discussion, the change is necessary.
"We really need to protect these wilderness areas, and we still are providing areas for people to go out and recreate," she said. "And I think that's the important thing for people to understand."
Here's the full announcement with more details that the Forest Service released Thursday:
The Deschutes and Willamette national forests announced Thursday that they will move forward with implementing the Central Cascades Wilderness Permit System in May of this year.
The initial implementation of the permit system was delayed last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beginning Friday, May 28 and ending on Friday, Sept. 24, day-use permits will be required for 19 out of 79 trails in the Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, and Three Sisters wilderness areas.
During the same period, overnight-use permits will be required for all trails in those same three wilderness areas.
"60 trails don't require permits,” Nelson-Dean said. “60 trails are always going to be available for spontaneous going out and enjoying these wilderness areas."
There are some exceptions for Pacific Crest Trail hikers, volunteers and hunters.
More information about the permits can be found here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/willamette/specialplaces/?cid=fseprd688355
Reservations for the permits will open at 7 a.m. on April 6, at www.Recreation.gov.
The Forest Service said it encourages everyone to “go online, don’t stand in line.”
Permits will be available in the following way:
- Overnight Use Availability:
- 40% full season available on April 6.
- 60% available on a 7-day rolling window.
- Day Use Availability:
- 20-50% of a trailhead’s full season will be available on April 6.
- 50-80% of a trailhead’s permits will be available on a 7-day rolling window, to allow for people to take more spontaneous trips.
Reservations can also be made by calling 1-877-444-6777.
Individuals can also get permits at Deschutes and Willamette National Forest offices, but it should be noted due to COVID, national forest offices may be closed to the public. People should call the office ahead of time to make sure it is open.
Processing fees will be applied to the permits, regardless of how they are reserved. Day-use permits will be charged $1 per permit per person. Overnight-use permits will be charged $6 per trip. Overnight permits can include up to 12 people for a trip of up to 14 days.
Yes. Thank you for everyone moving here and exploding the population. Loving the traffic and crowds everywhere.
……yea, no
Every time I go into the forest, I’m hunting.
This is a perfect time to implement these painful measures. I say painful, because we will no longer to go for a hike on the spur of the moment, at least not to every possibly trailhead. But think what the situation will be at trailheads this Summer without these measures. They were nuts last Summer, but people will be even more stir-crazy this year, and there are more of us. My only thought is that the FS needs to get more proactive about letting folks know about other hiking options. It is mainly the sheeply phenomena that has created the problem; there are more than enough great places to hike for double the current population, just not everybody at the same popular trailheads.
The only problem with Bend is overpopulation. My family has lived here for 70+years. Up until about 7-10 years ago, I could go to places I had gone to for 50s years without fighting hundreds of people for parking or a place on the trail. On any given day, I could hike all over, and never see other person. Now there are close to 2,000 on one trail in a day. Pilot Butte gets over a million visitors a year. 70,000 people floated the river over the 4th of July weekend. The influx of out of state transplants is increasing and never ending. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Bend’s population increased by 20,000 just in 2020. Maybe if the money stops being spent on advertising to lure more and more people here, we might be able to save what’s left of our once beautiful small town. The truth is,there are a group of folks who moved here because they saw an opportunity to take advantage for profit, and they have sold off Bend to the highest bidders. They own businesses who’s profits rely on thousands more people moving and/or visiting here. They don’t love our town, they love it’s money making potential. Sadly it has come at the price of long time locals being forced out to make room for mostly Californians,but also transplants from across the country. Their goal was to create the gentrification of Bend, and they are succeeding. Sadly Redmond, Sisters, La Pine and Prineville are next in line and already experiencing the beginning stages of what Bend went through 5-10 years ago.
Some people think they’re in a traffic jam, others realize they are the traffic jam. Constantly complaining about other people here who you say don’t love Bend makes you the traffic jam, btw.
My public lands my foot.
The Forest Circus strikes again.
Thank you visitbend.com
Thank you visit central oregon.com
Thank you relocatebend.com
Thank you for your help in ruining everything we live here for.
Thank you for your help in destroying the ability of young and first time home buyer’s to be able to buy and provide a home for their family.
Central Oregon is no longer about quality of life it’s all about money.
Think what you will but this will not end well as I have seen at least 3 times here.
Out
I agree with 100%. Most people involved in every business you listed are our of state transplants benefiting from the advertising of Bend as the best place in the country to move to. Central Oregon Visitor Association’s strategic plans state that relocation is now the goal of their advertising budget not tourism. They are targeting LA and SF millennials who work remotely and rich golfers to move here. These businesses don’t care about the destruction of our parks, trails, rivers, streams, lakes and wildlife habitat, and they could care less if long time locals can afford to live here anymore. The all time high of $580k median sale price last month, combined with the lack of any, let alone affordable housing, is turning Bend into another Aspen or Telluride. Soon they will wipe out all the older and manufactured homes to build million dollar homes and will call them “affordable”.
You left out Travel Oregon.
This is a very sad day. The one, cheap form of enjoyment that even the poor could enjoy is now only for those who can afford it. Another decision that wasn’t left to a vote by the people–the public lands are gone.
Very dramatic, but not true. There a dozens of places to hike; just don’t follow the sheeple How hard is that?
About as difficult as it is for you to be nice. The poor don’t get options to travel, nor do those pressed for time.
Or just don’t follow this restriction of access to public land.
A dollar per person per day is going to stem use? Uhhh
No, a limited-entry permit system is what’s believed will reduce over-use of certain trails.
Charge more for the out of state people to get the permits, like the Fish and Wildlife people do for hunting – fishing license and tags. This trend of people moving and vacationing here is not going to change so exploit it, like Sisters, Terrebonne, Bend, and LaPine do by not endorsing a bypass around those tourist traps.
Uh, federal lands (supposedly) belong to all Americans, so you cannot charge more for out-of-staters as you can for non-resident hunting and fishing licenses.
What about this idea, locals can buy an unlimited pass for the year… Tourists pay more for day use and overnight!
I think no matter what, helping keep the trails in good shape is important. The future generation will be able to enjoy the same trails someone walked 70 years ago. But, the reality is, there are more people on this planet every day. More people want to explore the mountains and these awesome spots like Bend, Tahoe, etc.
Complaining won’t get us anywhere, but maybe we should work together and propose something that’s fair for the people that live in Bend, because no matter what if you’re new to town or old, you live here for the outdoors…
Just my two thoughts… feel like there needs to be more collaboration from everyone end.
“60 trails don’t require permits,” Nelson-Dean said. “60 trails are always going to be available for spontaneous going out and enjoying these wilderness areas.”
Define ALWAYS. I don’t believe you. Has there ever been a permit or tax regime that didn’t expand? How much did the first year permission slip for the aquatic invasive species permit cost for your canoe, and how much is it now?
ALWAYS….does anyone want to place a bet on how quickly always is redefined?