‘This has been an issue since I started office:’ Bentz discusses China Hat Road issues, Biden impeachment inquiry

(Update: Adding video, comments from Bentz, Deschutes National Forest)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ore., is sounding off about the ongoing issues out on China Hat Road, along with why he voted to look further into an inquiry for potential impeachment of President Joe Biden.

Bentz serves as representative of the largest of Oregon's six districts, which includes south Deschutes County, but not Bend, Sisters and other parts of the county.

During the interview, Bentz said the issues out at China Hat Road have gotten out of control in the past couple years since he took office in 2021.

“This has been an issue basically since I started office,” Bentz said. "This has become a place people want to be because they get to be on national forest service land, use drugs and not have to worry about it."

Bentz told NewsChannel 21 he supports action in Congress to make it less challenging for the U.S. Forest Service to enforce their 14-day stay limit on public lands, such as the China Hat area south of Bend, where problems and issues have grown even more serious.

He tells us he’s met on multiple occasions with Deschutes National Forest officials, along with county commissioners, about how to solve the crime and other problems that have led nearby homeowners to raise concerns, some even to move away.

"The folks that work for the Forest Service have a lot of, I'm going to say -- a list of excuses. 'We don't have enough people, we don't have the right laws, we don't have people doing the prosecuting,'" Bentz claimed.

But he added, “This is a little awkward, to come in and say, ‘We’re going convict you of a felony, or what amounts to a felony, for being on land that you actually own part of it.”

While there is a 14-day stay limit on public land, the agency says that doesn’t give them the legal authority to remove someone without a decision by a federal judge, in this case in Eugene.

Issuance of a violation notice for exceeding the 14-day stay limit is a misdemeanor offense that results in a ticket similar to receiving a traffic violation in other jurisdictions.

According to Deschutes National Forest Supervisor Holly Jewkes, the 14-day violation notice doesn't give the Forest Service the legal authority to remove someone or their belongings without a judicial decision.

Bentz explained how the process works. "They have to rely upon the federal court in Eugene to enforce that ticket. And that generally means that you're not going to get a district attorney, a U.S. attorney, to be enthusiastic about prosecuting something that amounts to a traffic violation."

The congressman added, “I think the Forest Service needs additional legislation that lets them give a bigger penalty, if people choose to ignore their violation.”

It's unknown if any tickets issued by the Deschutes National Forest have been prosecuted at the federal court in Eugene.

In addition, Bentz also offered his reasoning as to why he voted earlier this month to look into an inquiry to potentially impeach President Joe Biden. Bentz is a member of the House Judiciary Committee that will investigate if the claims against Biden and his son Hunter are true.

"The courts, when they see that the Congress has voted for a formal inquiry, are robbed of the argument that there wasn't a formal effort to get these documents. Now, we have said, 'Yes, there is a formal inquiry -- give us the documents,'" Bentz said.

Bentz said he believes the issues at China Hat are a direct result of Measure 110, due to the amount of people now recreating in the forest, to use drugs without any consequences. Bentz also blamed inaction from the federal court in Eugene to prosecute ticket violations.