‘The land is healing’: Closure of Cabin Butte area near China Hat extended as Deschutes National Forest continues restoration
(Update: adding comments from district ranger and forest official)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The closure of the Cabin Butte area, commonly known as China Hat Road, south of Bend has been extended for a reduced area as crews continue large-scale forest restoration work.
The area has been closed to the public since last year to allow the Deschutes National Forest to carry out fuel reduction and cleanup efforts across more than 25,000 acres.
“The goal was to modify the fuels, open up the canopy and make it less susceptible to catastrophic wildfire and more resilient over time,” said district ranger for the Deschutes National Forest, Kevin Stock.
Before restoration could begin, crews first had to address years of illegal dumping and damage throughout the area.
“We realized the uses out here weren’t really compatible with a healthy forest,” Stock said. “We had to close down the area, remove garbage, dumping, tires, and propane tanks before we could treat the land.”
Since 2023, and especially since the closure, Kaitlyn Webb, public affairs officer for the Deschutes National Forest said significant progress has been made.
"Crews have completed more than 2,000 acres of timber harvest, thinned over 10,000 acres, and removed more than 255,000 pounds of trash," Webb said.
Now, the focus has shifted to long-term wildfire resilience and forest health.
“We’re looking at a nearly completed vegetation treatment — a holding feature in case of wildfire — and it will make this area really resilient for 20 to 30 years,” Stock said.
Officials say the ongoing work requires heavy equipment, making it unsafe for the public to enter the closure area.
“It requires a lot of machinery, and having people around creates opportunity for a bad outcome,” Stock said. “We know people want to recreate, but the tradeoff is we’ve been able to do a lot of work at a good pace.”
Forest officials say early signs of recovery are already visible, with wildlife returning to areas they hadn’t been seen in before.
“We’ve seen elk and turkeys in areas we hadn’t seen before — the land is healing,” Stock said.
Crews will continue restoration efforts in the Deschutes National Forest as the closure remains in place.
Earlier Story -- BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Deschutes National Forest announced Monday it will extend its temporary closure of the Cabin Butte Vegetation Management Project area south of Bend for at least another year, but reduce its size after work was completed west of Highway 97 and south of Deschutes River Woods.
The revised closure, now affecting 32,565 acres - about 2,000 acres smaller than the past year - will begin Friday, May 1st and remain in effect through at least April 30th, 2027.
"This measure is being taken to ensure public safety and support critical forest restoration efforts," the Forest Service said.
May 1st also marks a year since the closure of areas south of China Hat Road forced numerous homeless people camping in the area to move elsewhere.
Since then, the Forest Service pointed to "significant clean-up efforts," collaborating with Public Lands Stewards and Discover Your Northwest-Central Oregon to remove over 255,500 pounds of trash, 448 propane tanks and 170 tires.
Contractors have also removed 424 tons of solid waste and 635 tires, dismantled 115 vehicles, and salvaged and recycled 145 tons of metal.
The Forest says the project aims to reduce wildfire risk and restore damaged habitats within the Wildland Urban Interface near Bend. During the closure, all access, including day use and overnight camping, is restricted while crews operate heavy machinery, conduct prescribed burns and clean up hazardous materials.
Areas west of Highway 97 and south of Deschutes River Woods are scheduled to reopen May 1st. The forest says it's reducing the size of the overall closure because mechanical fuels reduction treatments are complete in units west of Highway 97.
However, they added that "future temporary closures may be implemented in these areas, if needed as mowing, pre-commercial thinning and prescribed fire work continue."
All developed and dispersed recreation sites, along with National Forest System roads and trails in the closure area, will be closed.
Closed Developed and Dispersed Recreation Sites:
- Horse Butte Trailhead and butte area
- Boyd Cave Picnic Area
- Bessie Butte Trailhead and butte area
- Cabin Butte
- Coyote Butte
Closed Trails:
- Trail #61, Swamp Wells – between Horse Butte Trailhead and FSR 1816
- Trail #62, Coyote Loop – partial closure, the trail is open between Horse Butte Trailhead and the junction with FSR 1814, the trail is closed north of the trail junction with FSR 1814
- Trail #63, Arnold Ice Cave – between Horse Butte Trailhead and FSR 18
- Trail #66, Boyd Cave
- Trail #68, Bessie Butte
The Cabin Butte project incorporates a combination of thinning, mowing, mastication and prescribed fire treatments across the project area. As work is completed, the forest says it "will reevaluate the continued need for the closure to provide for safe, effective project implementation."
Violators of the area closure could face fines up to $5,000 for individuals or up to $10,000 for an organization. In addition, imprisonment for up to six months or both could be imposed.
For more information about the project, the public can contact the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District at (541) 383-5300 or visit the Cabin Butte Vegetation Management Project web page. The temporary closure order and closure area map can be found on the Deschutes National Forest's website. (We also have provided the revised map for you to see below.)
