Problem Solvers: China Hat Road homeless say they don’t know where to go next as Forest Service sweep looms
(Update: Adding comments from homeless, service providers, Added video)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Nearly 35,000 acres of U.S. Forest Service land off China Hat Road south of Bend will be closed off to visitors and homeless encampments starting in May as the agency begins work on the Cabin Butte Vegetation Management Project.
The first phase, beginning May 1, will close 34,600 acres for at least a year, moving hundreds of unhoused people living in the area. The Forest Service says it is working with local governments, nonprofits and the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office to aid in the removal of encampments.
"Where are we supposed to go? Where do they want us to go? And how are we supposed to move? " Brooke Lamb said Monday.
Hundreds living off China Hat Road, including Lamb, are preparing to have to move from their encampments, as the Forest Service begins prescribed burns and cleanup in the area.
"They're saying that they have to be out by May 1st. If not, we'll get a $5,000 ticket. A lot of these people can't move their mobile homes and their trailers because they have no way of doing it," Lamb said.
The Forest Service project is part of a multi-year plan to reduce wildfire risk in the area known to many for its crime, fires and trash. But Lamb tells the Problem Solvers many don't know where to go. As the Bend area's other encampment, Juniper Ridge just north of town could be the only option.
"That's shootings, that's stabbings, that's all kinds of things, because there are people that do not get along with others that are down here," she said.
The Forest Service says it is working with local governments, nonprofits and the Deschutes County Sheriff's office to aid in the removal of encampments.
Sheriff Kent Van Der Kamp tells the Problem Solvers the county will support the enforcement of the closure by upholding state laws; however, federal law cannot be enforced. He says a plan will be released this month.
Service providers like the Shepherd's House are also preparing for a large increase of those in need.
Mobile Outreach Director Tim Ellis said, "When there's an influx like this, we typically try and provide a safe place for people to land, for people to come and be seen and heard and get the help that they need."
The Forest Service did not immediately respond to our questions.
But the agency said in a news release in January, "Forest restoration is needed to move the Cabin Butte project area towards historic conditions to provide resilience to the landscape, reintroduce fire as a natural process with more frequent, lower intensity burns and overall reduce the hazardous fuels to increase public and firefighter safety."
Below is that full news release:
Bend, Ore. – The Deschutes National Forest will temporarily close the Cabin Butte Vegetation Management Project area south of Bend beginning May 1, to ensure public safety and support critical forest restoration efforts. The 34,600-acre closure will last at least one year.
The closure will restrict all access, including day use and overnight camping, while crews operate heavy machinery, conduct prescribed burns, and clean up hazardous materials. The work, part of the USDA Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy, aims to reduce wildfire risk and restore damaged habitats in the wildland-urban interface near Bend.
“This project is essential for improving forest health and reducing wildfire risks in our community,” said Holly Jewkes, supervisor of the Deschutes National Forest. “Closing the area allows us to conduct this work safely and effectively.”
The closure will affect several major access points and recreation areas, including Horse Butte Trailhead, Coyote Butte OHV area, Bessie Butte Trailhead, Boyd Cave, and popular rock pits used for recreational shooting within the project area. Key roads such as Forest Service Roads 18, 1801, 1810, 1814, 1815, 1816, 1819, 9701, 9711, and 9714 will also be closed. Signs will be posted at closure boundaries, and Forest Service staff will enforce compliance.
Violators of the closure could face fines up to $5,000, imprisonment for up to one year, or both.
The Cabin Butte project includes a combination of thinning, mowing and mastication, and prescribed fire treatments which will be implemented across the project area. As work is completed, the Forest will reevaluate the continued need for the closure to provide for safe, effective project implementation.
The Forest Service has been working with local governments and nonprofits to best prepare people living in unauthorized encampments within the project area. Early notifications will be made in an effort to minimize displacement impacts.
“This work will make our forests healthier, safer, and more resilient to wildfire,” Jewkes said. “We appreciate the public’s understanding and cooperation as we take this important step.”
For more information about the project, please contact the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District at (541) 383-5300 or visit:
