Posts Tagged ‘siuslaw’

Mary’s Peak Road Closes at West Point Gate

Contact:
Mike Harvey 541.750.7046
Joni Quarnstrom 541.750.7075

November 13, 2009

Corvallis, OR – Snow and icy conditions on the road to the top of Marys Peak prompted Forest officials to close the gate at West Point citing concerns for public safety. The seasonal road closure, which was initiated in 2000, used to run between December 1 and March 31.

“We heard from Marys Peak visitors that our gate closure policy was too restrictive, keeping people off of the Peak during unusually warm spells and also keeping recreationists too far from the snow,” said Mike Harvey, Siuslaw National Forest recreation staff officer.

A new policy of letting safety conditions dictate when the lower Conner’s Camp gate will be opened and closed was initiated in response. In 2007, the Forest installed a new upper gate near West Point, approximately one and a half miles from the top of the Peak, to improve people’s ability to find snow. A lower gate located at Connor’s Camp, installed in 1998 still closes when conditions warrant. The new policy of opening the gate when weather permits has been a success.

“Last winter, weather conditions allowed us to use the upper gate as hoped,” said Harvey. “There were a number of times throughout the winter that the road between Conner’s Camp gate and West Point gate was snow-free allowing visitors to safely drive to a higher elevation and better access to snow,” he added.

Forest officials will continue to monitor the situation and the lower Conner’s Camp gate will be opened and closed as weather dictates.

For more information on gate closure status visit the Siuslaw National Forest web site at www.fs.fed.us/r6/siuslaw or twitter.com\siuslawNF.

Oregon Dunes NRA Working Group Schedules Next Meeting and Field Visit

BLUERIBBON COALITION LANDUSE UPDATE!

The Siuslaw National Forest, located in western Oregon, has announced that a field tour and meeting for the Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) Designated Routes Working Group for the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (Oregon Dunes) will be held on Friday, November 6, and Saturday, November 7, 2009.

The November 6 field tour will focus on the middle riding area of the Oregon Dunes, located adjacent to Umpqua Beach, south of Winchester Bay. The field tour will begin at 12:30 p.m. at the Douglas County OHV Staging Area, and conclude at 4:30 p.m. at the same place. The staging area is located two miles southwest of Winchester Bay on the east side of Umpqua Beach Road, across from the first parking lot.

The following day, November 7, the Working Group will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Winchester Bay Community Center. The meeting agenda will focus on a review of the history of designated routes on the Dunes, criteria for evaluating potential designated route recommendations, and a specific review and discussion of potential designated route recommendations for the middle riding area.

The public is invited to attend both the field tour and meeting. A public comment period will be provided at 11:45 a.m. on November 7. Members of the public attending the field trip will have to provide their own transportation.

The Working Group was recently formed to develop recommendations for the designation of OHV routes in a portion of the Oregon Dunes (upland vegetation areas included in Management Area 10(C)). The process to designate OHV routes was identified as an action item in the 1994 Management Plan for the Oregon Dunes. Working Group members were selected from a pool of applicants, and represent a broad range of interests. This will be the second in a series of six meetings of the Working Group scheduled to take place over a one-year period. The first meeting was held on October 3 in Florence.

Working Group members represent the following specific interests or organizations: Organized OHV groups, unaffiliated OHV users, outfitters and/or guide businesses, mushroom pickers, fish and wildlife advocates, conservation groups, local Tribes, local community leaders, State ATV Program, local emergency response agencies, local Parks Departments, local landowners, and the general public.

Individuals requiring alternate format material or accommodation, or who have questions regarding the November 7 meeting, can contact Ross Holloway, OHV Designated Routes Working Group Facilitator, by phone at 503-812-4056 or by e-mail at rholloway@inciplan.net.

Questions about the November 6 field tour can be directed to Sharon Stewart, Dispersed Recreation Supervisor, by phone at 541-271-6071, or by e-mail at slstewart@fs.fed.us.

More information about the OHV working group, meeting times and agendas can be found online at www.fs.fed.us/r6/siuslaw/projects/rec-plans-projects.

JUST REMEMBER, PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IS CRUCIAL TO KEEP RECREATION AREAS OPEN; PLEASE GET INVOLVED!

Thanks in advance for your support,
Ric Foster
Public Lands Department Manager
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 107

The BlueRibbon Coalition is a national (non-profit) trail-saving group that represents over 600,000 recreationists nationwide The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) season is beginning. Federal employees, please mark BlueRibbon Coalition and Check #11402 on your CFC pledge form to support our efforts to protect your access. Join us at 1-800-258-3742 http://www.sharetrails.org