DOCSLIB.ORG

Wilderness Solitude Monitoring on the Cascade Crest

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Wilderness Solitude Monitoring on the Cascade Crest WILDERNESS SOLITUDE MONITORING IN THE CASCADE CREST Jesse Engebretson & Dr. Troy Hall Oregon State University College of Forestry Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society Report Prepared for the Willamette National Forest September, 2015 1 Executive Summary This report documents the use and results of a modified version of the National Minimum Protocol for Monitoring Outstanding Opportunities for Solitude in Wilderness (Hall, 2014) for the Willamette and Deschutes National Forests (WNF and DNF). This work was undertaken to fulfill Element 5 of the 10-year Wilderness Stewardship Challenge, which states that wildernesses should have adequate direction, monitoring, and management actions that protect opportunities for solitude or primitive and unconfined recreation. Further, this analysis can be used over the long term to assist Forest Service personnel in managing visitor use to help preserve wilderness character. The major purpose of this report is to document the state of solitude at selected locations in six wildernesses across WNF and DNF by presenting results of travel and campsite encountering monitoring conducted in accordance with the national minimum protocol. However, by using data collected in the 1991-93 field seasons, this document also compares travel encounter numbers between 1991-93 and 2013-14 for several locations. In addition to the minimum protocol, the 2014 crew also collected data on overflights, both fire and non-fire related. The analysis presented in this report Following the minimum protocol does not lead to data robust enough to establish definitively whether or not encounter standards are being exceeded. Therefore, this report cannot state conclusively whether encounter standards as established in the WNF and DNF Forest Land and Resource Management Plans are being exceeded. It does, however, indicate which areas across the wildernesses appear to be exceeding encounter standards and can therefore be used as a guide for more focused monitoring attention in the future. The 2013-14 data suggest that in the Green Lakes and South Sister Climb monitoring areas, travel encounter standards appear to be greatly exceeded, and management attention is required. Specifically, we encountered an average of 127.6 groups on weekends/holidays in Green Lakes and 90.4 groups on weekdays. In the South Sister Climb area, we encountered an average of 78.4 groups on weekends/holidays and 44.1 on weekdays. Another area of concern is Jefferson Park, where we encountered an average of 33.8 groups on weekends/holidays, which is nearly triple the standard articulated in the WNF Forest Plan. We collected limited data on sites visible or audible from occupied campsites. These data suggest that campsite encounters are minimal across the monitoring areas. No monitoring areas appear to be exceeding Forest Plan standards. However, this may be a product of the manner in which data were collected per the National Minimum Protocol (generally during midday hours), rather than what a typical overnight user may experience. Because monitoring was typically limited to 4 hours a day and was not typically collected late in the evening or early in the morning, our camp encounter data should be interpreted cautiously and with appropriate managerial judgment. Differences in travel encounter rates between 1991-93 and 2013-14 varied from inconsequential to substantial, depending on the specific monitoring area. Our data suggest that travel encounters have greatly increased in the Green Lakes area. Specifically, we documented 520% and 460% increases in mean travel encounters on weekends/holidays and weekdays, respectively. Other areas, such as the Sisters Mirror Lake, had more moderate, but still substantial, increases in travel encounters. Travel encounters in other areas, such as the Obsidian Limited Entry Area and Duffy Lake, remained relatively stable or even decreased. 2 Table of Contents List of Tables ................................................................................................................................................. 3 List of Figures ................................................................................................................................................ 4 Solitude Monitoring in the Willamette and Deschutes National Forests ..................................................... 6 USFS National Minimum Protocol for Monitoring Outstanding Opportunities for Solitude ........... 6 Background ...................................................................................................................................... 6 Data Collection Procedures ............................................................................................................. 8 Data Analysis .................................................................................................................................... 9 2013-2014 Travel and Campsite Encounter Monitoring Results .................................................................. 9 Diamond Peak Wilderness ............................................................................................................. 10 Menagerie Wilderness ................................................................................................................... 12 Mt. Jefferson Wilderness ............................................................................................................... 14 Mt. Washington Wilderness .......................................................................................................... 23 Three Sisters Wilderness ................................................................................................................ 26 Waldo Lake Wilderness .................................................................................................................. 35 Compliance with Forest Plan Standards ..................................................................................................... 38 Travel Encounters .......................................................................................................................... 38 Campsite Encounters ..................................................................................................................... 41 Travel Encounter Comparison between 1991-93 and 2013-14 Field Seasons ........................................... 42 Travel Encounter Trend Analysis ................................................................................................... 42 Discussion of Trends ...................................................................................................................... 42 Fire and Non-fire Overflights in 2014 ......................................................................................................... 46 Works Cited ................................................................................................................................................. 49 Appendices .................................................................................................................................................. 48 Appendix A – Legend for All Maps ................................................................................................. 50 Appendix B – Sampling Data for 2013-2014 .................................................................................. 51 Appendix C – Sampling Data for 1991-1993 .................................................................................. 57 3 List of Tables Table 1. Key definitions ................................................................................................................................. 6 Table 2. WRS Definitions and Trail and Campsite Encounter Standards ...................................................... 7 Table 3. Diamond Peak Wilderness Weekend/Holiday Travel Encounters ................................................ 11 Table 4. Diamond Peak Wilderness Weekday Travel Encounters .............................................................. 11 Table 5. Diamond Peak Wilderness Occupied Campsites ........................................................................... 11 Table 6. Menagerie Wilderness Weekend/Holiday Travel Encounters ...................................................... 12 Table 7. Menagerie Wilderness Weekday Travel Encounters .................................................................... 13 Table 8. Menagerie Wilderness Occupied Campsites ................................................................................. 13 Table 9. Mt. Jefferson Wilderness Weekend/Holiday Travel Encounters .................................................. 18 Table 10. Mt. Jefferson Wilderness Weekday Travel Encounters .............................................................. 19 Table 11. Mt. Jefferson Wilderness Occupied Campsites ........................................................................... 20 Table 12. Mt. Washington Wilderness Weekend/Holiday Travel Encounters ........................................... 24 Table 13. Mt. Washington Wilderness Weekday Travel Encounters .......................................................... 25 Table 14. Mt. Washington Wilderness Occupied Campsites ...................................................................... 25 Table 15. Three Sisters Wilderness Weekend/Holiday Travel Encounters ................................................. 30 Table 16. Three Sisters Wilderness Weekday Travel Encounters ..............................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Deschutes National Forest
    Deschutes National Forest Summer Trail Access and Conditions Update KNOW BEFORE YOU GO! Updated July 13, 2013 Summer Trail Highlights Summer weather, high summer/holiday use at many recreation sites and trails. Remaining snow limited to South Sister, Broken Top, Road 370 and a few patches on trails and the volcanoes above 6,000’ along the Crest. Reports of heavy blowdown (50+ trees/mile) on some trails. Wilderness Permits required. Broken Top TH and 370 Road from Todd Lake to Road 4601 are blocked by snow and closed until determined safe. June 29 photo from Broken Top. Nearly all Wilderness Tumalo Falls road open to vehicle trails are snow free with a few patches likely remaining traffic. North Fork Trail is cleared of along the PCT and on climber trails and routes up the blow down; open to bikers uphill only. volcano peaks. 16 Road and Three Creek Lakes are open and snow free. Tumalo Mt. Trail may yet have a patch or two of snow but very passible. Green Lks/Moraine Lks Trails are snow free with light blowdown. PCT has patchy snow above 6,000’ with some trail clearing in progress. Mosquito populations are highly variable with some backcountry lakes and riparian areas at high levels. Go prepared with your Ten Essential Systems: Navigation (map and compass) Sun protection (sunglasses/sunscreen) Ongoing Suttle Lake trail project with Deschutes NF Trail Insulation (extra clothing) Crew constructing one of many rock retaining walls. For Illumination (headlamp/flashlight) Your safety, please use caution and leash dogs when First-aid supplies approaching trail crews working the various trails on the Fire(waterproofmatches/lighter/candles) Deschutes.
    [Show full text]
  • Central Cascades Wilderness Strategies Project Deschutes and Willamette National Forests Existing Conditions and Trends by Wilderness Area
    May 31, 2017 Central Cascades Wilderness Strategies Project Deschutes and Willamette National Forests Existing Conditions and Trends by Wilderness Area Summary of Central Cascades Wilderness Areas ......................................................................................... 1 Mount Jefferson Wilderness ....................................................................................................................... 10 Mount Washington Wilderness .................................................................................................................. 22 Three Sisters Wilderness ............................................................................................................................. 28 Waldo Lake Wilderness ............................................................................................................................... 41 Diamond Peak Wilderness .......................................................................................................................... 43 Appendix A – Wilderness Solitude Monitoring ........................................................................................... 52 Appendix B – Standard Wilderness Regulations Concerning Visitor Use ................................................... 57 Summary of Central Cascades Wilderness Areas Introduction This document presents the current conditions for visitor management-related parameters in three themes: social, biophysical, and managerial settings. Conditions are described separately for each of
    [Show full text]
  • A Bill to Designate Certain National Forest System Lands in the State of Oregon for Inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System and for Other Purposes
    97 H.R.7340 Title: A bill to designate certain National Forest System lands in the State of Oregon for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Weaver, James H. [OR-4] (introduced 12/1/1982) Cosponsors (2) Latest Major Action: 12/15/1982 Failed of passage/not agreed to in House. Status: Failed to Receive 2/3's Vote to Suspend and Pass by Yea-Nay Vote: 247 - 141 (Record Vote No: 454). SUMMARY AS OF: 12/9/1982--Reported to House amended, Part I. (There is 1 other summary) (Reported to House from the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs with amendment, H.Rept. 97-951 (Part I)) Oregon Wilderness Act of 1982 - Designates as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System the following lands in the State of Oregon: (1) the Columbia Gorge Wilderness in the Mount Hood National Forest; (2) the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness in the Mount Hood National Forest; (3) the Badger Creek Wilderness in the Mount Hood National Forest; (4) the Hidden Wilderness in the Mount Hood and Willamette National Forests; (5) the Middle Santiam Wilderness in the Willamette National Forest; (6) the Rock Creek Wilderness in the Siuslaw National Forest; (7) the Cummins Creek Wilderness in the Siuslaw National Forest; (8) the Boulder Creek Wilderness in the Umpqua National Forest; (9) the Rogue-Umpqua Divide Wilderness in the Umpqua and Rogue River National Forests; (10) the Grassy Knob Wilderness in and adjacent to the Siskiyou National Forest; (11) the Red Buttes Wilderness in and adjacent to the Siskiyou
    [Show full text]
  • Forest Service Region 6 Wilderness Interpretation and Education Plan
    U.S. Department of Agriculture February Forest Service 2012 Pacific Northwest Region Regional Wilderness Interpretation and Education Plan 2 Pacific Northwest Region Regional Wilderness Interpretation and Education Plan February 2012 3 Acknowledgements This Regional Wilderness Interpretation and Education Plan (Plan) was drafted by a core team including: • Bonnie Lippitt, Regional Interpretation and Tourism Program Manager, Region 6 • Hans Castren, Wilderness Program Manager, Hungry Horse/Spotted Bear Wilderness, Region 1 • Todd Cullings, Interpretive Specialist, Mount St. Helens NVM, Region 6 • Jennifer Lutman, Wilderness Education Intern, Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center, Region 1 The team received tremendous support, technical assistance, and reviews from District, Forest, Regional, and Washington Office Wilderness Program Managers, the Region 6 Wilderness Advisory Group, staff at the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center and Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, and others. 4 Regional Wilderness Interpretation and Education Plan Review and Approval Developed By: _______________________________________________ Bonnie Lippitt, Regional Interpretation Specialist Reviewed By: ________________________________________________ Michael Heilman, Regional Wilderness Coordinator ________________________________________________ Rodney Mace, Regional Assistant Director of Recreation Recommended By: _________________________________________________ Claire Lavendel, Director of Recreation, Lands, and Minerals
    [Show full text]
  • OR Wild -Backmatter V2
    208 OREGON WILD Afterword JIM CALLAHAN One final paragraph of advice: do not burn yourselves out. Be as I am — a reluctant enthusiast.... a part-time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of your- selves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it is still here. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for awhile and contemplate the precious still- ness, the lovely mysterious and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to the body, the body active and alive and I promise you this much: I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those desk-bound men with their hearts in a safe-deposit box and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this: you will outlive the bastards. —Edward Abbey1 Edward Abbey. Ed, take it from another Ed, not only can wilderness lovers outlive wilderness opponents, we can also defeat them. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men (sic) UNIVERSITY, SHREVEPORT UNIVERSITY, to do nothing. MES SMITH NOEL COLLECTION, NOEL SMITH MES NOEL COLLECTION, MEMORIAL LIBRARY, LOUISIANA STATE LOUISIANA LIBRARY, MEMORIAL —Edmund Burke2 JA Edmund Burke. 1 Van matre, Steve and Bill Weiler.
    [Show full text]
  • Middle Santiam Wilderness Air Quality Report, 2012
    Middle Santiam Wilderness Air Quality Report Wilderness ID: 216 Wilderness Name: Middle Santiam Wilderness Middle Santiam Wilderness Air Quality Report National Forest: Willamette National Forest State: OR Counties: Linn General Location: Central Oregon Cascade Range Acres: 8,900 Thursday, May 17, 2012 Page 1 of 4 Middle Santiam Wilderness Air Quality Report Wilderness ID: 216 Wilderness Name: Middle Santiam Wilderness Wilderness Categories Information Specific to this Wilderness Year Established 1984 Establishment Notes Oregon Wilderness Act of 1984 Designation Clean Air Act Class 2 Administrative Willamette National Forest Unique Landscape Features Mature old-growth trees shadow virtually all of this Wilderness, with Douglas fir, western red cedar, and western hemlock at lower elevations and true firs higher up. Some of the trees, estimated to be 450 years old, tower to more than 200 feet. Gently sloping, benchy terrain in the lower country starts at about 1,600 feet and rises to steep slopes, ridges, and peaks that reach 5,022 feet above sea level. The most prominent geological feature is 4,965-foot Chimney Peak, a lava plug in the northwestern portion. The Middle Santiam River flows through the area, slowing into quiet pools with mossy banks. Both the river and Donaca Lake teem with native fish, including chinook salmon during spawning season. Not far to the south lies Menagerie Wilderness. Four seldom-hiked trails provide access routes to the area: McQuade Creek (5.2 miles); Chimney Peak (12.7 miles); and Gordan Peak (6.1 miles), and Swamp Peak (6.1 miles). Lakebed Geology Sensitivity High Lakebed Geology Composition andesite dacite diorite phylite (68%), basalt gabbro wacke argillite undifferentiated volcanic rocks (20%), amphibolite hornfels paragneiss undifferentiated metamorphic roc (12%), GC 1+2 (68%), GC 1+2+3 (88%), GC 4+5+6 (12%) Visitor Use Not reported in the database.
    [Show full text]
  • Or Wilderness-Like Areas, but Instead Declassified Previously Protected Wildlands with High Timber Value
    48 OREGON WILD A Brief Political History of Oregon’s Wilderness Protections Government protection should be thrown around every wild grove and forest on the Although the Forest Service pioneered the concept of wilderness protection in the mountains, as it is around every private orchard, and trees in public parks. To say 1920s and 1930s, by the late 1940s and 1950s, it was methodically undoing whatever nothing of their values as fountains of timber, they are worth infinitely more than all good it had done earlier by declassifying administrative wilderness areas that contained the gardens and parks of town. any commercial timber. —John Muir1 Just prior to the end of its second term, and after receiving over a million public comments in support of protecting national forest roadless areas, the Clinton Administration promulgated a regulation (a.k.a. “the Roadless Rule”) to protect the Inadequacies of Administrative remaining unprotected wildlands (greater than 5,000 acres in size) in the National Forest System from road building and logging. At the time, Clinton’s Forest Service Protections chief Mike Dombeck asked rhetorically: here is “government protection,” and then there is government protection. Mere public ownership — especially if managed by the Bureau of Is it worth one-quarter of 1 percent of our nation’s timber supply or a fraction of a Land Management — affords land little real or permanent protection. fraction of our oil and gas to protect 58.5 million acres of wild and unfragmented land T National forests enjoy somewhat more protection than BLM lands, but in perpetuity?2 to fully protect, conserve and restore federal forests often requires a combination of Wilderness designation and additional appropriate congressional Dombeck’s remarks echoed those of a Forest Service scientist from an earlier era.
    [Show full text]
  • Public Law 98-328-June 26, 1984
    98 STAT. 272 PUBLIC LAW 98-328-JUNE 26, 1984 Public Law 98-328 98th Congress An Act June 26, 1984 To designate certain national forest system and other lands in the State of Oregon for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System, and for other purposes. [H.R. 1149] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Oregon United States ofAmerica in Congress assembled, That this Act may Wilderness Act be referred to as the "Oregon Wilderness Act of 1984". of 1984. National SEc. 2. (a) The Congress finds that- Wilderness (1) many areas of undeveloped National Forest System land in Preservation the State of Oregon possess outstanding natural characteristics System. which give them high value as wilderness and will, if properly National Forest preserved, contribute as an enduring resource of wilderness for System. the ben~fit of the American people; (2) the Department of Agriculture's second roadless area review and evaluation (RARE II) of National Forest System lands in the State of Oregon and the related congressional review of such lands have identified areas which, on the basis of their landform, ecosystem, associated wildlife, and location, will help to fulfill the National Forest System's share of a quality National Wilderness Preservation System; and (3) the Department of Agriculture's second roadless area review and evaluation of National Forest System lands in the State of Oregon and the related congressional review of such lands have also identified areas which do not possess outstand­ ing wilderness attributes or which possess outstanding energy, mineral, timber, grazing, dispersed recreation and other values and which should not now be designated as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System but should be avail­ able for nonwilderness multiple uses under the land manage­ ment planning process and other applicable laws.
    [Show full text]
  • Summer Trail Access and Conditions Update
    Summer Trail Access and Conditions Update Updated June 30, 2017 July Fourth Report! Summer Trail Highlights Summer season high use at recreation sites and trails. Fire season in effect. Possessing or discharging of fireworks prohibited on National Forest Lands. Summer trails below 5,800’ elevation are mostly snow free and accessible. Trail clearing (mostly volunteers) in progress on lower/mid elevation trails. Snow lines are rising to 6,000-7-,200 ft. Please avoid using muddy trails. 60-70% of Wilderness trails are blocked by snow! Wilderness permits required. Biking prohibited in Wilderness! Trails near snow lines (approx.6,000-7,000’) are Be aware of weekday (M-F) trail, road likely muddy. Please avoid using muddy trails as and area closures for logging early season use causes erosion and tread damage. operations, south and west of Cascade Higher elevation trails under patchy, sectional to Lks Welcome Station. near solid snow. 70% of PCT under snow. May 15-Sept 15, dog leash requirement in effect on Deschutes River Trails. Northwest Forest Passes required at various trailheads and day use sites. Cascade Lakes Welcome Station and Lava Lands are open 7 days/wk. NW Forest Passes available. Hwy 46 open but June 19-October 31 bridge related construction at Fall Creek and Goose Creek (Sparks Lk area) will have delays. Cultus Lk and Soda Creek campgrounds are closed until further notice. Go prepared with your Ten Essential Trail clearing in progress on snow free trails with Systems. approx. 50-60% of trails are cleared of down trees. Have a safe summer trails season! GENERAL SUMMER TRAIL CONDITIONS AS OF JUNE 30, 2017: Most Deschutes National Forest non-Wilderness summer trails below 6,000’ elevation are snow free and accessible.
    [Show full text]
  • Regional Haze Program List of Facilities That Qualified for Four Factor Analysis Based on PSEL Q/D (2017) > 5
    State of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Regional Haze Program List of Facilities that qualified for four factor analysis based on PSEL Q/d (2017) > 5 Contact: D Pei Wu, PhD; Email: [email protected] Office Address: 700 NE Multnomah St, Ste 600; Portland, OR 97232 PGE Boardman did not receive a letter and does not need to undergo four factor analysis based on closing date in 2020 Additional information is online at the Regional Haze Program homepage: https://www.oregon.gov/deq/aq/Pages/Haze.aspx Actual Emissions (tons per year) PSEL (tons per year) Fac Operating EIS Facility Distance Agency Facility ID Facility Name Permit State Status ID CIA Name (km) NOX PM10 SO2 Q Q/d NOX PM10 SO2 Q(tpy) Q/d EmissYear 25-0016 PGE Boardman TV OR Active 8171111 Mount Hood Wilderness 142.6 1768.12 387.75 3297.87 5454 38.24 5961 1086 9525 16572 116.21 2017 208850 INTERNATIONAL PAPER TV OR Active Three Sisters Wilderness 58.9 724.02 181.39 67.64 973 16.51 1692 750 1521 3963 67.24 05-1849 A Division of Cascades Holding US Inc. TV OR Active 7219311 Mount Hood Wilderness 87.7 244.40 14.53 6.10 265 3.02 1449 738 3400 5587 63.72 2017 01-0029 Ash Grove Cement Company TV OR Active 7219011 Eagle Cap Wilderness 51.9 788.00 140.82 33.10 962 18.54 1778 176 42 1996 38.47 2017 05-2520 Beaver Plant/Port Westward I Plant TV OR Active 7393911 Mount Hood Wilderness 133.3 359.22 62.19 9.85 431 3.24 3776 241 595 4612 34.60 2017 10-0025 Roseburg Forest Products - Dillard TV OR Active 8219211 Kalmiopsis Wilderness 81.8 1006.94 479.24 73.52 1560 19.07 1655 743 110 2508 30.67 2017 04-0004 Georgia Pacific- Wauna Mill TV OR Active 8055711 Mount Hood Wilderness 145.5 1037.66 775.80 539.82 2353 16.18 2139 1077 913 4129 28.38 2017 03-2145 West Linn Paper Company TV OR Active 8417511 Mount Hood Wilderness 53.7 186.13 14.99 2.72 204 3.79 597 82 743 1422 26.46 2017 22-3501 Halsey Pulp Mill TV OR Active 7394911 Three Sisters Wilderness 80.4 352.06 278.81 80.92 712 8.86 687 366 851 1904 23.69 2017 26-1876 Owens-Brockway Glass Container Inc.
    [Show full text]
  • Umpqua National Forest
    Travel Management Plan ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Umpqua National Forest Pacific March 2010 Northwest Region The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PLAN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT LEAD AGENCY USDA Forest Service, Umpqua National Forest COOPERATING AGENCY Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL Clifford J. Dils, Forest Supervisor Umpqua National Forest 2900 NW Stewart Parkway Roseburg, OR 97471 Phone: 541-957-3200 FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Scott Elefritz, Natural Resource Specialist Umpqua National Forest 2900 NW Stewart Parkway Roseburg, OR 97471 Phone: 541-957-3437 email: [email protected] Electronic comments can be mailed to: comments-pacificnorthwest- [email protected] i ABSTRACT On November 9, 2005, the Forest Service published final travel management regulations in the Federal Register (FR Vol. 70, No. 216-Nov. 9, 2005, pp 68264- 68291) (Final Rule). The final rule revised regulations 36 CFR 212, 251, 261 and 295 to require national forests and grasslands to designate a system of roads, trails and areas open to motor vehicle use by class of vehicle and, if appropriate, time of year.
    [Show full text]
  • Implications of Fish Stocking at Waldo Lake, Oregon by Jessica Bliss
    Implications of Fish Stocking at Waldo Lake, Oregon by Jessica Bliss Nearly a century of fish stocking at Waldo Lake, Oregon, has had a visible effect on the lake’s limnological properties. The renowned ultraoligotrophic waters of Waldo Lake witnessed an increase in nutrient concentrations, a decrease in zooplankton diversity, and reduced clarity as a result of the introduction of over 20 million fish between 1912 and 1990. Human use of the area has increased considerably over the last 49 years, requiring adjustments to the way Waldo Lake is managed. The termination of fish stocking at Waldo in 1991 suggests a shift in management priorities: recreation in this case did not take precedence over science or conservation. Independent research regarding the lake’s unique characteristics complements considerable public interest in maintaining the lake’s pristine quality. The combination of these two factors is the primary reason for the continued ban on fish stocking at Waldo Lake. I. Background: Basic Biology and Settler Use of Waldo Lake Waldo Lake, the headwaters of the North Fork of the Willamette River, is located approximately 110 km east of Eugene, Oregon, on the north side of State Highway 58. Waldo stretches 9.6 kilometers in length and 2.65 kilometers in width, giving it a total surface area of roughly 26 sq. km and making it the second largest lake in the Oregon Cascades. Its maximum depth (128 m), located at its southern basin, is considerably greater than its mean depth (39 m). Its elevation (1,650 meters above median sea level) and water clarity (Secchi-disk reading 40.5m) classify Waldo Lake as an ultraoligotrophic high-mountain lake (Bronmark 175, Larson 2000: 6).
    [Show full text]