From: Bill B To: Peer, Beth -FS Subject: Central Cascades Wilderness Strategies 2017 #50578 Date: Wednesday, July 05, 2017 6:41:18 PM Hi Beth, I just saw a news segment about proposed strategies for managing the increased use of national forests in Oregon. I'm writing AGAINST the fees and permitting process the media was promoting. It would surprise me if the worst offenders will be impeded by anything you do. Even if effective, fees and permits are unethical; they will differentially impact the poor. Even if there are no direct monetary costs, e.g., free lottery system, some people's schedules are more flexible than others'. I think the best, ethical approach is severe and publicized enforcement for current and generally accepted prohibitions on vandalism, littering, etc. and/or educating the public and ASKING for help with preservation. Thanks, -Bill Brooks, PhD From: Karen Oldham To: FS-comments-pacificnorthwest-deschutes Subject: Trail Use comments Date: Wednesday, July 05, 2017 3:31:38 PM Dear Committee, I have only recently become aware of the many issues regarding wilderness trail use. Please excuse my ignorance by my suggestions below, if they have already been addressed. I would like to suggest the following. 1. Please do not do a lottery every year. 2. Reduce/remove the advertising relating to these areas. Word of mouth is enough. 3. Add or increase the trail permit fee to (help) cover costs. 4. Put a "poop" supply station at each trail head. Add the following sign: PLEASE, PICK UP AND RETURN TO CAN ON YOUR WAY OUT. On the sign have a picture of a "person" and a "dog". 5. Look at options of adding a few additional parking spaces or "realigning" existing spaces to accommodate more vehicles. I live in Bend and love easy access to the trails. I love to be able to go on the trail of my choice, on my day of choice, and especially when I am physically able to do so, OR when I have company! I would not mind paying a fee to cover the above. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts.! -- Karen Oldham "I may be lost but I am making good time." "I know I'm in my own little world. It's okay, they know me here." From: Kris Myers To: Peer, Beth -FS Subject: Central Cascades Wilderness Strategies 2017 #50578 Date: Wednesday, July 05, 2017 8:23:14 PM Beth Peer Deschutes National Forest All Units 63095 Deschutes Market Rd , Bend, OR, 97701 Central Cascades Wilderness Strategies 2017 #50578 Hi Beth, First, let me say thank you for the opportunity to speak on this subject of limiting traffic and impact on the land through the Central Cascades Wilderness. This is a great subject to be brought up. I spend a lot of time in the Wilderness all throughout Oregon and Washington hiking and backpacking with friends, family and most importantly Boy Scouts. I am a trainer of the Leave No Trace Principles and a huge supporter of the Outdoor code. I would fully support the idea of charging and limiting hiking, backpacking in the area, and much more. As an observer, it saddens me that people do not educate themselves or respect the beauty of our landscapes. We have a beautiful opportunity to see these areas, and I think by charging to see them, they will limit the impact and give it some time to restore itself to its original beauty. I would love to see some of the money that is made by charging go towards education to the community in the Leave no Trace principles and the Outdoor Code, so that people understand what happens to our wilderness. I truly hate to think someone should have to pay to see some of our beautiful landscapes, but after spending time on the trail, I think this is the only way in educating people and preserving its glory. I know this will have an impact on our Boy Scouts who spend summers doing service projects in our area, restoring trails and earning merit badges while seeing Oregon/Washington's beauty, but I think they would be willing to pay the fee to help make a difference. I know I would and to be honest, I would be happy to pay their fee to get to see Jefferson Park, which is one of our favorites. A few years ago we did a service project at Jefferson Park blocking trails, cleaning up trash, and removing Cairns. The boys felt so honored to get to do it, as they fell in love with the area. I know the group that I led that year would be happy to help again in preserving that area if they could. Thank you for all that you do in maintaining and providing the amenities we experience on the trail. If you are need of help that you think Boy Scouts could handle please reach out to us. We love to backpack and we love service projects, and Jefferson Park is near and dear to our hearts. Kris Myers BSA Cascade Pacific Council, Thunderbird District, Merit Badge Coordinator BSA Troop 586 Committee Chair, Merit Badge Counselor & most importantly Scout Mom Yoga Instructor E-RYT, Functional Movement Screening, Schwinn Cycling Instructor, TRX Trainer, Myofascia Release, Outdoor Fitness www.empoweredyoganw.com My Yoga Facebook Fanpage From: Susan Long To: Peer, Beth -FS Subject: Permit/ limited access proposal Date: Thursday, June 01, 2017 7:29:12 PM Thank you for allowing input in this issue affecting over use of hiking trails in several popular areas in the Three Sisters Wilderness Area, Diamond Wilderness, Mount Washington, and Mount Jefferson. My history in Central Oregon extends back to 1915 when my fathers family came to Bend, my grandfather worked up into management in Shevlin-Hixon and my father had a life long career at Brooks Scanlon and was the first broker for Brooks Resources Corp. we owned a cabin at Elk Lake for 60 years, selling it due to my mother's health in 2006. As a local I have spent my life enjoying the Cascade Mountains, hiking 2-5 days a week in the summer as my work schedule permits. There has been a definite change in both the numbers and use of the day use trails in our area as well as the PCT, Jefferson Park, Canyon Creek, Matthieu Lakes trail, Benson Lake Loop Trail, Black Butte, Black Crater, Green Lakes, Broken Top/ Tam McArther Rim, and poor South Sister. As a local, leave no trace hiker, we found crowded trail heads even early and mid week, even into October. There are daily use by trail runners, that often rudely push thru hikers, on all these trails I mention, visitors that often have no idea what wilderness means, people with multiple unruly dogs or aggressive dogs, that have forced our controlled dogs to have to be leashed and taken off trail to safely protect them. I love going in on the Obsidian Trail by permit, it's like having the world to yourself because or limited access but I have encountered abuse of this as well as having a viscous dog encounter by a camper/hunter in 2015. It also means no spontaneity or having to cancel because of weather, it also may limit those who don't buy up peak time permits early, that will not be able to enjoy that area. Having limited access will prevent those that are local from using the areas, it will make those with financial ability to buy up permits early to get access and limited use will put pressure on the trails that are unpermitted...overuse in other areas as well. Yes, Green Lakes, permit only, South Sister, permit only, Broken Top, permit only, Canyon Creek, Jefferson Park, and Matthieu Lakes, permit only, but not Mirror Lakes, Lucky Lakes, Seven Lakes Trail Head, Mink Lake Basin, Benson Lake, and the Tenas Lakes may need limited access in the near future. My concern is the number of times you can secure a permit in a season to a certain trail should also be limited to say 10 times by an individual, this will keep those that financially can from buying up permits and extreme athletes from daily use while others can't get permits for a day hike. Yes, wilderness is just that and that is the experience I want...I just want to be able to plan and get a permit and not have a rich runner be who gets daily use of a trail. South Sister used to be something locals trained to do each summer, not the hundreds of ill prepared, ill equipped, ill mannered individuals my family encountered when we did it in 2015. On our way down, we discussed that doing South needs to cost more, including a brief waiver that clearly spells out the risks, including death, the Mazama mountain rules, and given the nature of the trail, running should be forbidden, period, trail runners put everyone at risk on South. Thank you for allowing my input. Permit/ limit access on high use areas, but prevent those with financial ability from buying up all or so many multiple permits, local individual use would be impossible. Limit extreme athletes from it being their daily runs by also looking or limiting how many permits in a month per individual can be bought. Don't over permit an area that would make unpermitted trails like Horse Lake, Doris Blow area be then over used too. It's the sad part of the Bend areas huge population growth spurt...this land is public land too, but we as the public need to be stewards of the wilderness we so love.