34
Wednesday, April 1, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
RESTORATIOn:
Neighbors want to
keep access point
Continued from page 1
Aquatic Restoration Project”
has been released and is open
for public comment.
The EA includes three
alternatives for action, includ-
ing “no action.” The second
alternative would plug and
breach old ditches in Glaze
Meadow to increase water
flow to Indian Ford Creek;
create riffles to promote fish
passage below an old irriga-
tion dam; relocate dispersed
camping sites and close or
decommission user-created
roads to reduce sediment in
the creek.
There would also be some
thinning and burning to
improve aspen stands.
Alternative 2 would close
the stream crossing at Forest
Road 2058 and Pine Street,
removing two culverts and
reshaping the channel and
floodplain.
Alternative 2 is the
Forest Service’s preferred
alternative.
Alternative 3 would be
similar to Alternative 2, but
would keep the Pine Street
crossing by building a ford
culvert or a bridge.
Keeping that crossing is
important to property owners
in the area.
Jack McGowan, who lives
and manages property in the
area, explained the impor-
tance of the crossing.
“We have numerous prop-
erty owners that live on the
north side of Indian Ford
(Creek) that have property on
the other side,” he said. “I go
there regularly because I’m
doing invasive species resto-
ration, native species planting
and, as a citizen, cleaning up
illegal dump sites.”
If the crossing were
decommissioned, McGowan
and other property owners
would have to drive a trac-
tor down Indian Ford Road
to Camp Polk Road, down
Camp Polk To Barclay and
back over to Pine Street and
up that dirt road to access
their properties for work. The
existing Pine Street cross-
ing allows direct access with
about a quarter-mile tractor
drive.
The significant additional
road travel, McGowan says,
creates a vehicular hazard.
He and other property
owners are also concerned
about cutting off an emer-
gency access point and a point
of access for recreational
birders.
McGowan said that the
Sisters Ranger District has
been very open to hearing the
property owners’ concerns.
“I would like to publi-
cally commend the local
Forest Service office — (fish
biologist) Nate Datchler and
(District Ranger) Kristie
Miller — for their honesty
and willingness to listen to
people,” he said. “They’ve
been very responsive to my
concerns.”
The public is welcome to
submit comments on the pro-
posed project to Indian Ford
Aquatic Restoration Project,
District Ranger, Kristie
Superior
Escrow
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the Pine street Crossing of Indian Ford Creek is important to neighboring property owners.
Miller, P.O. Box 249, Sisters,
OR 97759; fax 541-549-7746.
Email comments should be
sent to comments-pacific-
northwest-deschutes-sisters@
fs.fed.us. Put the project name
in the subject line. Email
commentators are asked to
include their mailing address
with their email.
For more information
contact Michael Keown,
541-549-7735.
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