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Wednesday, September 7, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Forest Service hosts trail users
By Craig F. Eisenbeis
Correspondent
Last week, the U.S. Forest
Service hosted a meeting of
the Sisters Trail Users Group
(S-TUG).
According to S-TUG’s
mission statement, the
group’s periodic meetings are
designed to “bring together a
diverse array of trail enthu-
siasts from Sisters and the
surrounding communities ...
to communicate, coordinate,
and collaborate on any trail
planning management topics
of interest...”
The “trail enthusiasts”
were represented by S-TUG
members that include hikers,
bicyclists, equestrians and
snowmobilers. Some of the
trail groups represented at the
meeting are actively involved
in volunteering to maintain
trails and include the Sisters
Trails Alliance (STA), Back
Country Horsemen, Friends
of the Metolius, Central
Oregon Trails Alliance, and
others.
The meeting was orga-
nized and chaired by Amy
Racki, recreation team leader
for the Sisters Ranger District,
who gave an extensive trails
update for 2016. Her pre-
sentation was followed by
open discussions among the
S-TUG attendees.
One of the top priori-
ties discussed at the meet-
ing included measures to
minimize potential user con-
flicts, such as cyclist and
horse, or snowmobile and
Nordic skiers. Proposed meth-
ods would include additional
signing or separation of uses
on trails.
S-TUG provides a forum
for discussion of such issues
and also a framework for aid-
ing in resolution. The Forest
Service’s position is, when
the varied forest and trail
users become more famil-
iar with other users and their
concerns, that those concerns
and potential conflicts can be
more readily resolved.
Former Forest Service
employee and group partici-
pant Maret Pajutee pointed
out that use by individuals in
the Three Sisters Wilderness
has doubled in just the past
year from 30,000 users to
60,000. As a result of such
increasing user impact, which
is expected to continue to
grow, the proactive efforts
of S-TUG and others will
become even more important
in the years ahead.
Another topic of interest
was expressed by bicycle trail
users who would like to see
more cycling opportunities
beyond the Peterson Ridge
trail system. Some concerns
were also expressed about
ATV incursions occurring on
trails, and wilderness intru-
sions by snowmobilers in the
vast open spaces created by
the Pole Creek Fire. These
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issues will be subject to fur-
ther examination.
R a c k i ’s p r e s e n t a t i o n
focused on big projects of
the past year, as well as plans
for the future. A few of the
past year’s many highlights
included rerouting a por-
tion of the Metolius-Windigo
Trail, replacement of the
Whychus Creek/1605 bridge
south of town, repositioning
of the Chush Falls Trailhead,
the continuing Suttle Lake
Trail restoration, snowmobile
trail reroutes, completion of
the Whychus Overlook and
barrier-free trail, and the “de-
designation” of the Metolius
Scenic Bikeway.
Racki explained that
the demise of the Metolius
Bikeway’s designation in no
way affects anyone’s ability
to cycle the route, but it was
felt that promoting more use
of the area was counter to the
goal of limiting impact to the
region.
A big thank-you was also
given to the STA for its role
in the creation and continuing
maintenance of the Whychus
Overlook and barrier-free
trail. Racki said the local trails
Year-round
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photo by craiG eiSenbeiS
Forest Service representative amy racki addresses a recent meeting of
the Sisters trail users Group.
organization provided volun-
teer labor, trail signage, seed
purchases, fencing, benches,
and the portable restroom.
STA is continuing to provide
monitoring, watering of plant-
ings, repairs, and maintenance
and funding of the restroom.
Among the concerns need-
ing attention were illegal
trails, wilderness drone use,
target-shooting at McKenzie
Gravel Pit (see related arti-
cle, page 1), trash dumping,
motorized wilderness intru-
sions, fee tube thefts, fallen
trees on roadways and trails,
suspicious forest camps, ATV
damage, vandalism to signage
and more.
Some specific help that
the Forest Service will be
needing includes volunteers
for clearing trails, restock-
ing snow shelters with fire-
wood, resetting nordic and
snowmobile poles and trail
markers, support for grant
funding, strict use of weed-
free hay, stewardship of
dispersed camping sites
(especially Lower Canyon
Creek), and the public’s coop-
eration in promptly report-
ing violations and suspicious
behavior.
Persons desiring additional
information about any of these
or other issues impacting the
local forests are invited to
contact the Sisters Ranger
District at 541-549-7700.
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