Wednesday, December 7, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Winter closures enacted
to protect wildlife
Forest Road 16 at Upper
Three Creek Sno-Park and
Forest Road 700 in the Three
Creek Winter Recreation
Area, both on the Sisters
Ranger District, are now
gated for the winter season.
December 1 also marked
the beginning of critical habi-
tat closures for deer and elk
winter range across the for-
est. This closure includes all
motorized vehicles (includ-
ing snowmobiles and electric
bicycles) and has been put in
place to protect deer and elk
during the winter.
These protected areas usu-
ally have minimal amounts
of snow-cover and provide
vegetation for forage, hid-
ing, cover and protection
from weather. There are four
of these closure areas on the
Deschutes National Forest —
Cabin/Silver Lake, Metolius
Winter Range, Opine Travel
Management Area and
Tumalo Winter Range.
For more information,
including maps of these
areas, visit the “What is win-
ter range?” section at: www.
fs.usda.gov.
The public is reminded to
be cautious when driving on
all forest roads in the winter
months. Not all roads will
be gated, and those that are
blocked by snow or water
should be considered impass-
able for public safety as well
as the protection of natural
resources. The public needs
to be prepared at all times,
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whether it is a short or long
journey into the forest. Take
all precautions as weather
and road conditions can
change rapidly. Be prepared
for winter driving, limited
sight distance and bumpy
driving on all Forest Service
roads.
LETTERS
Continued from page 2
sides of the pit are not high enough to stop
stray bullets, many of which can travel for
miles.
The Jimerson trail was built when the pit
was being used by a private business. When
that company subsequently abandoned the pit,
it gradually became a place for target prac-
tice. While the pre-existing trail, built with
Forest Service approval, could be moved,
we can’t move Crossroads, or Trout Butte
Creek, or surrounding roads. Shooters, on the
other hand, have several other locations they
can safely use for target practice in Sisters
23
Country. The Ranger District office in Sisters
will give out maps showing how to get to the
Zimmerman Cinder Pit, Fourmile Butte Cinder
Pit, Melvin Cinder Pit and Pole Creek Cinder
Pit — all safe and approved places for target
shooting.
I fully support the right to bear arms and
the many responsible shooters who are not
using this unsafe location for target practice.
Shooters who are using McKenzie Pit would
do everyone in our community a big service
by switching to an approved pit. No one wants
to see anyone, especially a child, injured or
killed by a stray bullet when it is so easy to
prevent.
Chuck Humphreys