Wednesday, October 16, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
9
USFS seeks input on wilderness fees
The Deschutes and
Willamette National Forests
are asking for input on a pro-
posed special recreation per-
mit fee as a part of the new
limited-entry system for day
and overnight use in three cen-
tral Cascades wildernesses.
The limited-entry system will
go into effect beginning the
summer of 2020. The spe-
cial recreation permit fee, if
approved, also would go into
effect in the summer of 2020.
<We are looking for the
public9s input on the next
steps for managing visitor
use in these popular wilder-
ness areas so we can reduce
resource damage and main-
tain access to these areas for
current and future genera-
tions,= said Deschutes Forest
Supervisor Holly Jewkes.
The central Cascades wil-
dernesses include the Mt.
Jefferson, Mt. Washington,
Three Sisters, Waldo Lake
and Diamond Peak wilder-
nesses. Increased recreational
use is degrading the resources,
wilderness character and rec-
reation experience in these
areas. The Willamette and
Deschutes National Forests
began an environmental anal-
ysis in January 2017 to address
these impacts. Following this
analysis and public input, the
forest officials decided this
past spring to apply a limited-
entry system, with the final
decision signed on May 10,
2019. The Willamette and
Deschutes National Forests
are now seeking authorization
through the Federal Lands
Recreation Enhancement Act
to charge a special recreation
permit fee as a part of the
limited-entry system within
the three wildernesses.
The Forest Service has pro-
posed the following structure
for the special-use permit fee:
" No special-use permit
fees for youth 12 and under,
though each person requires
a limited-entry reservation
regardless of age.
" Day-use permit fee $3
per person (needed at 19 trail-
heads, no fee 60 trailheads).
" Overnight permit fee $5
per person, per night (needed
at 79 trailheads).
The special recreation per-
mit fee will be required from
the Friday before Memorial
Day to the last Friday
in September in the Mt.
Jefferson, Mt. Washington,
and Three Sisters wilderness
areas. The special recreation
permits would be available at
Recreation.gov.
Limited-entry reservations
would include the special rec-
reation permit fee, plus the
processing fees charged by
Recreation.gov. The process-
ing fees are currently $1 per
person for day use and $6 per
overnight group.
Public input will inform
the Forest Service9s final pro-
posal for the special recreation
permit fee structure, how the
fees should be invested, and
any concerns or suggestions
related to the special recre-
ation permit fee. The public
comment period on the pro-
posal began on October 9, and
will end on November 25.
<During the past two years,
as we analyzed the manage-
ment strategies needed to
maintain these wilderness
areas, the public shared many
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concerns and ideas about the
fees associated with a limited-
entry system,= said Tracy
Beck, forest supervisor on the
Willamette National Forest.
<Now we seek the public9s
engagement on the specifics
of the fee structure.=
The Forests will review
and consider all comments
and use them to inform how
the proposal may be adjusted.
The final proposal will be
presented to two Resource
Advisory Committees, one on
the east side of the Cascades
and one on the west side of
the Cascades. The Resource
Advisory Committees will
give the Forest Service recom-
mendations on the fee struc-
ture. The regional forester for
the Pacific Northwest, Region
6, will make the final decision.
Under Federal Lands
Recreation Enhancement Act,
80 to 95 percent of the pro-
posed special recreation per-
mit fees would be invested
in wilderness management
activities, trail maintenance,
visitor education and expand-
ing work with volunteers
and partners within the three
wildernesses.
Comments on the special
recreation permit fee may
be mailed to the Willamette
National Forest, ATTN:
Recreation Fees, 3106 Pierce
Parkway, Suite D, Springfield,
OR, 97477. Comments
can also be submitted by
email to WillametteRecFee
Comments@usda.gov or
dropped off at any Willamette
or Deschutes National Forest
office during business hours.
PHOTO COURTESY OSP
A buck deer was shot illegally north of Sisters.
Police seek information
on illegal deer kill
The Oregon State Police
Fish & Wildlife Division is
asking for the public9s help
for information regarding the
unlawful take of a buck deer
north of Sisters. A 4x4 buck
deer was found shot with a
rifle and left to waste near the
intersection of Camp Polk
Road and Wilt Road.
Investigators believe the
deer was shot sometime
around September 5, during
the buck deer archery season.
Anyone with information
regarding this case is urged to
contact OSP Trooper Aaron
Roth at 503-583-5199 or
through the Turn in Poachers
(TIP) hotline at 1-800-452-
7888 or OSP (mobile).
The TIP program offers
preference point rewards for
information leading to an
arrest or issuance of a cita-
tion for the unlawful take/
possession or waste of big
game mammals. The Oregon
Hunters Association TIP
reward fund also offers cash
rewards for information lead-
ing to an arrest or issuance
of a citation for the unlawful
take/possession or waste of
bighorn sheep, rocky moun-
tain goat, moose, elk, deer,
antelope, bear, cougar, wolf,
upland birds, waterfowl, fur-
bearers, game fish and shell-
fish. Cash rewards can also
be awarded for turning in
people who destroy habitat,
illegally obtain licenses/tags
and for the unlawful lend-
ing/borrowing of big game
tags.
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