About 34,600 acres of the Deschutes National Forest will be cut off for at least a year as part of a massive forest restoration project that is scheduled to begin in May near Bend.
Access to the region will be restricted while workers run heavy equipment, carry out planned burns, and remove hazardous debris from the Cabin Butte Vegetation Management Project, which is situated south of Bend. In the project area, bush clearance, mowing, and thinning are anticipated.
The project is a component of the Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy, which aims to reduce the risk of wildland-urban interface fires. According to the Forest Service, the project’s one-year deadline may be extended depending on its progress.
The 1996 Skeleton fire, which burned approximately 17,700 acres and destroyed 19 residences, was the most recent significant fire in the area. In 2021, the area’s fuels were treated.
According to Kaitlyn Webb, a Deschutes National Forest spokesman, the project’s implementation will preserve those earlier treatments and keep enhancing the forest’s resistance to significant disturbance events.
Boyd Cave, the Horse Butte Trailhead, the Coyote Butte Off-Highway-Vehicle area, the Bessie Butte Trailhead, and a few rock pits used for recreational shooting are among the affected places. Red-tailed hawks, Townsend chipmunks, golden crested ground squirrels, and mule deer are among the local wildlife. One can occasionally spot a pronghorn antelope.
According to Courtney Braun, co-owner of Wanderlust Tours, a company based in Bend, it’s a somewhat unique location for both residents and visitors.
Forest Service employees will ensure adherence to the signs posted at closure limits. Infractions of the closure could result in fines of up to $5,000, a year in jail, or both, the Forest Service said in a statement.
Many people frequent the Cabin Butte area trails for hiking and biking options, even though this section of the Deschutes National Forest doesn’t see as many visitors as areas along the Cascade Lakes Highway or Newberry Crater. In addition to being well-liked, the local caverns provide refreshing relief during the heat.
Braun is prohibited by the injunction from operating well-liked hiking and caving tours in the region.
Wanderlust is going to have a difficult time. It blocks entrance to the two caverns we lead into. “We have no idea what the future holds,” she remarked.
According to Braun, she intends to negotiate a deal with the Forest Service to grant public access to the region’s caverns and best trails.
Supporting the Forest Service and its efforts to keep the community safe is vital, she said, but she also wants to find a middle ground.
She stated, “We’re hoping we can figure out how to operate in that area in some capacity.” On some level, I hope they can see how this would negatively impact the local and tourist communities if we were unable to visit that area.
Both day use and overnight camping are impacted by the closure. Before work starts, a place where homeless people camp for a long time will be cleaned. According to the Forest Service, it is coordinating with nonprofits and local governments to get residents in unapproved encampments ready for the closure.
According to Webb, when the region reopens, law enforcement will make sure that local regulations, such as the 14-day stay limit, are adhered to in the Cabin Butte area.
The Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District can be contacted at 541-383-5300 for more information about the project.
