Quiet Recreation Jeopardized by the Mt. Hood Off-Road Plan

In 2007, the Restore Mt. Hood Coalition, a group of 20 conservation and quiet recreation organizations, came together to advocate for a comprehensive travel planning process to downsize the 4,000 mile road system, protect drinking water quality and wildlife habitat, and incorporate the needs of the quiet recreation community.

Instead of listening to the overwhelming community call for comprehensive planning, in September 2007, the Forest Service went forward with an Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) Plan. The proposal calls for creating up to 6 new riding areas totaling over 60,000 acres. The plan lacks a comprehensive vision for the future of our national forest and misses an opportunity for holistic ecosystem management.
This August the Mt. Hood National Forest Service is releasing its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the OHV Plan. We need you to help us make sure quiet recreation interests are not marginalized!

Over the course of 2007-2009, the Restore Mt. Hood Coalition met with local and regional Forest Service to try and find ways of achieving a comprehensive vision for roads and quiet recreation as part of Mt. Hood travel planning. We also worked with the Oregon Congressional delegation to secure funding for road planning, decommissioning, and monitoring through the Legacy Roads and Trails Remediation Initiative. However, the Forest Service has refused to budge from its position and meet both its own off-road vehicle mandate and the public sentiment.

In September 2008 Bark and the Restore Mt. Hood Coalition hosted the Mt. Hood Solutions Summit to bring together advocates concerned about the current lack of a long-term vision and comprehensive planning in our national forest. The Forest Service attended this event and listened to the strong community outcry for a new direction. Unfortunately the Forest Service expressed neither the will nor the resources to address the concerns.

In response, the Restore Mt. Hood Coalition began working on a citizen’s alternative management plan, the Mt. Hood Ecosystem and Recreation Plan, to prioritize and protect community drinking water supplies, wildlife habitat and biodiversity, and the quiet recreation experience.

The Mt. Hood Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) sets standards and guidelines for all activities that can occur on the national forest. The existing LRMP is 19 years old and doesn’t reflect 21st century needs and demands of our public land. Through the creation of a Mt. Hood Ecosystem and Recreation Plan we will be able to provide real solutions to the problems facing Mt. Hood. The first step in shifting Forest Service management to prioritize quiet recreation, drinking water, and wildlife is commenting on the OHV Plan EIS and letting the Forest Service know that Mt. Hood deserves better!

If you have questions, want to schedule a presentation, or learn how to get involved in this campaign, please contact Deb Wechselblatt, Restore Mt. Hood Campaign Manager at Bark, debATbark-out.org or 503-331-0374.