Proposed Rules for Opal Creek etc Willamette National Forest

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CampinCarl
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Joined: June 17th, 2011, 7:41 am
Location: Salem

Proposed Rules for Opal Creek etc Willamette National Forest

Post by CampinCarl » April 5th, 2017, 8:15 pm

U.S. Forest Service officials announced the first step toward addressing overcrowding and drunken behavior at some of Oregon’s most iconic outdoor places.

Officials laid out a series of new rules and regulations for Three Pools Recreation Site, Opal Creek Trail, Elk Lake and Breitenbush River east of Salem.

What are the rules, in a nutshell?

Three Pools: Alcohol would be banned and only people parking in the site’s 94-space lot would be allowed into the popular swimming holes northeast of Mehama.


Opal Creek Trail: Campfires would be banned at most backpacking campsites along Opal Creek Trail, near Jawbone Flats and up Kopetski Trail. Parking would be limited to a quarter mile down Forest Service Road 2209 from the Opal Creek Gate Trailhead.

Elk Lake, Breitenbush River, French Creek, Blowout Creek: Dispersed camping — user-created sites not part of an official campground — would be illegal for larger area along roads that access these waterbodies.
Source: Statesman Journal- http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/t ... 100001214/

Comment Here: https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/P ... ject=51339

I think these are good proposals and very much needed.

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buckwheat
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Location: Corvallis

Re: Proposed Rules for Opal Creek etc Willamette National Fo

Post by buckwheat » April 8th, 2017, 2:13 pm

Yeah. None of these rules really seem to effect well mannered hikers who practice LNT ethics, they seem more aimed at yahoos who like to party and trash the place. Seems like these could not only make the hikes more pleasant, they could make them less crowded too. Hopefully implementation goes well and follows whats described above.

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Crusak
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Joined: August 6th, 2009, 7:33 pm
Location: Oregon

Re: Proposed Rules for Opal Creek etc Willamette National Fo

Post by Crusak » May 5th, 2017, 10:54 am

I've heard tales of the wild parties and bad behavior at Elk Lake campground. It's a long way from any sort of enforcement - I wonder if rangers or other enforcement people will be frequenting the area more now?
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