Open letter to FS re Dog Mountain Permits

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chrisca
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Open letter to FS re Dog Mountain Permits

Post by chrisca » March 15th, 2018, 10:40 am

I'm posting my letter to Lynn Burditt here on the new Dog Mountain permit system so other hikers can use it as a basis for their own comments. It went out March 15th. I don't care if anyone copies it (at least change my personal figures for trail miles and living in the region), but hope others will add their own thoughts and make additional suggestions. In no way do I want to be the official representative for the opinions of the hiking community, though I do think what I've expressed captures what many are thinking. The more letters the Forest Service gets, the more likely we will see some action.

Lynn Burditt
Area Manager, Columbia River Gorge NSA
902 Wasco Ave. Suite 200
Hood River, OR 97031

Dear Ms. Burditt:

I am writing to comment on the new trail permit system at Dog Mountain. The system was proposed without a public process. I strongly believe this was a mistake and needs to be reconsidered. While I am concerned about safety at the parking lot and on SR-14, the measures this decision imposes on the hiking community are unfair and highly problematic. They won’t adequately address the problem, and might even worsen it.

I do support restricting access to some trails in the Gorge, especially where there is sensitive habitat or overcrowding. However, this needs to be done cooperatively with the hiking community, not by dictate. This system is the first time there has been restricted access to any trail in the Gorge NSA outside of emergency closures. That’s a significant change in the management of our region’s trails, and as such it requires thoughtful consultation with the hiking community. In this case, there was only cursory consultation of some nonprofit groups that don’t represent the majority of hikers on our trails. By not giving hikers a say in the regulation process, the Forest Service risks losing their cooperation and support both in terms of compliance with restrictions on trail use, and for volunteer participation to help rebuild our trails after the Eagle Creek Fire. I’m personally rethinking if my time and labor should be contributed to an agency that clearly doesn’t value my advice on trail access decisions. I’ve hiked Gorge trails since 1981 putting in well over 10,000 miles on my boots in that time, and have contributed countless hours for trail construction, maintenance, invasive species removal, litter cleanup, and habitat restoration. For some reason, that contribution doesn’t carry any weight with decision makers.

The safety problems at Dog Mountain have been known to the Forest Service for at least two years now. There has been plenty of time for the agency to consult with hikers and reach a solution that’s acceptable to the hiking community and improves safety. Instead of being proactive, the Forest Service decided to delay engagement with hikers and react to additional crowds predicted in the wake of the Eagle Creek Fire. From the outside, this course of action looks as if the agency doesn’t value hikers, and treats them more like sheep to be herded instead of valued partners in caring for a natural resource that belongs to us all, not to the government. Hikers have contributed over four million dollars to the Gorge NSA throughout the history of the NW Forest Pass, and this is the thanks we get for it.

The policy includes a number of questionable justifications that don’t make sense in light of the stated reason of safety. First, a permit is required for each hiker, while the safety issue is overflow parking on SR-14. If the intention is to control parking, then there should be one permit per vehicle, displayed at the parking lot itself, and ticketing of vehicles parked along SR-14. Issuing permits on a per-hiker basis means that the lot’s spaces may be underutilized if multiple hikers arrive per car.

Second, during the peak bloom season the lot is often full on weekdays, especially Mondays and Fridays. So we are likely to see many more cars along SR-14 on those days, and people walking along the highway. We might even see weekend hikers choosing to avoid the permit restriction by taking a day off and creating even more foot traffic along the highway. This unintended consequence could add to the safety risk rather than reducing it.

Third, by making the permit non-refundable some hikers will arrive at the parking lot on the weekend with a permit but will be unable to find a space. Those people will either need to wait and hope a space frees up, drive back to Stevenson to catch a shuttle and likely delay the start of their hike by at least 45 minutes, or choose another destination. Since the shuttle doesn’t run after 4:30, most hikers in this situation won’t risk being left at the trailhead without a ride back at the end of the day.

Fourth, the bus service doesn’t run late enough to be practical during the peak bloom time. Sunset is around 8 pm, and many hikers would want to do a late-day hike or watch the sunset from the mountain. Those people are out of luck with the announced set of rules. The shuttle hours are simply too restrictive to allow hikers to have an enjoyable day on the trail without feeling rushed and needing to watch the time carefully. Lots of parking is available in Home Valley, and using this town as a staging area would allow quicker shuttle turnaround times and longer hours of operation.

Fifth, the daily restriction of 165 permits per day will likely leave the trail empty in late afternoon and early evening, perhaps the best times for enjoying the flower display. That’s simply unacceptable. It would make much more sense to allow unpermitted access to the trail after 4 pm.

There are many workable alternatives for a better system that is safe and keeps the trail open for the greatest number of users. Within limits of sustainability, the hiking community wants the greatest number of users possible to be allowed on Dog Mountain due to the fire closures in Oregon. Permit fees must be refundable if there’s no parking at the trailhead. Shuttle hours need to be longer, and operation needs to be frequent during the peak bloom time. A permit system needs to provide confidence that a permittee is allowed to park and hike without inconvenience. I also insist that the public be involved in this and future decisions regarding access to Gorge trails.

Sincerely,

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adamschneider
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Re: Open letter to FS re Dog Mountain Permits

Post by adamschneider » March 15th, 2018, 11:03 am

Don't they already ticket cars parked along SR-14?

chrisca
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Re: Open letter to FS re Dog Mountain Permits

Post by chrisca » March 17th, 2018, 12:57 pm

adamschneider wrote:Don't they already ticket cars parked along SR-14?
Not at all locations. Some shoulder parking is legal. Stan Hinatsu had this to say regarding some of my concerns about the limited permits causing people to be turned away.

"That said, people with permits to hike on the trail system will not be turned away. Some of them may end up parking along SR-14 where it is legal to do so. It is unlikely that people who make a reservation and drive to the site would choose to leave because they have to park along SR-14. There may be a small amount of parking lot overflow, but the permit system will greatly reduce the amount of overflow and the distance people will need to walk to access the trail, thereby addressing some of the associated safety concerns."

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Guy
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Re: Open letter to FS re Dog Mountain Permits

Post by Guy » March 17th, 2018, 6:26 pm

chrisca wrote:
adamschneider wrote:Don't they already ticket cars parked along SR-14?
Not at all locations. Some shoulder parking is legal. Stan Hinatsu had this to say regarding some of my concerns about the limited permits causing people to be turned away.

"That said, people with permits to hike on the trail system will not be turned away. Some of them may end up parking along SR-14 where it is legal to do so. It is unlikely that people who make a reservation and drive to the site would choose to leave because they have to park along SR-14. There may be a small amount of parking lot overflow, but the permit system will greatly reduce the amount of overflow and the distance people will need to walk to access the trail, thereby addressing some of the associated safety concerns."
Virtually every time Stan Hinatsu speaks I end up scratching my head. Remembering some of his gems from the Eagle Creek / Tish creek closure!
hiking log & photos.
Ad monte summa aut mors

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Water
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Re: Open letter to FS re Dog Mountain Permits

Post by Water » March 17th, 2018, 11:44 pm

this is implying full compliance. So will there be a full time FS ranger checking permits near the start of the trail? And the cost of that vs them doing safety patrol work and forgoing having permits? If it's volunteers they can't legally do squat to detain you, ask for ID, etc. They can certainly report or keep a tab on you but cannot issue tickets or stop you from continuing.
Feel Free to Feel Free

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BigBear
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Re: Open letter to FS re Dog Mountain Permits

Post by BigBear » March 22nd, 2018, 8:43 am

It would seem that if it's too late int he day to issue permits, it's also too late in the day to enforce them at the trailhead. I'm not sure how the ranger will know who has a permit and who doesn't if the permits are carried by the hiker and not displayed on the car windshield.

USFS desire to require permits (obviously a money-generating venture) makes the unambiguously prohibited NW Forest Pass even more fraudulent. They are selling the $30 permits to park at designated trails which you cannot hike unless you purchase an additional hiking permit. This issue is not just at Dog Mountain but may come to central Oregon next year for all of its trails (at $8 a hike).

Shame on the Forest Service.

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