The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

A storm is brewing over the old Santiam Wagon Road (SWR) and a proposal to open more forest areas to off-road vehicles.

The McKenzie Ranger District has proposed action on 13,845 acres in the Santiam Pass area including the historic Santiam Wagon Road. An environmental assessment (EA) will be prepared regarding motorized vehicle recreation after citizen input.

The proposal has already ignited a firestorm regarding the SWR.

The Santiam Wagon Road was used largely in the last half of the 19th century to transport stock, people and goods between Western Oregon and Central Oregon.

The stated purpose of the proposed action is “To manage and enhance off-highway vehicle travel… within the Santiam Pass Dispersed Motorized Recreation Area.” According to the proposal, this will be accomplished by visitor orientation and OHV (off-highway vehicles) staging areas.

Other problems that are addressed include sanitation (human waste and toilet tissue), dispersed camping (vegetation damage) and pioneering OHV routes causing environmental damage.

To alleviate some of these problems, the McKenzie Ranger District is proposing to designate 39 miles of existing forest roads as “open” to Class I, II, and III ATVs (all-terrain vehicles).

“I think that’s great,” said OHV user Ric Tenneson of Sisters.

In the past, conflicts have arisen on the old wagon road between equestrian riders, dispersed campers, hikers and OHVs.

“The problem in this area is the OHV use is heavier and very fast, and it is downright dangerous for a pedestrian, mountain biker or horse to be anywhere around heavy OHV use,” said veteran forester Dick Spray.

The proposed McKenzie Ranger District action would “Designate the SWR as open to OHV use and manage speeds and access in congested and impacted areas on the road.”

It is this further opening of the old Santiam Wagon Road that has drawn most criticism.

“The section between the Sand Mountain Road and Road 2676 (Eno Road) is suffering rapidly increasing heavy damage from ATVs/dirt bikes. This is a steep section of wagon road and thus is very susceptible to damage from any kind of vehicle,” said Spray.

Naturalist Jim Anderson states, “I’m very concerned about disruption by OHVs of grouse nesting, pine marten, and damage to the unique population of pygmy horned lizards on and about Sand Mountain.”

“That old road should not be used by off-road vehicles. The ATVs have lots of Forest Service roads they can already use and they shouldn’t be allowed to destroy historical roads. We don’t have that many of them,” said Jean Nave, the head of Friends of Black Butte Ranch.

An interdisciplinary team will be developing alternatives to this proposed action based on citizen input. Send comments to Stacey Smith, Team Leader, e-mail at [email protected] or mail to McKenzie Ranger District, 57600 McKenzie Highway, McKenzie Bridge, OR 97413, by April 15th. Public forums will be held this spring in McKenzie Bridge and Sisters.

To access the old wagon road, travel west of Sisters 11.6 miles on Highway 20 to the Camp Tamarack Road (Road 2067).

Turn left and drive south 5.8 miles to the trailhead at Cache Creek Toll Station (the last mile is on Road 1028).

The trail goes up to Big Lake, passes near Sand Mountain, and then over the pass down to Fish Lake.