New Suttle Lake plan released

Redevelopment could begin at Suttle Lake Resort as early as summer 2000.

Proposed changes to the resort include a new 10,000-square-foot lodge and 12 cabins that would replace the existing campground.

A revised master plan and a new environmental assessment (EA) were released last week after the Sisters Ranger District received considerable public comment on the original plan, released in April 1998.

According to the Sisters Ranger District, community members said the original resort proposal "consisted of too much development."

Resort manager Larry Solie said the current proposal responds to people's concerns.

"We've worked on it long enough that we know we've done the very best we can," Solie said. "These options make it palatable to folks concerned about the environment. We're going to do a good thing for this place."

The Sisters Ranger District released the revised EA without choosing a preferred alternative. Jeff Sims, Forest Service team leader for the Suttle Lake project, said the district wanted to leave its decision flexible.

"The decision is open, based on public input," Sims explained. "We want to hear what the public has to say."

The revised EA lists three alternatives, one of which evaluates the impacts of no changes at the resort (Alternative A). The remaining two analyze different scales of redevelopment (Alternatives B and C).

Differences between Alternatives B and C include the size and location of the proposed lodge and the number of cabins to be placed at the site.

Resort managers modeled the proposed lodge after the historic Suttle Lake Lodge that burned to the ground twice since 1939.

Alternative B includes a 10,000-square-foot lodge while the lodge in Alternative C is 4,500 square feet.

Camping at the resort has been eliminated from all proposed options to minimize the impact of vehicles and sprawling campsites on the soil and the roots of old-growth trees.

"The cabins have less impact on the land than campgrounds," Sims said. "Unless you have a defined camping situation, it tends to sprawl out.

The comment period for the revised EA lasts through the close of business on Monday, July 26, and Sims said the first construction could likely begin in summer 2000.

A copy of the EA is available for review at the Sisters Ranger District, Highway 20 and Pine Street in Sisters, and the Deschutes National Forest supervisor's office, 1645 Highway 20 E. in Bend.

Written comments should be addressed to Sally Collins, Forest Supervisor, c/o Suttle Lake EA, P.O. Box 249, Sisters, OR 97759. E-mail comments can be sent to Jeff Sims at jcsims/[email protected] Contact Sims at 549-7706 for additional information.