News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
The Sisters Ranger District has given the green light to development of a new 10,000-square-foot lodge and new cabins at Suttle Lake Resort.
A decision notice released August 1 detailed plans for development of the resort and for restoration of the surrounding forest.
The decision came after years of study and several presentations to the public. According to the Forest Service, public concerns about the proposed project significantly shaped the final decision.
"I think the analysis and the extra time we spent re-examining the alternatives was well spent," said Maret Pajutee, the Sisters Ranger District ecologist in charge of the environmental analysis.
Pajutee said the Forest Service personnel who worked on the project for six years are all comfortable with the plan, which attempts to allow for an economically viable resort while protecting water quality, ensuring restoration of areas worn down by use and minimizing further environmental impact.
The plan calls for a two-story lodge with a 5,000-square-foot footprint, architecturally resembling the lodge that burned down in 1974.
Up to six new permanent cabins and six camping cabins will be allowed, along with 20 new parking spaces in asphalt-covered parking areas.
The entrance to the resort -- long a safety concern on Highway 20 -- will be changed and a new bridge built over Link Creek.
Though the development seems intensive, with the construction of the lodge and cabins, Pajutee believes the plan will concentrate use and allow the area to recover from the impact of heavy traffic.
"A lot of the camping areas at the resort were huge, sprawling areas," she said.
Multiple vehicles moved in and out of camping areas and the tramping of many feet has virtually denuded the area of vegetation.
According to Pajutee, restoring the forest to its native condition -- which features many plants usually found on the West side of the Cascades -- is a critical aspect of the plan.
Pajutee said that the Sisters Ranger District team took concerns about "gentrification" of the area "very seriously."
She noted that, while many public comments expressed concern about pushing campers out of the area, many others offered reminiscences of the Resort in earlier years and a very positive take on that experience.
Pajutee noted that there is still a great number of camping sites available in the immediate area, which are not full except on high-volume holiday weekends.
Statistics provided with the decision notice indicate that market surveys show a strong demand for rental cabins. Prices for the camping cabins (no amenities), permanent cabins and lodge rooms range from $40 to $125 per night, which, according to Forest Service analysis, compare favorably to other local resorts.
Much public concern focused on water quality.
According to Pajutee, "we have a good, solid monitoring plan. There's more water quality monitoring associated with this than with any other project we've done recently."
The decision will be open to appeal until September 24. For more information on the project, call 549-7727 or e-mail [email protected]
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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