Lake Creek project described

Brad Chalfant, Deschutes Basin Land Trust (DBLT) head, explained his group's plans to acquire 1,240 acres in the Lake Creek area to a meeting of Friends of the Metolius (FOM) at Camp Sherman on Saturday, May 25.

The land is presently owned by Weyerhauser -Willamette Industries and DBLT has a binding option to purchase it for $3.2 million.

"This is the most at-risk land for development as a destination resort, golf course or other types of development. We would like to work with the local community and keep it open for uses the public deem fitting," said Chalfant.

"It would be permanently managed for the public good but we'll need help undertaking the project and deciding exactly what the project should be. Together, we'll craft the vision and decide what's best."

The plan looks for community support in raising the project money. The hope is to protect wildlife in the area, have trails and interpretive areas, protect the watershed and educate people in forest management. The 1,240 acres are completely surrounded by Deschutes National Forest land and DBLT would like to partner with the Forest Service, according to Chalfant.

Questioned by Paul Adams, Department of Forest Engineering at OSU, as to whether "DBLT (has) managed any forest lands in the past," Chalfant answered no, but said "there are similar type land projects that have been successfully managed by DBLT."

Greg McClarren, FOM vice-president, described the ongoing Heritage Forest Demonstration Project currently underway in the Metolius Basin four-corners area (Roads 1419 and 1420).

A group toured the project Saturday afternoon.

The hope is that people will be able to get an on-site look at various forest treatments (thinning, mowing, prescribed burns) and be better able to decide which is best for a healthy and scenic forest.

"We'd like comments on what people like or don't like," said McClarren.

Bill Anthony, Sisters Forest Service District Ranger, said, "We hope to have an environmental impact statement ready by September or October of this year for treatment areas in the Metolius Basin and have a record of decision by spring, 2003."

The Heritage Forest demonstration project, funded by FOM and the Forest Service, allows people to decide what type of treatment they might prefer to see in larger scale forest operations. Interested people may visit the areas involved or take tours with FOM personnel.

Colin Paul, FOM interpreter, presented a summary of his dispersed campground survey for 2001. He used GPS (global positioning satellite) mapping of 170 campsites near the Metolius River and its tributaries and reported conditions that he found. This information will be used by FOM and shared with the local Forest Service as a means of determining riparian health related to camping activities.

Denise Wheeler of the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District briefly spoke on new regulations for outdoor burning permits in the local area.