Sisters fire areas off limits to off-roaders

To help protect fragile burned soils, prevent additional resource impacts and aid in the recovery process, the Sisters Ranger District has issued two area closure orders prohibiting off-road vehicle use in the Eyerly and Cache Mountain wildfire areas.

The area closures prohibit the use of motorized vehicles off forest development roads. Forest development roads are signed at the road entrance with route markers.

If a road or other area is not signed, it is not open for motorized use.

The Forest Service is particularly concerned about off-road vehicles, such as ATVs. Driving on inactivated roads or fire lines or making new roads can accelerate soil erosion and spread noxious weeds into already fragile burned habitats.

The Eyerly Wildfire burned more than 20,000 acres on Green Ridge north of Sisters and west of Madras and Lake Billy Chinook.

Two thirds of the Eyerly Fire area experienced moderate to severe burns, damaging soil and vegetation. The Cache Mountain Fire near Black Butte Ranch burned almost 4,000 acres. Most of this area burned at a low or moderate intensity with pockets of high intensity damage.

Both fire areas will slowly recover and native vegetation will return if protected from soil damage, erosion, and noxious weed invasion, according to the Forest Service.

To aid in the recovery process, the Forest Service began rehabilitation projects last fall. Road drainage was improved to protect streams from storms and excessive spring runoff. Log erosion barriers and new culverts were installed to deal with increased water flowing from burned areas. Extensive noxious weed infestations are being treated. However, the risk of new invasions is high until native vegetation recovers, Forest Service biologists report.

For more information, maps of closed areas, or to report unauthorized activities call the Sisters Ranger District at 549-7700.