Vandalism plagues Whychus Creek

"I find more damages every time I come out here," Maret Pajutee, Forest Service ecologist, said looking at the illegally cut and gunshot trees and other signs of vandalism along Whychus Creek.

"It's a sign that a few people around Sisters either don't know, or don't care about how important it is to practice good stewardship," said Fred Perl, USFS Law Enforcement Officer (LEO), pointing to a pile of trash left behind by visitors to Whychus Creek.

"I think it's some kind of generation gap," Perl added. "Young people come out here and party and when alcohol enters the picture, unacceptable behavior follows, and we all suffer from the damages."

According to Pajutee, damage to National Forests resources includes: Multiple temporary residences; shooting trees or branches till they break; shooting glass bottles and cans and leaving the trash there; hundreds of .30-06 cartridges and ammunition boxes left around Peterson Ridge; hundreds of empty cases of beer; dumping of refrigerators, garbage, toilets, furniture and household debris.

The area is marred by large painted graffiti on rock walls and shelters and many people have cut green trees for firewood outside firewood cutting areas.

Roads have been cut into the forest floor to get around closed areas and there are various unapproved trails.

"Every time my husband and I come out here, we find new piles of trash," Forest Service volunteer Terry Mischke said.

According to official records, inappropriate use of forest lands, such as abandoned vehicles, ("we towed over 25 of them out of the forest last year," Perl said), damaged and illegally cut trees, "mud-bogging," illegal campfires, graffiti and trash costs thousands of dollars each year.

"Unfortunately, it's local people who are doing this," Perl said, inspecting the trash and vandalism at the end of Forest Service Road 390, adjacent to the Three Creeks Road, south of Sisters.

"And I'll bet most of this is the result of alcohol-based recreation," he added.

The remains of campfire rings and half-burned trash and debris at the end of FS Road 390 are further testimony of the actions of people that either don't know or don't care about the damage they cause to forest resources.

"It's OK to build a campfire ring as long as people have a shovel and water, and use common sense where they build it," Perl said, "but if a fire is left smoldering and is not 'dead out' it is a direct threat to all of us."

Perl is only one federal officer responsible for law and order on over 316,000 acres of forest lands within the Sisters Ranger District.

"I can't do it alone, I need help," he said.

Perl's advice to local folks who care about the condition of our forest is to be alert and report any incident that is injurious to the resources we all enjoy.

"Don't confront these people," Perl said, "just give us a description of what you saw and when. If you can supply a license number, that's all we need to start an investigation."

Community members are asked to report any suspicious or inappropriate activity on Forest Service lands to the Sisters Ranger District, 549-7700 or the Deschutes County Sheriff's Department, 693-6911.