Sisters forests are getting trashed

Looking over piles of household garbage in the forest, Gary Gottormsen, retired high school teacher and Sisters Trails Alliance volunteer, and Karly Hedrick, Sisters Volunteer Bank coordinator with the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce, were dismayed.

"You'd think people would have more respect for our national forests," Gottormsen said, looking over the trash for some sign of who may have dumped it. "If I could find out who did this, I'd sure give it back to them."

There are dozens of places along the Sisters Community Trails, especially east of Forest Road 15, where people have dumped household garbage (including a broken toilet), fast-food and drink containers, and there are numerous illegal fire rings scattered about.

Members of the Sisters Trails Alliance, Central Oregon Trails Alliance (COTA) and other community members have constructed several sections of trail this past summer, south of the high school and adjacent to the

community of Crossroads, and now it's littered with fast food trash and garbage.

The Sisters Community Trail System is a community-wide, non-motorized trail system serving to connect downtown Sisters, local schools, neighborhoods and the regional trails within the Deschutes National Forest. The trail system is intended for recreation, commuting, and access in and around the greater Sisters area.

"It's just a shame to see such a mess along these trails," Hedrick said.

Forest Service law enforcement officials are also very upset over the trash littering the forest, and remind people that it could cost someone $300 for littering on public lands and a lot more for dumping household garbage or other waste.

Three Eagle Scout candidates from Sisters Troop 188 and alliance volunteers spent over 250 volunteer hours constructing a new technical trail over Eagle Rock saddle, which connects the Peterson Ridge West trail to the Boneyard connector. Other Troop 188 Eagle Scout candidates constructed over a mile of new trail connecting Peterson Ridge trails to the Three Creek Road connector, and placing trail sign

posts.

Jeff Sims, of the Sisters Ranger District, directly connected with the alliance activities, said, "Since 2001, the Forest Service has been working with the Sisters Trails Alliance (formerly Sisters Trails Committee) helping to develop a system of walking, hiking, biking and equestrian trails in the greater Sisters area."

The group has produced a comprehensive trails plan that identifies nearly 150 miles of trails, paths and lanes that will eventually be constructed in the greater Sisters area over time. The Trails Alliance consists of community volunteers and area businesses working together to plan and construct new trails on an ongoing basis.

For this reason, the Sisters trails system is a work in progress, growing each year as it offers residents and visitors expanded recreation and commuting opportunities while enhancing the quality of the Sisters area as a place to live and

visit.

"It's a shame to see all this work spoiled by just a few people who don't care," Gottormsen said.

In effort to make things as they were along the Sisters Community Trail, Hedrick has put together an Earth Day Cleanup Project in the Sisters area. Visit http://www.nationalforests.org/volunteer to sign up.

In addition to cleaning up litter and trash along the Sisters Trails near the high school with the Sisters Trail Alliance (all of the tools for this project will be provided by Stop Oregon Litter and Vandalism (SOLV)), you can also become involved with removing graffiti around the Sisters Ranger District and restoring trails near Whychus Creek.

For more information contact Karly Hedrick, Sisters Volunteer Bank coordinator, at 541-549-0251 or via e-mail: [email protected]