Battle over paved trail grinds on

The Forest Service deployed a new process last month to hash out the differences between community members over a proposed paved trail from Sisters to Black Butte Ranch. The final meeting in the "objection" process was held Monday, September 29 - and closed with opposing views no closer to reconciliation.

Deschutes National Forest chief John Allen, who conducted the meeting, acknowledged that the gap between points of view is a chasm.

"This is not an easy thing for me to process when there's this degree of disagreement and polarization in the community," he said.

Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) has advocated for a system of paved trails from Crossroads to Sisters High School, from town to Tollgate, and from Tollgate to Black Butte Ranch. The projects would be completed under the auspices of the U.S. Forest Service. The Crossroads trail has been dropped. There is currently no funding for the other phases of the project.

Last month's process centered on the Forest Service's draft environmental analysis for the proposed paved trail. The process gave members of the public who had participated in the debate over the trail - and filed letters giving them the status of "objectors" - the opportunity to object to the content of that draft and meet with Forest Service staff to discuss it. Allen is supposed to render a final decision, which will not be appealable; opponents at that stage would have to take the matter to court.

"Objectors" aired their problems with the trail - which ranged from what they consider deeply flawed public outreach, to concerns over cost, maintenance and the possible increase in crime associated with a trail through the forest near residential communities - and Allen asked each of them what resolution would address their concerns.

For most objectors - including lead objectors Mike Morgan and Suzie Werts - no resolution would be acceptable other than starting the process again from scratch in order to conduct more thorough and accurate public outreach and determine if the community actually wants the project.

STA officers Chuck Humphreys and Donna Timmerman were also "objectors" - even though they favor the trail. Some members of the audience openly scoffed at their status as objectors, drawing a rebuke from Allen.

Humphreys and Timmerman objected to any further delay in the process or any effort to move the path closer to Highway 20, arguing that moving the trail next to the highway would degrade the riding experience and defeat the purpose of the path.

The STA members said they would seek funding for trash collection and bathroom facilities and are open to creating screening between the trail and residences where they are in proximity - though the trail as planned runs several hundred feet away from Tollgate in most places.

Moving the trail close to the highway was floated as a potential compromise, and some objectors indicated that moving the trail or using crushed gravel instead of paving might be acceptable. But in essence the positions remained poles apart.

Opponents and proponents referred to contradictory statistics regarding crime associated with trails and floated anecdotal evidence that would indicate that crime goes up - or it goes down - when paved trails are placed in communities.

Even the true meaning of indicators of support is a point of contention. A letter from Black Butte Ranch executive Scott Huntsman was read into the record, noting that 61 percent of property owners recently surveyed at BBR are in favor of the path and only 25 percent are opposed. But trail opponent Isolde Hedemark, a BBR resident, told The Nugget that support is much lower amongst those who live full-time or much of the year at the Ranch. She said that they are concerned about increased public use of Ranch trails and facilities.

Some objectors question Allen's ability to make an unbiased judgment based on the input from the objection process, since the Forest Service has made a goal of promoting non-motorized transportation options in the forest. Allen assured the attendees that he could.

Allen said that he will come back within 30 days with "a resolution or set of resolutions" that will be put before the objectors. Given the polarized positions, it appears doubtful that any resolution can be crafted that will bridge the gap. So, the battle will grind on.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

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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