Firefighters, deputies clean Portal

The East Portal site at the intersection of Highways 20 and 242, just west of downtown Sisters has been a mess.

The Forest Service property, which offers parking and public bathrooms for the traveling public has been "littered with human waste, soiled clothing, discarded luggage, broken camping equipment, alcohol containers and drug paraphernalia," according to Deschutes County Sheriff's Sgt. Kent Vander Kamp. "Most recently, a city cleaning crew interrupted a transient attempting to light a warming fire inside the bathroom. Overall, the East Portal Interpretive Site became uninviting and citizens reported feeling unsafe approaching the site or using the facilities. Additionally, it was not representative of our Sisters community."

Early this summer, DCSO deputies assigned to the City of Sisters have been investigating an increase of criminal mischief, trespassing, and other criminal activity at the site. In June, deputies and USFS law enforcement officers began enhanced patrol of the area during the late-night hours and contacted teens, transients, and hitchhiking campers.

Sgt. Vander Kamp reports that law enforcement presence has reduced the calls for service. That may be a positive development, but it didn't do anything to fix the mess already made.

On Tuesday, July 31, Deschutes County Sheriff's Office Deputies and Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District Firefighters came together and collected trash from the site before washing out the kiosk shelter with soap, brushes, and a fire hose.

"The site is open to the public and we encourage the public to report any future suspicious activities," Sgt. Vander Kamp said.

The sheriff's office is working with the USFS Sisters Ranger District to improve the security, with improved lighting and increased patrols.