Loading....

Help Improve the Central Cascades Wilderness Plan!

The U.S. Forest Service recently released an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Central Cascades Wilderness Strategies Project in Oregon. The proposal would establish quotas and a permit system to limit visitor use in the areas.

Your help is needed by May 21st to improve the proposal in several key areas!

The plan covers five popular Wildernesses: Diamond Peak, Waldo Lake, Three Sisters, Mt. Washington, and Mt. Jefferson Wildernesses. The Wildernesses are so popular, in fact, that damage has occurred to physical resources in these areas, as well as to some of the intangible aspect of their wilderness characteristics, such as solitude. Visitation use has increased in the Three Sisters Wilderness by 231% since 1991, for example, and 181% since 2011 alone.

The plan proposes a new permit system to limit visitor use (and hopefully damage). Under Alternative 2 (the Proposed Action), a new visitor permit system would be implemented for all overnight users across all five Wildernesses, as well as day users at 48 popular trailheads at three of the Wildernesses. The strategy would allow for free movement and minimal regulation once a person was inside the Wilderness. No designated campsites would be established, but there could be setback restrictions in some specific locations. Campfires would not be allowed above 5,700 feet in Three Sisters, Mt. Jefferson, and Mt. Washington Wildernesses, and above 6,000 feet in Diamond Peak in order to protect whitebark pines and other slow-growing trees at higher elevations. No campfire ban is planned for the Waldo Lake Wilderness.

Wilderness Watch supports implementing quotas when necessary to protect solitude, minimize physical resource damage, or to provide security and habitat protection for wildlife. We do not support using permit systems as a means of raising money or to in any way commercialize access to Wilderness.

Click here to view a summary of the various alternatives being proposed by the Forest Service or to learn more about the proposal.

It’s important the Forest Service hear from people who place protecting Wilderness above the desires of those who care primarily about access. Please send your comments before May 21st!

Help Keep the Central Cascades Wilderness Areas Wild!

We just need a few pieces of information to connect you with the U.S. Forest Service.

First Name*

Last Name*

Email Address*

Address, line 1*

City*

Country*

State*

Zip Code*

Yes, I'd like to continue receiving updates from Wilderness Watch!

TAKE ACTION

Help Improve the Central Cascades Wilderness Plan!

Forest Supervisor John Allen

Subject: Central Cascades Wilderness Project

Message:

Dear Forest Service Staff,

Please accept these comments on the Central Cascades Wilderness Project. I can support the visitor permit system as proposed, but only if the plan is strengthened or clarified in the following ways:

1. I support the Forest Service's effort to limit overcrowding and resource damage in general, and to limit our human footprint and impacts in these Wildernesses.

2. Areas that are now lightly used must be protected against increases in visitors displaced from current high-use areas. We don't want to degrade these lightly used areas as a result of limiting visitation in high-use areas.

3. The plan should not restrict visitor travel once visitors have entered the Wilderness. This freedom to travel is an important aspect of Wilderness.

4. Any new fees that may be instituted must cover only the cost of the reservation system. New fees must not charge "user fees" to visit the Wilderness, particularly when most visitors are already required to purchase a Northwest Forest Pass to park at trailheads.

5. I oppose any exceptions for different Wilderness visitor groups. Everybody should be treated the same. That means if you're hunting, angling, hiking, watching wildlife, or looking for wildflowers everybody must be subject to the same permit and quota requirements.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Remaining: