Though this thread is on Washington, I suspect they are in accordance with Oregon policy wise, So I insert my rant notwithstanding.
While I abhor those without respect for our environment, the closing of the road was only a matter of time. Oregon's practice of forest management even more disgusting and deserving of that fat finger than those dumping trash and littering.
It should be noted there has been a systematic closing or roads within our public forest for the last fifty years, by design. Personal knowledge along with maps form the 60's 90's up to today visually support the loss of access to all the areas I have been familiar with over the last 70 years with nearly none of it due to vandalism. In the Wallowa's alone thousands of logging and fire access roads have been reduced to a few main access roads here and there with a few spurs. Some you can drive for miles without even a place to pull over and have lunch let alone a spur to camp on. over a thousand deer tags are issued for the area I have been hunting since 68 with a good space distribution of camps in the beginning, but now only a few areas where about 10 percent concentrate and the rest left to commute daily from home or some far distance off. Even most Oregon forest camp grounds are inexplicably "closed for the season" JUST BEFOR HUNTING SEASON BEGINS!' then, signs placed everywhere reading " camping in designated camp grounds only" Whats up with that??
Last year I paid 15 dollars for the Oregon produced National Forest map for the Wallow's which showed there were still hundreds of roads available for the less physically able among us to traverse in the small section I draw a permit for. When Season finally came and I drove into the area there were actually only dozens of roads left. One fifteen mile through road, and several spurs of a couple of miles or less with even fewer short spurs, and nearly all turn around's or camp able pull offs, bull dozed over.
I am angry that Oregon's policy for managing Oregon's Forest is to keep people out!!!. considering the thousands of dollar I have paid over my life time in sports fees and permits let alone the taxes I have paid over 60 years. I, We, deserve better!! Yes dumping trash and littering is atrocious but it is in isolated areas and definitely not ubiquitous.
If we can be taxed to pay for the tens of thousands spent on cleaning up after the scourge of Portland's vagrants, over, and over, and over, a little of the money supposedly designated to manage our forest can be spent on our forest and keep access to public property open as opposed to just maintaining the gigantic bureaucracy governing it.
I return you to your regularly scheduled Beef's on Washington forest crappers.
HERE HERE! I know exactly how you feel. I've always wondered how people like us are supposed to enjoy public lands. PUBLIC for hell sake! When a large part of the population aren't able to hike miles to see it!
NOW, back to you regular beefs.
