Fish Creek Road Survey Hike May 18th, 2007 BARK Hike Leader: Amy Harwood http://bark-out.orghttp://bark-out.org/activities/travelplan.php In 2005, the Forest Service finalized the Travel Planning Rule. The rule requires all national forests to designate those roads, trails, and areas that are open to motor vehicle use including Off-Highway Vehicles (OHVs). Mt. Hood National Forest was the first forest in the Pacific Northwest to begin Travel Planning. Most forests that have already begun Travel Planning are in the Southwest US and are focusing all of their energy on controlling devastating OHV use. In the Pacific Northwest OHVs are a big problem, but pale in comparison to the damage being done by a crumbling road network. The Forest Service s own 2003 Roads Analysis states that nearly half (49%) of the roads in Mt. Hood National Forest are unnecessary. There are over 4,000 miles of roads in the forest, most of which were built for the purpose of logging in our watersheds. Many of these roads are deteriorating, posing additional threats to fish, wildlife, and the drinking water of over a million Oregon residents. Time and time again the Forest Service has said that it has too many forest roads to maintain properly, and that the consequences are impacting drinking water and wildlife habitat. The Travel Plan is the perfect opportunity for the Forest Service to work with Mt. Hood communities and start to fix the roads problem. Join Bark in taking advantage of this historic opportunity to restore Mt. Hood National Forest! You can help Bark influence the Travel Plan by becoming one of the thousands of Oregonians calling on the Forest Service to do what should have been done years ago...a thorough assessment of roads and OHV routes surrounding Mt. Hood.
