Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
If you have a favorite spot in the Willamette National Forest, the U.S. Forest Service wants to know about it.
The agency has announced that it is planning to close the entire national forest system to vehicles, including roads in the Willamette National Forest, and then reopen those areas that people use and that do not conflict with forest resources or have safety issues. The move is prompted by the damage caused by off-road vehicles, officials say.
“The chief of the Forest Service has indicated that unmanaged recreation was a priority he wanted to take on,” spokeswoman Judith McHugh said – particularly off-highway vehicles.
The issue is much larger than the Willamette National Forest, McHugh said. In flatter areas of the national forest, off-highway vehicles can go