Bend, Ore.- Beginning this Thursday, several trails on the Deschutes National Forest will be fully closed for the safety of forest users and for the safety of the timber operators doing timber harvesting and forest restoration work in the Euro Stewardship contract area.
The trails within the Euro Stewardship contract area will be closed to all visitors, including all trail users. . Euro Stewardship contract area is located just west of Bend, OR and is part of the West Bend Project and is located within the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration boundary.
Trail closures will occur on the following trails: Lower Whoops, Pine Drops, EXT, the northwest portion of Storm King from the junction with Forest Road 4615 and the junction with Phil’s Trail, and the western-most portion of Phil’s between the junction with EXT (near Forest Road 300) and it’s western terminus at the junction with Pine Drops, Upper and Lower Whoops, and Skyliners trails.
Trail closures will be in place on Mondays beginning at 12:00 a.m. through Fridays until 3 p.m. Trails will be open to the public beginning Fridays at 3:01 p.m. through Sundays until 11:59 p.m. and all Federal holidays. Trail closures will remain in place until work is completed in the area. The public will be notified when the trails reopen. Forest Road 300 also is currently closed but will reopen once road reconstruction work has been completed.
Euro Stewardship contract includes thinning of trees and mastication and/or mowing of brush and small trees. T2, INC. located out of Sweet Home, OR was awarded the contract. The primary objectives of this project are to help maintain and restore forest and ecosystem health and contribute wood products to the local and regional industry. Through the thinning of trees and mastication of brush, followed by prescribed fire Euro Stewardship will help create a forest that is more resilient to fire, insect infestations and disease.
The project was developed in collaboration with the Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project and other stakeholders.
