| The Ochoco and Deschutes National Forests and the Crooked
River National Grassland are in the process of a "forest level" roads
analysis.
The objective of this analysis is to provide line officers with information needed to identify a road system that is safe and responsive to public and agency needs, is environmentally sound, affordable and efficient to manage. This process, similar to a watershed analysis, will produce a management strategy, NOT a decision document. This analysis will look at the Forest arterial and collector roads that serve large land areas and provide the main access to the Forests. Generally these roads are maintained and considered safe for passenger car travel. The main emphasis is on how to bring our maintenance requirements in line with Forest budgets. Currently, the Forests receive less than half the dollars needed to maintain system roads to standards. A major task will be to identify roads that should be maintained as suitable for passenger vehicles. At this level of analysis it is unlikely that any roads will be identified as possible candidates for closure or decommissioning. However, future watershed or project scale analysis efforts will focus more on local and spur roads, some of which could then be considered for closure or decommissioning. How Can You Participate? Here is a map of the roads being considered in this analysis is enclosed. If you have any concerns or information about any of these roads, please let us know. Any comments you wish to include about why a road is important to you would also be useful in our analysis. For instance, are there roads on this map that meet or would meet your needs if they were maintained to a lesser standard, such as suitable for high clearance vehicles only? Which of these roads do you believe should be maintained as suitable for passenger cars? Are there roads on this map that you think should be closed or decommissioned? Or, if you would like more information or want to be kept informed about the process, please contact Paul Cuddy at the Ochoco National Forest, P.O. Box 490, Prineville, OR 97754, (416-6500).
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An example of a main access road with a paved surface.
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