BEND, OR -- The Oregon Department of State Lands announced the nighttime closure of the 640-acre Stevens Road Tract.  The state-owned property near SE 27th Street and Ward Road has become increasingly popular with transients.   Regional Manager Larry Quackenbush says the department has received numerous calls from neighboring residents. "Transient camping has become a real issue here," Quackenbush told KBND News. "This summer and fall it has really increased significantly in terms of numbers and concerns that we hear from the neighbors for aggressive dogs, and trash and sanitary conditions."

Effective immediately, the land parcel will be closed from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., every day. Quackenbush says firearms and vehicles are also now prohibited on paths in the area. The department has tried to crack down on those in the past, but people continued to shoot guns on the land, and would push barrier rocks aside to drive into the area.