A proposal to create up to 52 miles of mountain bike trails in the Mill Creek watershed has its opponents.

The Ochoco National Forest initially presented the Lemon Gulch Trails project in early 2021. The multi-use single track trails would be on the west side of the forest close to Prineville as part of a forest wide effort to improve trail opportunities for recreational use. But some ranchers don’t like the idea. They say the trails will interfere with grazing cattle. Others say the area’s wildlife habitat will be negatively impacted. There are also claims the process was secretive, something US Forest Service, Public Affairs Officer, Kassidy Kern disputes. She tells KBND News, the controversy is due to misinformation and now is the time for people to get involved in the process. In 2021, Kern said the USFS took an 8 month pause in the process to allow for a public comment period as part of the NEPA review process. Kern says extensive social media efforts, she said, are further indication of transparency about the proposal. To participate in the discussion about the Lemon Gulch trail proposal, visit the Ochoco National Forest website: 

Ochoco National Forest & Crooked River National Grassland - Home (usda.gov).