PRINEVILLE, OR -- A U.S. Forest Service proposal to build up to 52 miles of trails in Lemon Gulch, northeast of Prineville, is drawing more criticism from some in the area.
Crook County Judge Seth Crawford and the other Commissioners sent an 11-page letter on Monday, expressing concern with how the plan was developed. “We believe that there could’ve been a lot more outreach to the permittee holders, the neighbors. I think the other aspect of it is, there’s quite a few things we’ve found that don’t match up with the Forest Service’s own plan,” Crawford told KBND News.
“What I think is most important is that the Forest Service looks at a holistic forest-wide view of what they want to do for non-motorized trail use before they start putting these projects in different areas. Ensure that what they are proposing is in concert with their own Forest plan. And then, on top of that, I think that it’s extremely important that they work to take input from the entire public, not just certain groups,” Crawford added.
More than 700 people submitted feedback prior to the public comment deadline, which was midnight on Monday the 19th.
Trails would be primarily developed for mountain bikes. The plan has not been finalized, and the Forest Service could decide to not move it forward.
