The Real Story on the Proposed White Rock ORV Area

An article in the Douglas County, Oregon News-Review over the weekend highlighted damage that is occurring on private timber land in southern Oregon due to off road vehicle use.  While private land owners have in the past turned a blind eye to off road vehicle use on their lands, they now find themselves in a situation where the damage that is occurring is too great to ignore.  But, stopping the illegal trespass is easier said than done.  Read the full article here.

While the article briefly mentions a possible "solution" to the problem that has been proposed by the local ORV group of designating routes for ORVs on nearby BLM land, it fails to mention that the land that is the subject of this proposal has also been suffering from illegal use, and has also been extensively damaged.

Francis Eatherington, formerly with Umpqua Watersheds and now with Cascadia Wildlands, recently sent me pictures from her visit to the White Rocks/Mrytle Creek area,  and the damage that has been caused by illegal use in the area, which BLM has attempted to close, but failed to enforce.  The photos can be viewed in full here and below are a few examples.

The above road, BLM 35.1, was supposed to be closed to vehicles, with water bars inserted to prevent water damage to the road, after a timber harvest project.

Severe rutting on the same road 34.1.  Some of these ruts are over two feet deep. 

Above are some illegal trails that have been created off of Road 35.1. 

The above road and illegally created trails are all through sensitive riparian areas, and some have gone through unique wetlands.  And the entire area was promised to be closed during a recent analysis process for a timber sale. 

We'll keep you posted as to what the BLM has planned for this area, and whether they decide to formally propose an ORV trail system in this fragile, already heavily damaged, area.