Oregon Wild, a conservation organization is proposing a National Recreation designation in the Ochoco Mountains (an area that is already a National Forest and managed as one). The recreation area would be about 312,000 acres in size.  This designation would move the forest to much stricter guidelines limiting its use to almost nothing.  Ranchers and residents of Crook County say they already have too much government oversight and would affect them and EVERYONES use of the land in the long run.

I am asking you to sign this petition to show support and ask our elected officials to stop Oregon Wild, a conservation organization, from creating and expanding the Wilderness Area designation in the Ochoco Mountains.  

Oregon Wild is proposing a National Recreation Area that would be approximately 312,000 acres in size.  Oregon Wild is using the National Recreation Area title to mask the exclusion of recreation for the Ochocos.  They are recruiting the support of bicycling enthusiasts and hikers to block the access of every other recreation sport in the Ochoco Mountains including snow mobiling, dirt bikes, ATV and UTV use. They are using this Recreation Area designation to make the Wilderness Area they want to create, which would destroy our forests, ranch grazing land, and the water supply for the nearby town of Mitchell. 

We already have a timber management issue in this forest and creating Wilderness areas block the ability to start managing the forests correctly by logging the diseased old growth and thinning the new growth to allow for healthy growth to flourish.  This proposal is dangerous for our Forest, our Community, and our future generations that want to learn about and use our forest for family activities.

I ask you to help us to protect our forests from extremists who choose to use this designation to close our forests and restrict accessibility to a large percentage of the population especially the elderly and disabled who are unable to hike in.  It is unfair to limit or end the use of many to allow for their own personal playground.