The BLM has plans to turn Wildwood Recreation Site in Welches, Oregon, into a campground.  Wildwood is currently a beautiful day use park, consisting of boardwalk paths through wetlands, a trailhead into the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness, walking paths strewn with educational tools teaching about the treasures of the pacific northwest rainforests.  Wildwood is packed with intricately carved memorial benches commemorating the lives of people who loved our beautiful park.  Opening this park to camping will destroy the things that make Wildwood special.  Within a few miles of Wildwood there are many campgrounds, private, state, and federal, but there are no other protected wetlands.  

Please sign this petition if you would like to see Wildwood Recreation Site kept a day use facility only.  BLM is hosting a meeting at Wildwood's Mountain View Picnic Shelter, August 11, 530pm - 730pm.  I will be presenting this petition, but would also love to have like-minded community members at the meeting.

Camping will bring groups of people who are not in the park to appreciate the beautiful wetlands during the day, but are there to party where they won't destroy their own home.  It will bring an influx of pets, and no matter how leash laws are enforced the increase of dogs will decrease the wildlife that people go to Wildwood to observe.  The vandalism that occurred 10 years ago, when the salmon viewing glass was scratched beyond function, will become common place.  The memorial benches, will no longer just be memories of those who have passed, but will be carved up with Class of 'XX rules and Bill loves Susie, and likely worse.  Not all campers are bad, but these problems plague all campgrounds.  When there are so many available campgrounds in and around the Mt. Hood Villages area, and there is only one protected wetlands, bringing camping to this park is a poor decision.  It is not about stewardship of the land, but about the BLM trying to turn a profit at the expense of our beautiful park.  

Again, I behoove you, please sign this petition if you would like to see Wildwood Recreation Site kept as a day use facility only.  This petition is to let the BLM know this park is important to the community and that we do not want it to be another campground.