Proposal 7: Heal the Land

Issue: Mount Hood and its surroundings have been heavily developed for timber extraction and other commercial activities. As a national park, the scars from overdevelopment would present a daunting rehabilitation challenge.

Proposal: The most prominent development is the tangle of dirt logging roads that wind through the forest.  Under this proposal, some would be rehabilitated, a few improved as recreation routes, and others converted to horse or bike routes.

Other scars, like the transmission lines that travel over Lolo Pass and ski lifts that travel high above timberline, would be addressed as the design life of these structures approaches.  The strategy for rehabilitating such facilities could range from removal to better design, and will set a new standard for reconciling national park stewardship objectives with the practical constraints of a heavily altered landscaped.

Another aspect of restoration would focus on healthy streams and watersheds. While the greatest impact on streams comes from timber harvesting and associated road construction, there are also opportunities to restore riparian areas along some streams, and remove blockages to fish passage.

The restoration of Mount Hood would be governed by the WyEast Principles, which are founded in an ethic of ensuring that Mount Hood and the Columbia Gorge are preserved as a legacy for future generations.