(Update: Adds video and comments from homeless people)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Forest Service paving work that was scheduled to begin later this week on China Hat Road south of Bend has been postponed indefinitely due to high forest fire danger and the associated shutdown of all industrial activity in the Deschutes National Forest.
If this actually happens, it could create homelessness in the areas affected by the project, as people living deep in the forest would have no way to safely get in and out.
“Where are we going to go when the road’s been closed for four months?” said Faith Perry, who lives near China Hat.
The Forest Service confirmed in a press release earlier this year that the construction will not result in any relocation of campsites, but it has people living in the area worried.
Faith Perry lost her home during the pandemic and has been homeless for three years since recently moving to China Hut. “A lot of people think this is just a way to get rid of us,” she said.
She doesn’t own a car and walks or bikes to nearby communities to get to Bend, where many of her neighbors who do have cars could lose their jobs.
“If you go further down the road and go in both directions there are loads of people. There are campsites all around here,” Perry said.
During my interview with Perry, I received a call from the Forest Service informing me that work was being delayed due to high fire danger.
“That’s a good thing. It’s really great news because, like I said, a lot of these people have nowhere to go,” she said after sharing the news.
The 3.5-mile paving project from China Hat to Bessie Butte Road was expected to take until November to complete.
We’ve reported on the issues the encampment poses to nearby Woodside Ranch, including fire danger, police activity and trash.
Perry said the closure will make it harder for people to get food and water, but he fears it will make things even worse for others.
“I’ve done it before, for a whole summer without any help, so I can do it again.”
The delay announcement issued by the Deschutes National Forest on Monday is below:
Heat, dry conditions delay restoration of Forest Service Road 18
There has been a delay to the reconstruction project on Forest Service Road 18 (China Hat Road) in the Deschutes National Forest. Due to this delay, Forest Service Road 18 will not be closed on Thursday, August 1, as originally scheduled.
Due to hot, dry weather in central Oregon, the Deschutes National Forest has entered Industrial Fire Prevention Level IV “General Closure,” which mandates a full closure of industrial activity within the forest, effective Thursday, July 25. Therefore, the Forest Service Road 18 reconstruction project will be postponed until the weather calms and the forest is able to ease restrictions on industrial activity.
At this time, no new construction timeline has been set. Once a new schedule is set, we will notify the public and partners as soon as possible about construction activities.
For more information or questions, contact the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District at (541) 383-5300.
—
The Forest Service confirmed to News Channel 21 earlier this year that homeless camps in the area do not need to be relocated, and Rep. Cliff Bentz told KBND that the camps should be cleared prior to any construction work.
Below is the original news release issued by the Deschutes National Forest about the project in March.
The Deschutes National Forest (DNF) plans to reconstruct approximately 3.5 miles of Forest Service Road (FSR) 18 this year.
Work is expected to begin as soon as June and be completed by October, weather permitting. To ensure public safety, both lanes will be closed during work between the forest line and FSR 1810 (Bessie Butte Road). Areas on both sides of FSR 18 will be closed to vehicle traffic during work.
The condition of FSR 18 has deteriorated, and reconstruction will improve driving safety. FSR 18 is also a heavily used roadway that provides primary access to public lands for recreation, resource management, and wildfire response. Additionally, FSR 18 is the primary access road and timber haul route for thinning, mowing, mastication, and planned burn operations within the 25,804-acre Cabin Butte Vegetation Management Project south of Bend.
DNF is aware of areas of existing encampments that will be cut off from vehicle access from FSR 18 during the construction period. Recent media reports indicate that this construction work will require the removal of homeless and displaced encampments in that area. At this time, only the closure of FSR 18 is planned. It is not anticipated that encampment removal will be necessary to complete this work. Forest Service personnel, along with partners, will work to notify these encampments prior to construction beginning so that people in encampments can take appropriate steps to avoid being cut off once construction begins.
As mechanical fuel reduction and planned fires continue to be conducted in the Cabin Butte project area, it may be necessary to relocate campsites to allow that work to be carried out over the next few years, and DNF will work with partners to communicate the timing and location of that work to ensure fuel reduction work can be fully completed in the area.
The Forest Service recognizes the impacts that homelessness and houseless encampments have on forest visitors and those who live near DNF boundaries. Houselessness in national forests is not an isolated issue but part of a broader societal problem that spans city, county, state and federal jurisdictions. This problem requires a unified, community-focused approach, recognizing that it cannot be solved by any one entity alone.
