
The greatest threat to watershed health in Mt. Hood National Forest is the road network that totals well over 3,000 miles. These roads are the leftovers of the heyday of logging in our public forests. Today, many are eroding into streams and out of use, yet continue to pose an unmanageable economic burden on the Forest Service, who is only able to maintain about one quarter of its road network in any given year.
What problems do roads create in Mt. Hood National Forest?
What can be done? Bark has worked with the Forest Service for years to help evaluate and eliminate unneeded and harmful roads from Mt. Hood National Forest. In 2007 Bark helped secure congressional Legacy Roads and Trails funding, which provided money to initiate decommissioning efforts throughout Mt. Hood. However, there is still much work to be done: in 1999 a Forest Service report concluded that nearly half of the roads in Mt. Hood National Forest are unneeded! Bark is committed to seeking outside funding and helping initiate this crucial restoration in the years to come.
Learn about ongoing road decommissioning projects in Mt. Hood National Forest.
Read about road decomissioning that will protect Lost Creek here!
Check out photos of forest roads here.