Siuslaw National Forest

Siuslaw National Forest
4077 S.W. Research Way
P.O. Box 1148
Corvallis, Oregon 97339

(541) 750-7000
Fax: (541) 750-7234

TTY for hearing & speech impaired:
(Oregon Relay)

Oregon Dunes Prohibits Parking July 6 - July15

Contacts:
541/270-6071, Sharon Stewart
541/563-8415, John Zapell

July 2, 2008

Reedsport, OR- Citing concerns for public and employee safety, and resource protection, managers at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area will prohibit day-use parking in the Horsfall and Hauser open sand riding areas between July 6, 2008 and July 15, 2008.

The prohibition coincides with the scheduled Sand Fest Event planned for private lands adjacent to the National Forest.

“A similar event, Dune Fest in Winchester Bay, attracts approximately 7,000 attendees each August,” said Deputy District Ranger Bill Blackwell. “Even if Sand Fest attracts half that number, we could expect significant overcrowding in this area.”

Since there are limited parking areas on private land for those attending this event, Forest Service managers are concerned that adjacent National Forest lands will become a defacto parking lot. This has the potential to double or triple the number of people that the planned capacity of one to two people per acre would allow.

In addition to the concern of turning the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area open-sand riding area into a parking lot for attendees of an event on adjacent private land, there are resource and safety concerns when an area exceeds managed capacity. Forest Service experiences with overcrowding in the past at the Oregon Dunes NRA led to issues such as: resource damage due to excessive litter, burning cans and bottles, damaged vegetation, failure to obtain permits, large groups of people gathering for parties in OHV areas, verbal harassment of Forest Service employees and the public, physical assaults, and disregard for family recreation activities.

Signs will be posted at the Horsfall and Hauser areas. People violating the no parking order will be subject to citation.

People planning on attending Sand Fest events should check out parking and event information at http://www.originalsandfest.com/map.html .

For more information about the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area and the Siuslaw National Forest visit http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/siuslaw .