On November 9, 1998, Regional Forester Bob Williams, acting on
behalf of the Secretary of Agriculture, established both the Opal
Creek Wilderness and the Opal Creek Scenic Recreation Area (SRA).
These areas were legislated with the passage of the "Omnibus
Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996."
Opal Creek is known for both its great beauty and as a place
of controversy. The establishment of the SRA and wilderness area
has done much to bring agreement about how the area should be
managed.
While the pages in this area do have some general recreation
information, most are dedicated to the ongoing management planning
and documentation. An advisory council was established in June
2000 to help advise the Forest Service on those management decisions.