Oakridge City Council learns of plans for expansion of Forest Service trails across from Greenwaters

By DOUG BATES/Editor/The Herald — The U.S. Forest Service is developing plans for three miles of new trail in the Willamette National Forest across the river from Greenwaters Park in Oakridge.

The Oakridge City Council was informed Thursday night that the federal agency will hold a virtual (Zoom) community meeting at 5 p.m. Monday, May 3, for public comment on the proposal.

“This will be a golden opportunity for community suggestions,” Sarah Altemus-Pope told the council during the public comment portion of its regular meeting. Altemus-Pope is executive director of Southern Willamette Forest Collaborative, a nonprofit that works with land managers and others to promote healthy forests and communities in the region.

Hikers, runners and bicyclists are heavy users of the existing trail loops provided by the Middle Fork Ranger District just across the footbridge over the Willamette River at Greenwaters Park. The two loops, totaling less than two miles through woods along the waterway, are considered easy for beginners and children but at times are too crowded for all who want to enjoy them.

Thus the Forest Service proposes adding three miles of new trail along with a quarter-mile connector trail to the 5852 road and a few short connector trails to make the system more useful and easy to follow. The work is to be done this summer with a mini-excavator and by hand using a Forest Service trail crew and volunteer labor.

Altemus-Pope said the community was invited to scout out possible trail expansion routes a few years ago.  Ron Hebert, the high school cross country coach, and Benjamin Beamer of the Greater Oakridge Area Trail Stewards had major roles in helping to scope the options, she said.

The new trails are being proposed as open to hikers and bicyclists with two exceptions. Two of the trails are very close to the river and thus “are not appropriate for bike use due to wheel slip disturbing soil near waterways,” according to the agency’s scoping statement. “The remainder of the proposed trails will be open to ‘slow’ bike use.”

Horses will be discouraged (but accepted) to reduce the possibility of horse excrement on the trail system. A kiosk with etiquette guidelines will be posted to inform trail users of appropriate behavior. Other details are available on the project’s website.

Because the project was reported by Altemus-Pope during the public comment portion of the meeting, there was no council discussion of the project. She said her group will ask the city to post the public forum’s Zoom invitation on its website.

“If there are participants during the May 3 meeting who are interested in a field trip, we will be happy to host one,” she told The Herald.

In other business Thursday night, the council voted unanimously to appoint Brenna Chrisman to the city budget committee. At its previous regular meeting, the council appointed Jan Hooker to the committee.

The council also heard a brief report from Police Chief Kevin Martin on a recent flurry of cougar sightings in the city.