Weyerhaeuser access permits

[adambomb]

So, a buddy of mine told me about this deal where you pay $250 for access to about 100sq miles of forest adjacent to the north fork of the molalla river. It also has 3 lakes on it. Does anybody know anything about this land?

 

[beaverfan]

That's pretty nifty. Thanks for letting us know about it. That one lake they have a picture of on the site is a good sized lake. I wonder how fishin' is?

 

[metalmania]

My buddy got that permit if I remember correctly, and so did a few hundred other people thinking they could get away from everyone else during hunting season.

 

[SmallStreams]

Used to be that access to private timberland for fishing was a state-given right. They had the right to close the private roads, but trespassing for recreational purposes was legal provided one didn't interfere with company operations.

A little over a decade ago, the timber lobby boosted a law through the Oregon legislature, in the name of safety, that allowed the timber companies to cut off access and even charge for it.

Weyerhauser is experimenting with the fee access for the Mollala tree farm to see how it goes. Access to their other properties is available FOR FREE if you contact them.

I'm more than a little bummed that the public land the timber companies obtained for pennies on the dollar back in the late 1800s is now being cut off from the general public unless we line their pockets some more.

 

[Kodiak]

Anyone guess what the next set of initives will be when I'm done with the gill net ban will be?...That's a load of B.S. They are making hunting the sport of the rich. The games with Oregons Recources needs to stop. It belongs to all of us, not just the elite. The anything to make a buck mentality makes me want to hurl.

 

[Markcanby]

Its a joke my buddy did it so he could get away turns out there were about 75 trucks up there opening day. As for the lakes all the south arm lakes have hike in access. It was the same for the north before this started not sure if you can still hike in there or not.

 

[Bassface62]

Sure it sucks having access cut to those areas, but the timber companies aren't all to blame. Blame the scum bags who go up into the woods and dump garbage, start illegal campfires, target practice likes its world war 3, and think those timber roads were their own personal 4x4 race tracks. I have been on a few ride alongs with timber patrol deputies and have seen first hand what kind of damage is caused when those roads were left open. Some of the thinking behind charging that much for access is that people who pay $250 aren't going to be bringing their broken appliances to dump and won't be there to tear up the place. Sure maybe some will, but most of the degenerates are just going to find the free places. Which is why the timber companies like Weyerhauser are thinking about closing down more roads and charging for access.

I don't want to sound high on my horse, and I am not a perfect outdoorsmen, but simply put I pack out what I pack in. When I go target practicing I pick up my casings and garbage, and make sure I have a decent and safe backstop. I also don't try to cut down trees with my 12 gauge (which I have seen the effects of). Have I gotten squirrely in a truck or two out in the woods? Sure, who hasn't, but myself and my friends don't purposefully dig ruts and puddles in public and private roads just for our own amusement. I could go on but instead of just blaming those timber companies, we could look at what and who might be causing them to enact those policies, instead of just pointing to greed.

 

[steelhead1]

AMEN bassface.On the money with that one

 

[SmallStreams]

Bassface - I don't have a problem with the closing of private roads. That's fine, because the roads are not essential to our enjoyment of the outdoors. In fact, the old law allowed road closures, so this has not changed. [it's worth noting that for an Oregon road to remain private, it must be closed at least one week of the year or it becomes a public road]

What I object to is that you can now be charged with trespassing on what used to be a sporting commons. And Weyerhauser is experimenting with charging money for what used to be free commons access.

Yes, the bad behavior of individuals has probably cost us all, but... as a steward of their land, the timber companies could have patrolled their own lands and they did not.

 

[fishnquest]

Kodiak and bassface describe both sides of the coin perfectly.
I think big business is greedy; the more $$ you got, the more you want. I see the extremely wealthy buying up huge areas of land and turning them into "pay me to hunt here"

 

[steelhead1]

Yo small streams.Are you suggesting that it is the fault of the landowner that peaple are destroying and polluting?Because they dont patrol?I dont blame the timber companies for closing the roads, having seen what LOWLIFE DEGENERATE poor excuses for humans have done.I would close the roads too.(sorry for the rant,I have strong feelings about this)Starker forest has a cool program for access,its a permit for entry,that is free,that seems to keep the polluters out.Motorcyclists have to put a days labor in for trail maintanance,for a permit to ride.Perhaps if any one is serious about suggesting this type of program to the operations manager of weyerheuser,it may allow us to enjoy these parts of our state on a permit basis

 

[SmallStreams]

First off: closing roads is okay by me. In fact, it is a requirement for private roads to remain private.

Second, more pertinent to "Are you suggesting that it is the fault of the landowner that peaple are destroying and polluting?Because they dont patrol?":

Not exactly. Lowlifes are lowlifes and the law change will not stop them committing acts of destruction. The Oregon law change only prevents lawful people from lawfully accessing what has historically been a legal trespass, much like the English right to cross farmlands (can't think of the word now -- see Freedom to roam - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

Increased patrols of problem areas has been proven to prevent vandalism and illegal dumping. Mollala River and certain problem locations in the Columbia Gorge have benefited greatly from private & public patrols. So, using the legal principle of "what would the prudent person do", a private landowner should be patrolling their own property if they want to reduce the destruction of their property.

This is no different than what we do with our homes. As citizens, we patrol our own property to prevent property crime and report it to the police as needed.

Thus a historic right in Oregon has gone by the wayside and it has done nothing to stop the vandalism and illegal dumping.

 

[adambomb]

So, a guy from albany killed this bull last week in the molalla tree farm. Best 250 bucks he ever spent!