On this day, September 9, 1938, installation of the pioneer statue atop the Oregon Capitol Rotunda began. It took several days.
Also on this day, September 9, 1998 Keiko the killer whale star of the movie
Free Willy, left Oregon. He was flown to a sheltered bay in Iceland when Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Futures Society took over his care. Part of his training included swimming in the ocean outside the bay. Keiko disappeared on one of these excursions. He eventually turned up 870 miles away off the Norwegian coast.
Also on this day, September 9, 1942, A Japanese float plane, launched from a submarine, made its first bombing run on a US forest near Brookings, Oregon. Japanese planes drop incendiary bombs on Oregon in an attempt to set fire to the forests of the Northwest. The forests failed to ignite, but Pacific Coast citizens stepped-up their blackout drills in preparation for future Japanese raids.
Many increases will be phased in over time
The Willamette National Forest
is proposing fee changes at multiple campgrounds, group campgrounds, cabins, and lookouts.
“These fee increases will help us maintain the sites to the level and quality people have come to expect. Many of the proposed fee increases will be phased in over time, rather than all at once. We are also excited to bring on two new cabins into the popular program,†said Dave Warnack, Forest Supervisor for the Willamette National Forest.
The proposed fees by site are listed in the tables below.
| Cabins/Lookouts | Existing fee | Proposed |
| Timber Butte Cabin | $80 per night | $90 per night |
| Warner Mountain Lookout | $85 per night | $90 per night |
| Indian Ridge Lookout | $75 per night | $90 per night |
| Box Canyon | $70 per night | $75 per night |
| Gold Butte Lookout | $80 per night | $90 per night |
| Marion Forks Guard Station (new) | $0 per night | $85 per night |
| Gold Lake Cabin (new) | $0 per night | $85 per night |
In 2004, Congress passed the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act which allows the Forest Service to retain 80% of the revenue from these proposed recreation fees to operate, maintain and improve facilities.
Raising the revenue collected through recreation fees would help keep up with rising maintenance, utility and staffing costs. The fees help provide and ensure quality recreation opportunities and creates a more financially sustainable developed recreation program.
| Campgrounds | Existing fee | Proposed
Year 1-2 | Proposed
Year 3 |
| Alder Springs | $10 per night | $14 per night | $16 per night |
| Blair Lake Campground | $14 per night | $16 per night | $20 per night |
| Daly Lake | $5 per day
$0 extra vehicle fee | $14 per night
$6 extra vehicle fee | $16 per night
$6 extra vehicle fee |
| Elk Lake - Single site | $12 per night | $14 per night | $16 per night |
| Double site | $22 per night | $26 per night | $30 per night |
| Harralson Horse Camp | $5 per day
$0 extra vehicle fee | $14 per night
$6 extra vehicle fee | $16 per night
$6 extra vehicle fee |
| Horse Creek Group Camp | $75 per night | $100 per night | $125 per night |
| Indigo Springs Campground | $12 per night | $14 per night | $16 per night |
| Kiahanie Campground | $14 per night | $16 per night | $20 per night |
| Piety Island - Single site | $12 per night | $14 per night | $16 per night |
| Double site | $22 per night | $26 per night | $30 per night |
| Roaring River Group Camp | $50 per night | $60 per night | no change |
| Sacandaga | $14 per night | $16 per night | $20 per night |
| Scott Lake Campground | $5 per day
$0 extra vehicle fee | $14 per night
$6 extra vehicle fee | $16 per night
$6 extra vehicle fee |
| Shady Cove - Single site | $12 per night | $14 per night | $16 per night |
| Double site | $22 per night | $26 per night | $30 per night |
| Skookum Campground | $5 per day
$0 extra vehicle fee | $14 per night
$6 extra vehicle fee | $16 per night
$6 extra vehicle fee |
| Timpanogas Campground | $14 per night | $16 per night | $20 per night |
| Trail Bridge | $16 per night | $18 per night | $20 per night |
All fee changes are reviewed by a citizen’s advisory committee, which will make recommendations to the Pacific Northwest Regional Forester about whether to approve the proposed changes. Committee members represent a broad array of recreation interest groups to help ensure that the Forest Service is proposing reasonable and publicly acceptable new fees and fee changes.
The public is invited to comment on the proposed fee changes to the developed recreation program.
The comment period is set to end by close of business on September 15, 2023. You can
email your comments, or mail them to: Willamette National Forest, Attention: Matt Peterson, 3106 Pierce Parkway, Suite D, Springfield, OR 97477. Comments can also be
provided online.
--Ben Fisher| Post Date: 2023-07-23 10:07:22 | Last Update: 2023-07-23 10:13:24 |
