Hi Fred G.
My name is Mark Stevenson. I manage the Oregon State Parks in the Columbia River Gorge and I am also a duck hunter. The ruling for emergency parking in the Gorge along I-84 is one that has been posted for years
but has often been overlooked by OSP (Oregon State Police) impart because they are so under staffed. The reason for the fencing has nothing to do with being allowed to hunt or not, this land is managed by US Forest Service. You are allowed to hunt in the area still, but when ODOT planned for the contract for the new fencing, it needed to go on the edge of their right of way.It is not legal to park on I-84 from Portland to Cascade Locks, even though we have all seen it happen, or in our case have done so to hunt or fish. Though I understand your concern , ODOT, State Parks nor US Forest Service are going to be able to say it is ok, as it is a safety corridor and parking except for emergencies is not allowed.
I feel your pain and wish I could offer a close option for parking, besides the Thousand Acers Parking, which is around 1.5 to 2 miles from where you hunt.
Good luck this Saturday... please call if you would like to talk further.
Mark Stevenson
Columbia River Gorge
Oregon State Parks and Recreation Dept.
503-695-2261-224 or cell 503-969-8256
4 comments:
If anything good comes out of this, the Old New Spot may become an awesome place to hunt if you can make the trek, my honest opinion is that someone sooner or later will knock a hole in the fence.
What about ATV access from the dog walk parking lot? Or small dirt bike? Or Rascal Scooter?
ATV's fit right in the back of a pickup truck I see it all the time. You need one and you can store it at my house in the summer! No unsightly ATV in your small driveway! Win-Win.
I concur on the hole in the fence, but, to answer Bob's question, what we really need is boat. Oh wait, what we really need is a motor........
Post a Comment