[ODFW-News] ODFW Signs Travel Management Agreement in northeast Oregon

[Odfw News]

For Immediate Release Tuesday, April 19, 2005
 
ODFW Signs Travel Management Agreement in northeast Oregon
 
LA GRANDE -Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials today
announced a Travel Management Agreement with Gallatin Northeast Oregon
Land and Timber, LLC, a company managed by Forest Capital Partners of
Boston, Massachusetts. 
 
Gallatin recently purchased all the land holdings in northeast Oregon of
Boise Cascade, LLC and plans to continue managing the area for timber to
supply lumber mills in Union County.
 
Included in the lands purchased by Gallatin is the Sled Springs
Management Demonstration Area (MDA). The MDA was established in 1990 by
the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission as a special area in which game
managers, the hunting public and land managers can work together to
cooperatively develop better methods for managing elk populations and
habitat.
 
New in this agreement is the addition of about 20,000 acres of timbered
land owned by Gallatin in the Whiskey Creek area north of Enterprise,
Oregon. Enforcement of road closures begins this month.  
 
Together with other travel management areas in northeast Oregon,
Gallatin lands comprise over 127,000 acres, which will remain open to
public access for hunting and general recreation.
 
"We are very pleased to be able to work with Gallatin on this travel
management agreement," said Bruce Eddy, ODFW's interim Northeast Region
director. "It ensures that the public will continue to enjoy access to
some of the best hunting areas in eastern Oregon."
 
Under the new agreement, ODFW and Oregon State Police will continue to
enforce the closure of all but the main access roads within the three
Travel Management Areas in the Sled Springs Big Game Management Unit, as
well as the Little Catherine Creek Travel Management Area in Union
County. These road closures will be in effect beginning three days prior
to the start of the archery deer and elk season in 2005 through the last
day of spring turkey season in 2007.
 
Exceptions to these dates include an open period for motorized all
terrain-vehicles (ATVs) access along the Howard Creek road from Jan. 1
through April 15 for anglers. During this period ATV travel will be
strictly limited to the main Howard Creek Rod along its path from Smith
Mountain to Rondows. No ATV travel is permitted off the main path.  
 
In the Norgaard area only, gates are open to permit removal of camping
equipment during the two days following the end of the last antlerless
elk season.
 
Gallatin requires all hay and straw used by hunters for horse and mule
feed or bedding to be certified free of noxious weeds or have a proof of
purchase from a county hay dealer or rancher. This requirement is
necessary to limit the spread of noxious weeds. Unauthorized commercial
packing, guiding and hunting services on Gallatin land is prohibited.
 
The Sled Springs MDA is a popular elk hunting destination. It also
offers hunting opportunities for mule deer, white-tailed deer, black
bear, ruffed grouse, blue grouse, and turkeys. The Sled Springs MDA was
developed to enhance the distribution and composition of elk herds, to
provide hunting opportunities on public and private lands, to improve
hunter success, landowner-hunter relationships; and hunter satisfaction
with game management programs.
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