SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The U.S. Forest Service is seeking to limit the number of hikers in Oregon’s wilderness by requiring permits for popular areas.
The plan announced this month by Willamette and Deschutes national forests would require a permit to hike or backpack in the Mount Jefferson, Mount Washington, Three Sisters, Diamond Peak and Waldo Lake wilderness areas, The Statesman Journal said.
The goal is to limit crowds and damage by restricting numbers, officials said. But it would also represent a fundamental change in a state that for the most part allows people to venture as they please on public lands.
Some were concerned with the permit cost of $6 to $12. Hunters, however, were happy they would be exempt from the permit requirement after purchasing a tag.
