PRINEVILLE, Ore. - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Prineville District Office and Waibel Ranches, LLC, have worked cooperatively to find a solution to the 2015 closure of Teaters Road that will restore public access from Highway 380 (Paulina Highway) north to the North Fork Crooked River area and the Ochoco National Forest.
Under the mutually acceptable resolution, Waibel Ranches, LLC has offered to build a new, high-quality road to the west of Teaters Road, solely on private property and at its own expense. The new road will be donated to Crook County upon completion. Once accepted by the county, the road will become a Local Access Road open to the public with the same kinds of access to the BLM North Fork Crooked River area and Ochoco National Forest that Teaters Road has provided.
While the new road is under construction, Teaters Road will remain closed to public access, in part to minimize the risk of vandalism to road construction equipment. However, if the new road is not complete and open to the public by Aug. 10, 2016, Teaters Road will be opened for public use from that date through Nov. 30, 2016 to allow access to BLM and Forest Service lands to the north during fall hunting season. Teaters Road would be closed again after Nov. 30, 2016, while road construction continues. If the new road is still not complete and open by Aug. 1, 2017, though, Teaters Road would be opened again for public use until the new road is complete and available for public use.
These dates could change; however, if there is evidence of poaching, trespass, or vandalism on Waibel Ranch lands adjacent to Teaters Road while the gates are open, and the parties jointly agree that the damage warrants closure of the gates. Throughout this time, Waibel Ranches, LLC, has indicated it will allow the use of Teaters Road for emergency purposes or BLM administrative access at any time.
The BLM and Waibel Ranches, LLC, appreciate the public’s patience while they have been working out this path forward. The public is asked to continue to be respectful of private property rights and to report to authorities any suspicious activity or witnessed vandalism to the Waibel Ranches property. You can find more information about the Prineville District at: blm.gov/or/districts/prineville
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
