U.S. The U.S. Forest Service has initiated efforts to dismantle a homeless encampment situated within a national forest in Oregon, where certain individuals are believed to have been residing for several years.
The operation, located in Deschutes National Forest, will include thinning smaller trees, clearing brush, and conducting controlled burns across thousands of acres.
While the fuel reduction project has been in planning stages for years, the timing of the encampment’s removal follows a recent executive order from the Trump administration urging federal agencies to accelerate logging and land management efforts to reduce wildfire risks.
“The urgency with which this is being carried out, right after the federal push to open forests for logging, seems far from coincidental,” said Jesse Rabinowitz, a representative from the National Homelessness Law Center.
Forest Closure Displaces Campers as Wildfire Prevention Project Moves Forward in Central Oregon
The U.S. Forest Service has enforced a full closure of a section of Deschutes National Forest in Oregon, displacing numerous unhoused individuals and others camping in the area, as wildfire prevention work gets underway. The decision restricts all public access — including both day use and overnight stays — to allow crews to operate safely during hazardous restoration activities.
“The shutdown isn’t aimed at any one group,” said Forest Service spokesperson Kaitlyn Webb. “It applies to everyone, since the area will be an active work zone with heavy machinery, tree removal, mowing, prescribed burns, and hazardous material cleanup. It simply isn’t safe for people to remain while this is happening.”
Campers who had established makeshift shelters, trailers, and RVs beneath the ponderosa pines rushed to pack up their belongings late Wednesday night. By early Thursday morning, officials had blocked the two-lane access road. It was unclear by afternoon how many people remained on the site, though some lacked the means to move out in time.
Plans for the forest’s restoration and fire risk reduction have been in development for years, particularly for lands near Bend, Oregon. However, the number of people living in the forest surged following the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, as many lost jobs and could no longer afford housing, noted Jesse Rabinowitz of the National Homelessness Law Center.
The wildfire mitigation effort comes in the context of broader federal forest policy shifts. A March executive order sought to increase the timber supply through expanded logging.
Whether Trump’s directive will have the intended impact on lumber production is still uncertain. During President Joe Biden’s term, forest management initiatives to reduce fire threats also continued, though timber harvest levels remained largely unchanged.
The closure stems from the Cabin Butte Vegetation Management Project, a wildfire prevention plan covering approximately 30,000 acres (12,000 hectares) of the Deschutes National Forest, which includes thinning, clearing, and controlled burning to reduce fuel loads and fire risk.
Efforts to minimize wildfire danger and rehabilitate fragile ecosystems impacted by nearby development are driving a large-scale forest management operation in the Deschutes National Forest near Bend, Oregon, officials said in a recent statement. As a result, several recreational spots and hiking paths in the affected zone will remain off-limits until at least April of next year.
On Thursday, numerous U.S. Forest Service officers and vehicles were seen monitoring the closure site, where a metal gate blocked access to a forest road. A posted notice warned that the temporary emergency shutdown is expected to last a minimum of one year. Individuals found violating the order could face penalties including fines of up to $5,000, up to six months in jail, or both.
Legal Challenge Fails to Halt Closure
She worked to get her trailer running so she could evacuate the area.
“There was a real weight in the air — you could sense everyone’s anxiety and sadness,” she told The Associated Press. “We’re one of those groups that society often overlooks or dismisses.”
Bryant, along with three other encampment residents and two housing rights advocates, filed for a restraining order in an attempt to stop the eviction and area shutdown. The complaint warned that the closure would inflict lasting harm on over 100 individuals residing in the forest, many of whom reportedly live with physical or mental disabilities.
However, a judge declined to block the closure, allowing the Forest Service to proceed with its wildfire mitigation and habitat restoration plan as scheduled.
Court Upholds Forest Closure as Government Cites Long-Term Planning and Public Safety
In court filings, the federal government stated that U.S. Forest Service personnel began informing individuals residing in the Deschutes National Forest as early as January about the impending closure. The underlying forest restoration and wildfire mitigation project was initially proposed in 2019 and officially approved in 2023, according to the documents.
In his ruling, he emphasized the broader environmental and safety concerns.
“The public has a strong and legitimate interest in rehabilitating ecosystems, reducing the risk of devastating wildfires, and maintaining the overall health of the Deschutes National Forest,” McShane wrote. “That interest outweighs the desire of approximately 150 individuals to remain on this specific section of public land.”
Kaitlyn Webb, spokesperson for Deschutes National Forest, told The Oregonian/OregonLive that authorities are aiming for people to comply voluntarily with the closure. However, she added that Forest Service personnel will actively patrol the area to enforce the order and protect public safety.