Madrone Wall to become park

But advocates are unhappy with the county's decision to log property

By Matthew Graham

The Clackamas Review, Mar 4, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

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The Clackamas forest once wildly popular with rock climbers – the activity is currently illegal there – will be turned into a park, the county decided last month.

The site, currently referred to as the Madrone Wall and located off of Highway 224 near Carver, contains 43 acres currently zoned for timber harvesting.

The county intends to stop harvesting timber indefinitely on the lower half of the site and is working on approving recreation and parks activities there. The top half will remain available for logging.

The county has estimated the total plan would cost about $880,000 to develop.

Turning the site into a park has a great deal of support from residents in the Barton and Eagle Creek area, though most of them are opposed to any logging on the site.

“Opinions expressed at the county-sponsored concept plan meetings regarding the logging of the upper plateau were unanimous in opposition,” said Charlene DeBruin, president of the Eagle Creek/Barton Citizen Planning Organization, in a letter to the county. “Opposition to logging the site is overwhelming; please listen to the input you requested and do not log this amazing civic treasure. A short-term financial gain for a long-term loss will take decades to recover.

“Removing all or a portion of the merchantable trees makes the remaining trees subject to wind damage in the future,” the letter continued. “Some studies conducted on previous cutover lands have determined that root fiber deterioration of the cut trees could contribute to slope failures starting four or five years after logging occurs. Any widespread timber harvest activities would detract from recreational activities the public could expect to enjoy and appreciate from the natural forest environment there.”

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