When Paul Lusk picked his campsite at Big River Campground south of Bend a couple of weeks ago, he did so with trout in mind.

“I’m here early so I can get a good spot when the fishing starts,” he said last week.

But a U.S. Forest Service change to rules about how long campers can stay on the Deschutes National Forest means he won’t be around to cast into the Deschutes River near the campground when stream trout season starts today.

The forest used to allow campers to stay at one site for 30 days in a row, said Jean Nelson-Dean, spokeswoman for the Deschutes National Forest. Now campers are allowed to stay for 14 days in a row.

“By having this 14-day limit it allows more people access to some of the premier spots,” Nelson-Dean said.

It also brings the Deschutes stay-limit rules into line with other national forests around the Northwest, she said.

Oregon also limits campers to 14-day stays at state parks, said Chris Havel, spokesman for Oregon State Parks. He said the state’s limit has been in force for about 15 years. It is meant to give campsites a break.

“It was pretty hard on the campgrounds to have a single (party) staying at a campsite for a long time,” he said.

Nelson-Dean said the new rule is also intended to stop “resource damage” caused by campers staying at a site for a month.

The campsite damage argument is a weak one, Lusk said.

“I’ve seen more things wrong with people being here overnight than people being here long-term,” he said.

Lusk, 55, who was laid off last year from an ironworking job in Portland and plans to move to Central Oregon, takes issue with the limit. He said he didn’t learn about it until he was already at the campground.

“It’s been 30 days for years,” he said.

He said campers are from all around the state are coming to Central Oregon, some looking to spend a month at their favorite place.

“When they get up there, they are going to be in for a surprise,” he said.

Rangers have been visiting campgrounds on the Deschutes National Forest and telling campers about the new stay limit, Nelson-Dean said.

While the change shortens how long campers can stay in one spot at a time, it lengthens how long they can stay on the forest.

Under the old guidelines, campers were limited to staying 30 days total. The new rules allow an unlimited amount of stay as long as a camping party moves at least five miles every two weeks.

Lusk said it will be a hassle to pack up all his gear and move more than five miles to another campground that may be full or much busier. Exploring for a new campsite could be expensive, with gas around $4 per gallon, said Lusk, who drives an RV.

“I don’t know if my motor home will fit in some of those spots,” he said.