Bend parks seeks pedestrian bridge across Deschutes

The Bend Park & Recreation District would like to build a pedestrian bridge in the Deschutes River canyon south of Bend but is likely to spend the next several years navigating a series of regulatory hurdles.

The proposed bridge, to be located at the southern edge of the current urban growth boundary, would link segments of the Deschutes River Trail on the east side of the river with trails crisscrossing the Deschutes National Forest to the west. The bridge would cross the river a short distance downstream from the Meadow Camp Day Use Area.

First, the district will have to persuade the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department to change a rule that bars any entity from applying to build a river crossing. The rule applies to 28 miles of the Deschutes River upstream of Bend, which is designated by state parks as a state scenic waterway.

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department has scheduled a public hearing for Oct. 28 to take testimony on the proposed rule change.

Chris Havel, a state parks spokesman, said the prohibition on accepting applications for crossings dates from the 1980s, when the section of river was designated a state scenic waterway.

Havel said each of Oregon’s 20 state scenic waterways are subject to limits on development to protect the rivers’ scenic and recreational value, while only two — the Upper Deschutes and the Metolius — have additional prohibitions against bridges. He said it’s a little unclear what kind of concerns prompted the adoption of the restriction for the Upper Deschutes

“If there’s anybody still around who was around back then, we hope to hear from them,” he said.

Havel said his department has sent notices to every address within a quarter mile of the proposed bridge site advising them of the hearing, but anyone is welcome to attend the hearing and submit testimony.

Don Horton, the Bend park district’s executive director, said he’s also unsure why new bridges were banned upstream of Bend.

“As best as we can tell — and there’s really no evidence to support this — but at the time the rules were being made, people in Bend were concerned about urban growth, and they didn’t want any bridge crossings on the Deschutes River,” Horton said.

Horton said if the park district can persuade the state to change the rule against bridges, the district will need to conduct a study that convinces the Forest Service that a bridge will not overburden the trail system west of the river. The section of river is also designated as a federal wild and scenic river, he said, which could present additional regulatory complications.

The 2012 park district bond designated approximately $1.2 million for a bridge and connecting trails at the south end of the urban growth boundary, but Horton said it’s too early in the planning process to know when construction might be possible.

Havel said state parks staffers will compile a report outlining testimony at the Oct. 28 hearing, which will be submitted to the state parks commission. The commission is scheduled to vote on the prospective rule change in February, he said.

— Reporter: 541-383-0387,

shammers@bendbulletin.com