Butte Falls' community forest and trail project defining first steps

BUTTE FALLS, Ore.- The Butte Falls’ community forest and trail project is defining the first steps in its plan and timeline.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Butte Falls Mayor Trish Callahan hosted an open house meeting October 26. They invited community members to share their priorities for the forest recreation plan.

They hope to start construction in the spring of 2024 and they’ve already identified where they’re starting; the town’s namesake.

“Our first priority is getting a new viewing deck,” Mayor Callahan told NBC5, “We’ve has one that has been up there for probably forty years and it’s wood and it’s about time to give up the ghost on it”.

Mayor Callahan hopes new attractions, like an archery range and day camping, will also bring more tourism to the area.

“That [the new attractions planned] will help our economic development to be able to move forward, bring more people into town,” Mayor Callahan continued, “We don’t have a lot of businesses here. But maybe that will spark somebody’s thoughts and maybe they’ll join us and want to bring company up here”.

The National Park Service’s River, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program has supported Butte Falls in developing this plan.

Butte Falls and BLM are still discussing the order of what they will work on next.