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Failure to plow Sno-Park irks volunteers ODOT says there�s no money By Paul Fattig PROSPECT � Gene Bowling was beaming when snowmobilers, Nordic skiers, hikers, horseback riders and motorcyclists joined forces last summer to build a shelter at Hamaker Sno-Park in Rogue River National Forest. But his ardor cooled when the Oregon Department of Transportation didn�t continue the "barn-raising" atmosphere by plowing the Sno-Park this winter. Early last week a citizen used a snow blower to clear the Sno-Park about 20 miles north of Prospect on the west side of Highway 230. The Multiple-Use Trail Coalition built the 1,200-square-foot shelter. "We were quite disappointed when ODOT didn�t plow it," said Bowling, a board member of the coalition and the Rogue Valley Snowmobilers group. "They were plowing the road but didn�t stop to plow the parking lot," he added. "They were told not to go in there to do it." "It seems a shame to have built it and not be able to get into it," said Edgar Hee, president of the Southern Oregon chapter of the Nordic Ski Club. "A lot of people did a lot of work with the expectation that it would be available year-round." It wasn�t that ODOT didn�t want to clear the Sno-Park, said John Vial, the agency�s district manager. "We�d be happy to plow it," he said. "But it is not in the program. We have insufficient funds to plow all of them (Sno-Parks)." The agency, which depends on state gas taxes to pay for the snow-removal program, relies heavily on recommendations from its Winter Recreation Advisory Committee when deciding which Sno-Parks to plow, Vial said. The committee denied a request to plow the Hamaker Sno-Park during the 2000-2001 season but will review the request for the 2001-2002 season when it meets in April, officials said. Made up of winter recreationalists from around the state, the committee is appointed by the department. "The committee receives lots of requests and makes recommendations on what to plow and what not to plow," Vial said. "We�d love to do that work," he said. "But there are simply far more Sno-Parks to plow than we have funds to plow them." The Forest Service has proposed to the committee that the Sno-Park be plowed by ODOT and will make that proposal again in April, said Gary Bartlett, Forest Service representative to the coalition. "We understand that ODOT could not legally plow it out because it has not been designated," Bartlett said. "But we�re continuing to work with ODOT. I�m confident we can get them to place it on their Sno-Park program." Operators of the Diamond Lake Resort brought in their snow blower last week to clear the 1.25-acre Sno-Park. The Forest Service provided a truck to haul the snow blower. About 30 inches of snow has accumulated at the site. "But we had two busloads of grade school kids and a busload of Special Olympic kids that had to walk in from the highway earlier this winter," Bowling said, noting the coalition hopes to avoid a repeat of similar incidents by having ODOT keep the Sno-Park free of snow. The shelter, which is open to the public, includes a wood stove. The coalition will install doors and benches this spring, Bowling said. The structure was erected in three weekends, he said, noting that more than 70 volunteers were working on the project one day. Local firms donated about $12,000 in equipment, he said. The Federal Highway Administration built the parking lot around the shelter. Volunteer efforts saved the Forest Service about $60,000, Bartlett said. The agency provided $40,000 in materials. "When you get that many people working together from different groups, that�s pretty impressive," Bowling said. "But we still hope ODOT will start plowing it." Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.