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41-603: Dee Wright Observatory is located in the Willamette National Forest 15 miles (24 km) west of Sisters, Oregon on Route 242 . The highway is part of the McKenzie-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway . McKenzie Pass is 5,325 feet (1,623 m) above sea level, and winter snow and the narrow road surface requires McKenzie Pass to be closed to motor vehicles from November to July each year. It is at times accessible to cyclists when

82-498: A continuous supply of timber for the use and necessities of the citizens of the United States", protection of the forests from destruction by fire and depredations, and development of mineral resources, among other provisions. The Organic Act led to establishment of forest reserve boundaries, forest supervisors, and forest ranger patrol districts. Addie Morris and Cy Bingham were noteworthy early rangers in areas that would become

123-515: A male householder with no spouse present. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age in the city was 39.0 years. 24.7% of residents were under the age of 18. The gender makeup of the city was 51.6% male and 48.4% female. Major employers in Sweet Home include Ti Squared Technologies,

164-572: A titanium foundry; White's Electronics, a metal detector manufacturer; HEVI-Shot, a manufacturer of shotshell ammunition; Cascade Timber Consulting, a timber investment management organization; United States Forest Service , Radiator Supply House , Murphy Plywood , McCool Millworks and the Sweet Home School District . The Weddle Covered Bridge , relocated from Thomas Creek near Scio , crosses Ames Creek at Sankey Park in Sweet Home. The Crawfordsville Covered Bridge spans

205-426: Is central to the famous controversy between the logging industry and the endangered species status of the northern spotted owl . Environmentalists maintain that the forest was aggressively clearcut for many years threatening a federally listed endangered species. The timber industry contended that the forest can simultaneously provide lumber jobs and wildlife habitat. Since April 1994, the forest has been governed by

246-442: Is one of dramatic change and heated controversies. The Willamette's timber sales continued at about 750 million board feet (1,800,000 m ) per year through the 1970s; however, the price bid per thousand increased dramatically. This price speculation led to timber sale defaults and sale buy-backs in the early 1980s. The volume not cut in the early 1980s was resold in the latter half of the decade. The "section 318" bill passed by

287-571: Is visited by thousands of travelers crossing McKenzie Pass each summer. [REDACTED] Willamette National Forest The Willamette National Forest is a National Forest located in the central portion of the Cascade Range of the U.S. state of Oregon . It comprises 1,678,031 acres (6,790.75 km ). Over 380,000 acres (694 mi , 1,540 km ) are designated wilderness which include seven major mountain peaks. There are also several National Wild and Scenic Rivers within

328-686: The Calapooia River 8 miles (13 km) southwest of Sweet Home and the Short Covered Bridge crosses the South Santiam River 12 miles (19 km) east of Sweet Home. The 2018 Capitol Christmas Tree, which comes from a different national forest every year, was acquired by the Sweet Home Ranger District (it is named after the town in which it is headquartered). The ranger district, part of

369-657: The Cascade Range . The Cascade Forest Reserve stretched from the Columbia River almost to the California border. From 1893 to 1897, the Cascade Forest Reserve was largely managed as a preserve. The Sundry Civil Appropriations Act of June 1897 (an organic act ) appropriated funds for management of the national forest reserves and mandated management goals. Those management goals included: "…securing favorable conditions of water flows, and to furnish

410-710: The Civilian Conservation Corps and through the use of sustained yield forestry. During World War II, the Willamette stepped up timber sales to provide resources for the war effort. Between 1942 and 1945, the Willamette sold 559 million board feet (1,320,000  m ) of timber. The years 1945 to 1970 mark an era of intensive forestry and forest management. This era included dramatic increases in recreation use, timber sales, dam construction, campground construction, and wildlife management. Mining claims were looked at much more critically. Grazing on

451-648: The Köppen Climate Classification system, Sweet Home has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate , abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps. The median income for a household in the city was $ 43,589; 20.7% of persons were below the poverty line . As of the census of 2020, there were 9,828 people, 3,721 households, and 2,315 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,684.0 inhabitants per square mile (650.2/km ). There were 4,037 housing units at an average density of 710.9 units per square mile (274.5 units/km ). The racial makeup of

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492-870: The Mount Jefferson area east of Salem to the Calapooya Ridge which divides the watersheds of the Willamette and Umpqua rivers. About 61% of the forest is located in Lane County , but there are large areas in Linn , Marion , and Douglas counties, as well as much smaller areas in Clackamas and Jefferson counties. The Cascade Forest Reserve was created in September 1893 by proclamation of U.S. President Grover Cleveland , in response to numerous petitions from local citizens requesting protection of

533-694: The Northwest Forest Plan , which restricts, but does not eliminate, logging in potential spotted owl habitat. Sweet Home, Oregon Sweet Home is a city in Linn County, Oregon , United States, with a population of 9,828 at the 2020 census. Sweet Home is referred to as the 'Gateway to the Santiam Playground' due to its proximity to nearby lakes, rivers and the Cascade Mountains. Settlers first arrived in

574-448: The Sweet Home School District . The district includes Sweet Home High School , a junior high school and four elementary schools. The district covers Sweet Home, Cascadia , Crawfordsville , Holley, Liberty, Pleasant Valley and other surrounding communities. Linn–Benton Community College operates a branch campus in Sweet Home. Santiam Sound The New Era newspaper is published weekly. The daily Albany Democrat-Herald also serves

615-461: The U.S. Congress increased the volume sold on the Willamette in 1990 to nearly 1 billion board feet (2,400,000 m ) of timber. After that, timber sale volumes declined rapidly. The Willamette National Forest Land Management Plan was approved in 1990. The plan was amended in 1993 by the Northwest Forest Plan (also called the President's Plan). In 1997, the Willamette's planned sale volume

656-576: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 5.75 square miles (14.89 km ), of which 5.30 square miles (13.73 km ) is land and 0.45 square miles (1.17 km ) is water. The intersection Oregon Route 228 and U.S. Route 20 occurs at the Western end of Sweet Home. The South Santiam River flows from Foster Reservoir along the northern city limits of Sweet Home. Ames Creek and Wiley Creek flow into

697-757: The Wilderness Act earlier that year created new wilderness areas and controversy over the management for the new areas. This era also marked the establishment and growth of an activist environmental movement . The movement is best known for the controversy surrounding the French Pete addition to the Three Sisters Wilderness. The history of the Forest Service and the Willamette National Forest after 1970

738-402: The Willamette National Forest . The Menagerie Wilderness has rock faces amenable to climbing . An 18-hole golf course, Mallard Creek Golf Club, is 11 miles (18 km) northwest of Sweet Home. The nearest ski resort, Hoo Doo Ski Bowl , is 52 miles (84 km) to the east, near Santiam Pass. Sweet Home public transportation service is provided by Linn Shuttle . Sweet Home is served by

779-565: The "Gateway to the Santiam Playground." Foster Reservoir on the South Santiam River has boat ramps and a year-round marina while Green Peter Reservoir provides two improved boat ramps. The South Santiam River offers salmon and steelhead fishing while Quartzville Creek is recognized for Class 4 and Class 5 kayaking. The South Santiam also supports gold panning, and petrified wood deposits nearby continue to draw attention. Hiking trails include Horse Rock Ridge , Soda Creek Falls Trail at Cascadia State Park and numerous trails throughout

820-493: The 1980s, Sweet Home experienced a number of sawmill and plywood mill closures due to economic cycles, increased competition, increased productivity, and logging restrictions placed on nearby forests resulting from environmental concerns for endangered species. In response, community members sought out other economic development opportunities such as the Oregon Jamboree country music and camping festival. According to

861-775: The Cascades back to Willamette Valley woolen mills. Competition with railroads that extended south from the Columbia River into central Oregon and the newly opened McKenzie Pass Highway made the wagon road obsolete by the late 1930s. U.S. Route 20 was constructed across much of the same route as the Santiam Wagon Road. Sweet Home experienced significant growth during the 1940s due to the demand for timber from local forests. Further growth occurred when construction began on nearby Green Peter Dam in 1962 and continued as construction began on Foster Dam in 1966. During

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902-463: The Cascades. Much of the precipitation is received in the form of snow which accumulates in higher elevations from October through April. The rain and snow melt drain into the McKenzie , Santiam , and Willamette rivers, which flow from the forest and provide high-quality drinking water to Eugene, Salem, Corvallis, and Albany. There are over 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) of rivers and streams in

943-738: The Cascades—Mount Jefferson, Mount Washington , Three Fingered Jack , Diamond Peak , North, Middle and South Sisters —as well as numerous high mountain lakes are within these wilderness areas. The McKenzie and the North Fork Middle Fork Willamette River are part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System . The forest receives 80 to 150 inches (2,000 to 3,800 millimeters) of precipitation each year from moist onshore Pacific Ocean flow which encounters adiabatic cooling rising over

984-634: The Deschutes River. In 1933, the Santiam National Forest and the Cascade National Forest were combined to form the Willamette National Forest. The period of 1905 to 1933 featured decentralized administration for the forests of the western Cascades. Forest and district administrative boundaries were further refined. The U.S. Forest Service made efforts to establish relationships with local communities and with

1025-596: The South Santiam River within the city limits. Sweet Home is built on a prehistoric petrified forest. In addition to fossil wood, the area includes a variety of agate , jasper , crystals and minerals. The abundant petrified wood at Holleywood Ranch (between Sweet Home and Holley, Oregon ) was the subject of an episode of the Travel Channel program Cash and Treasures . The region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F (22.0 °C). According to

1066-557: The Sweet Home Valley in the early 1850s. A community known as Buckhead developed near the mouth of Ames Creek and the South Santiam River . Buckhead was named after a saloon that featured a set of elk antlers on the gable end of its building. East of Buckhead, a community called Mossville developed with a store and post office. In 1874, the two communities merged to become one community called Sweet Home. In 1893,

1107-470: The Willamette National Forest, was awarded the opportunity to present the tree to the American people for the 2018 Christmas season. Sweet Home has seven city parks within city limits, but most recreational opportunities occur outside of town; the nearby wilderness supports boating, hunting, fishing, hiking, white-water sports, camping and gold panning . For this reason, Sweet Home describes itself as

1148-906: The Willamette National Forest. In 1908, the Cascade Forest Reserve was divided into the Oregon National Forest , the Cascade National Forest , the Umpqua National Forest and the Crater National Forest . In 1911, the Santiam National Forest was created from parts of the Oregon National Forest and the Cascade NF. The Deschutes National Forest was created from the portions that drain into

1189-544: The city of Sweet Home was incorporated. The Santiam Wagon Road , a toll road connecting the Willamette Valley with central Oregon, was opened in 1865. The road extended from the Sweet Home Valley across the Santiam Pass in the Cascades to Camp Polk near Sisters. The Santiam Wagon Road was a vital means of supplying livestock and goods from western Oregon to central Oregon and transporting wool from east of

1230-449: The city was 93.3% White , 0.3% African American , 1.3% Native American , 0.8% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 1.1% from other races , and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.7% of the population. There were 3,721 households, of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were married couples living together, 27.1% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 23.2% had

1271-630: The extent of old growth in the forest was 594,800 acres (240,700 ha). Over one dozen other conifer species are common in the forest, including western redcedar , incense-cedar , western white pine , ponderosa pine , Pacific yew , western hemlock , mountain hemlock , and several species of fir . The forest is home to over 300 species of fish and wildlife, including the northern spotted owl , mule deer , bald eagle , Chinook salmon , black-tailed deer , bull trout , black bear , cougar , southern red-backed vole , elk , wolverine , and several other sensitive and threatened species . The forest

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1312-505: The forest and crosses a 65-square-mile (170 km) lava flow. At the summit, the wagon road had to be cut through the lava beds. As a result, alternate routes over the Cascades were used by most early travelers. Today’s highway follows the wagon route over the lava beds past the observatory site. The observatory was built during the Great Depression by a Civilian Conservation Corps crew at Camp Belknap near Clear Lake . It

1353-498: The forest and over 375 lakes. The forest's dominant tree species is the Douglas-fir , the state tree of Oregon. Douglas-fir is a valuable timber species in the United States. The forest contains some stands of old-growth forest , some of which are over 300 feet (91 m) tall, among the tallest trees in the world, with tree diameters ranging from 3 to 8 feet (0.91 to 2.44 m). A 1993 Forest Service study estimated that

1394-485: The forest users. This was a time of extensive recreation planning in the western Cascades. A fire control organization was built. Mining claims were established, and the first large timber sales were sold near Detroit and Oakridge . During the Great Depression and World War II , the Willamette National Forest became a representative of the federal government in the communities of the western Cascades. Efforts were made to improve employment and economic conditions through

1435-600: The forest. The forest is named for the Willamette River , which has its headwaters in the forest. The forest's headquarters are located in the city of Springfield . There are local ranger district offices in McKenzie Bridge , Detroit , Sweet Home , and Westfir . The forest stretches for over 100 miles (160 km) along the western slopes of the Cascades in Western Oregon . It extends from

1476-560: The national forest was reduced and then virtually discontinued during this era. In 1962, the Columbus Day Storm downed an estimated 140 million board feet (330,000 m ) of timber and created many log jams on the rivers. Two years later, in 1964, the Christmas week flood hit the Willamette hard. Six campgrounds were fully destroyed, and seven more were damaged. Roads, bridges, and culverts were also lost. The passage of

1517-441: The observatory during good weather. The half-mile long Lava River Interpretive Trail begins at the observatory, and takes visitors on a 30-minute walk through lava beds. The trail is paved and easy to follow. Interpretive panels, located along the trail highlight the geology of the area. The trail also offers open vistas of the surrounding landscape. McKenzie Pass follows the path of an 1860 wagon route. The route emerges from

1558-743: The observatory’s roof to help visitors locate nearby geologic features as well as the surrounding mountain peaks. From the top of the observatory, visitors have a panoramic view of the Cascade Mountain Range including Mount Hood in the far north. Many peaks can easily be seen from Dee Wright Observatory: Mount Jefferson , Cache Mountain, Dugout Butte, Black Butte , Bluegrass Butte, Black Crater , North Sister , Middle Sister , Little Brother (and ridge west), Condon Butte, Scott Mountain, South Belknap Cone, Belknap Crater , Little Belknap, and Mount Washington . Mount Hood, Bald Peter, Green Ridge, and Horsepasture Mountain can also be seen from

1599-406: The road is closed to vehicles. The observatory is an open shelter built with basaltic andesite lava found at the construction site. The viewing windows are cut to specifically highlight the neighboring mountains. These "lava tube" viewing holes allow visitors to easily identify the different Cascade peaks. There is also a 36 inch (90 cm) diameter, bronze azimuth -like "peak finder" on

1640-457: Was 132 million board feet (310,000 m ). About one fifth, or 380,805 acres (1,541 km ), of the Willamette National Forest is designated as wilderness area , some of which conserve its old-growth forests: The elevation of the forest ranges from about 1,500 feet (460 meters) above sea level on the western edge of the forest to almost 10,500 ft (3,200 m) at the top of Mount Jefferson , Oregon's second-highest peak. Seven major peaks of

1681-603: Was completed in 1935, and named for the construction crew’s foreman who had died the previous year after serving 24 years as a Forest Service packer and crew foreman at Camp Belknap. In addition to Dee Wright Observatory, the rough-hewn timber shelter built by the Civilian Conservation Corps at Camp Belknap still stands near Clear Lake. Both sites are maintained by the United States Forest Service . Today, Dee Wright Observatory

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