As someone who utilized the trails 6 days a week, it would be amazing to see more technical trails put in for the community to use. We have a great trail network already and it would be great to continue to build upon it.

Access to this forest has been and remains very valuable to my physical and mental health. I hope that the stewards of this forest will expand recreational use to include sanctioning more difficult trails for both mountain bikes and trail runners while maintaining trail options for hikers. The value of sanctioning more difficult trails is added trail builder engagement, user enjoyment, and trail maintenance. Although the forest was originally designated for research purposes I believe public lands should be accessible to citizens as well as academics. With cooperative recreation development the research needs can be met while providing expanded access to city residents.

I have lived out in Soap Creek Valley for almost 35 years. There is a lot more traffic and people visiting OSU at all entrances into the forest in the past five. Since OSU is encouraging people to recreate at these different areas I would hope they would provide more doggie bags for all the dog walkers. I feel there should be a dispenser at every gate and trailhead.

I live on Oak Creek Drive not far from the gate. Currently, the traffic is along the lines of that expected of a 30- dwelling housing development on a daily basis, more on nice weekends.
There are no shoulders on much of the road beyond the junction with Cardwell Hill. The sight lines are poor, especially near our driveway. We understand that recreation is an important use, but we also find it is nearly impossible to safely walk or bicycle on our road on weekends and late afternoons when traffic is heavy. *This is our neighborhood.* Although most forest users are considerate, even 20 mph feels very fast if a car passes you so closely you could reach out and touch it. That's not uncommon because the road is so narrow and there is no way to step off the pavement in many areas. We urge the college to carefully consider how more access can be created across a variety of trailheads to prevent any one neighborhood from having to bear the brunt of the negative effects of the increased traffic, which is a major safety issue as well as a significant livability issue (the traffic noise can be considerable, we never encounter our neighbors anymore, and I've peeled dozens of dead wild animals off the pavement over the past decade). I'm not interested in becoming literal road kill for other peoples' enjoyment, but I also expect to be able to safely walk my dogs near my home or use my bicycle for transportation to town (which it is, on a daily basis). 

As a Benton County resident, I am stunned - quite frankly - at OSU's recent history of McDonald Dunn forest management practices, i.e., clear cut logging of old-growth and mature trees in the name of financial profit. During a time of incredibly destructive climate change, every single person and entity must do everything possible to mitigate damage already done, and take every measure to protect our fragile future. Every single person relies on more than 20,000 breaths of air; approximately 8 glasses of clean drinkable water; and 3 plates of healthy food every single day - all of which are made possible by healthy diverse forests. We all benefit greatly from free-of-charge ecosystem services provided by healthy diverse forests. Our very existence is also compromised by prioritizing financial profit over forest health and integrity. OSU's management plan must place a high priority on supporting any and all strategic actions leading to a diverse forest representative of Pacific NW native tree and plant species. Management priorities must also include careful management of fragile stream embankments to prevent erosion and the spread of noxious weeds and non-native species. OSU's management plan must also create habitat conditions that provide for a diverse population of native insect, bird, amphibian, mammal and other wildlife species once found in the McDonald Dunn Forest. We - as a community - owe it to ourselves and our forest inhabitants the chance to calm climate change and support a healthy way of life by protecting lands, waters and wildlife. I'm asking OSU to create and strategically manage the McDonald Dunn Forest for conservation purposes only.

Will the new management plan offer more connectivity from the Urban area to Oak Creek or the MLK park or the Dimple Creek area? Not having to ride down Oak Creek would be a Joy. in the early 1990s, this was identified as a top priority for safety and accessibility. 1.6-2.0 Miles to reach Oak creek from MLK and use Skirt the sheep barn property.

I want to thank you for providing trails and trail access in McDonald and Dunn forests and encourage you to continue to increase the trail system. I am an avid cyclist who enjoys the trails in the dry season and the gravel roads in the wet season. I feel extremely fortunate to be able to share the diversity of forests and landscapes that are within biking distance from many homes. Expanding the multi-use trail network will allow more people to appreciate the forest, alleviate crowding on peak days, and will provide key access and escape routes for firefighters. The same newly built trail that may provide enjoyment, health benefits, and education to many could be a life saving escape route or the beginning of a control line during a wildfire. I support Team Dirt as a member and trail build volunteer and I appreciate the mutually beneficial relationship between OSU and organizations such as Team Dirt. My hope is you will consider expanding the trail network within McDonald Forest and into Dunn Forest.

Thanks for hosting the community forum meeting tonight in room 117 Peavy Hall. It was informative to say the least.
I am not sure how people can say "can't we just not manage the forest" in one breath, sound the alarm bell of climate change and catastrophic wildfire in the other breath and not understand that they are compromising the very health of the forest, not to mention humankind and infrastructure. I know when the fire engines roll into our neighborhood and look at our next door neighbor, our neighbor across the street and lastly look at our house, they will set up camp at our house because the other neighbors houses are destined to burn based on the underbrush, dead trees and downed limbs. That's the result of ""unmanaged"" it burns to the ground - how come they don't see this?
I was sitting and listening to the experts on managing the forest and hoping that my cardiologist doesn't have a community forum of experts like therapists, psychology majors and people who think they know about heart health to decide about my heart surgery. We so appreciate the recreational offerings at the forest that we can't say Thank You enough - so THANK YOU and OSU FORESTERS keep on managing the forests well - as you have done. 

The forest plan is complex as there are many factors and trade-offs to consider. Please retain and update the excellent historical and structural overview found on pages 6-13 of the 2005 plan. I favor stress in carbon storage given the climate crisis we are facing. Retaining old growth and fire resilience are important. Recreation is an important value in our community, but a balance should be found. Minimizing impacts of logging and overuse should be included in the evaluation

Class 1 Electric bikes are a constantly growing category of the bicycle industry. As Oregon, the NFS, and many other states evaluates Class 1 emtb's and allow them in more and more places, it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. Choosing to be on the side of when sooner than later will only encourage people to find more value of the trail areas they have locally, encouraging them to be more active and participant in maintaining and caring for those spaces.