Feb. 11, 2005
by: Chris Barker
The Bulletin

A Bend-based environmental group is upping the ante in the fight over  motorized access to the Badlands east of Bend.

   The Oregon Natural Desert Association (ONDA), which spent $15,000 in recent  weeks on advertisements urging residents to lobby Deschutes County  commissioners for a federal wilderness designation, on Thursday released  results of a $3,000 poll on issue.

   `I think if they're going to take on an issue like this they need to step  up to the plate and make a decision,` said ONDA director Bill Marlett, of the  county commission.

   The County Commission is currently considering whether to either endorse  the ONDA wilderness designation, support a smaller wilderness designation,  endorse a separate U.S. Bureau of Land Management plan to close the area to  motorized travel, support a non-wilderness designation or take no action.

   Commissioners are expected to make a decision by March.

   The poll, which was conducted by Virginia-based American Viewpoint, showed  that 69 percent of county voters surveyed believe a 37,000-acre area of the  Badlands should be closed to motorized vehicles.

   The telephone poll of 300 registered voters showed a 12 percent increase in  support of a federal wilderness designation since May 2004, when a similar  survey was conducted on behalf of ONDA.

   `Much to our surprise, pleasantly speaking, the level of support has  increased significantly,` Marlett said.

   The Bend-based group wants Oregon's congressional delegation to push for  the designation, which would close 10 miles of motorized vehicle trails in the  Badlands.

   All-terrain vehicle enthusiasts, motorcyclists and some disabled advocates  have opposed the proposed designation.

   Pollsters called residents across Deschutes County on Monday, said John  Wilson of American Viewpoint. After explaining that ONDA's proposal would  prohibit motorized travel but would allow hiking, horseback riding and  hunting, questioners asked if they `favor or oppose conserving this area as  wilderness?` according to a transcript of the poll questions.

   The poll has margin of error of plus- or minus 5.8 percent, according to  American Viewpoint.

   Joani Dufourd, land-use director of the Central Oregon Motorcycle and  All-Terrain Vehicle Club, wasn't impressed by the poll numbers.

   Using words like `conserve` can skew poll results by making people believe the only way to protect the area is to designate it as wilderness, she said.

    `If we had the kind of money behind us that ONDA has behind them, I  believe the polls would be coming in differently,` Dufourd said.

   ONDA's campaign may be working, according to a county official who has been  processing a flood of public comment on the controversial issue. The deadline  for comments to the commissioners is 5 p.m. today.

   County officials had catalogued 778 phone calls, e-mails or letters on the  Badlands issue as of Thursday afternoon, according to Bonnie Baker, executive  secretary for the County Commission. Of those, only 176 had weighed in against  wilderness, she said.

   `Our fax machine hasn't had a workout like this ever,` Baker wrote in an  e-mail.