A visitor to Crater Lake National Park has been ordered to pay for damage, after officials say he illegally drove his vehicle off-road, causing extensive damage.
Marsha McCabe from the National Park Service said in July of 2018, Evan Metz of Grants Pass drove over 3 miles into the Pumice Desert, causing significant resource damage. McCabe said the soil and vegetation were disturbed throughout the area.
In the area Metz drove around in circles while a friend took pictures, the disturbance exceeded 12 inches in depth and caused widespread vegetation mortality. One hundred percent of the soil was disturbed throughout the area impacted, and 90 percent of the plants were killed, according to McCabe.
The release said law enforcement rangers cited Metz for this offense and he paid a $200 collateral fine based on his insurance company paying the damage assessment cost of over $60,000. At least 15 species of plants were destroyed within the more than 3 acres of damage which was caused by the off-road incident.
The release said that Crater Lake National Park has been experiencing an increase in the number of vehicles illegally driving off-road. Year-to-date there has been 7 off road cases where park enforcement rangers contacted the individuals responsible, and 5 of those people were issued citations. Vehicle travel off-road is prohibited in all national parks unless otherwise posted. Not only is this a criminal offense with a penalty of up to $2,000 or 6 months in federal prison, violators can also face civil charges for damage to park resources and the cost of rehabilitation.
Most of the off-road violations occur in the Pumice Desert area of the park or other open pumice fields. The release said these fragile environments are covered by snow much of the year, leaving only a few months during the summer for plants to grow. Driving over the fragile soil can cause damage and leave scars that persist for many years to come.
McCabe said visitors to Crater Lake National Park wanting to enjoy the scenery should pull over far enough to be off the road, but not so far that they are parked on plants. Parking should be done on gravel shoulders or designated pull out or parking areas.