BEND, Ore. — Dozens of unhoused individuals living off China Hat Road face a Thursday deadline to vacate a 40-square-mile section of national forest as the U.S. Forest Service prepares to begin the Cabin Butte Vegetation Management Project—a large-scale wildfire mitigation effort that includes forest thinning and prescribed burns.
The closure, scheduled to last at least one year, has left many in the homeless community scrambling to find a new place to live, with few options and little time remaining.
“It’s a lot to deal with,” said Cassie Giffee, who has been living in the woods off China Hat Road. “A lot to prioritize, and a lot to say—what do we do? Where do we go?”
The area south of Bend has long been home to encampments, offering a level of privacy and distance from city enforcement. But authorities now say the project is critical for public safety. The Forest Service, in partnership with local and federal agencies, will close access to the area starting May 2. Anyone remaining in the closure zone after that date may be forcibly removed and could face fines of up to $5,000 or up to six months in jail.
For residents like Teresa Bradshaw, the timing feels particularly harsh.
“It’s not fair for them to ask us in the middle of winter to move and then expect us to be out of here by May 1, when there’s nothing we can do,” Bradshaw said. “This is the only month we’ve had nice weather. I get that we need to move. But we’re human beings. It’s hard when there’s nowhere to go.”
The closure has triggered legal action from a coalition of attorneys and homeless advocates, who filed for a temporary restraining order in federal court last week. The group argues that the eviction would cause irreparable harm and fails to provide adequate time or resources for those affected.
“We believe there’s a clear argument that the people about to be swept from the area will suffer an irreversible impact,” said Eric Garrity, a homeless advocate involved in the lawsuit. “The merits of our case are strong, and we hope the judge will grant the restraining order.”
A ruling on the legal challenge was expected as early as Monday, though no decision had been announced by press time.
In the meantime, stress levels in the makeshift encampments are rising as residents face a “mad dash” to relocate.
“Everybody out here is so stressed,” Bradshaw said. “It’s terrible.”
Giffee echoed the concern: “There ain’t much available. It’s every man for himself right now.”
Officials maintain that the Cabin Butte Project is vital to protecting Bend from the increasing threat of wildfires, but for those living in the path of that effort, the cost feels personal—and immediate.
