Stott Mtn, Oregon

The unit is steep and heavily dissected, characteristic of the Oregon Coast Range. Most terrain sits below 1,000 feet elevation, but the southwestern portion rises above 2,000 feet. The overall range runs from near sea level along Siletz Bay and the Salmon River drainage to approximately 3,600 feet at higher ridgelines. Slopes are consistently steep with narrow ridges and deeply cut river drainages including the South Fork Siletz River, Fanno Ridge, Gravel Creek, Mill Creek, Elk Creek, and Euchre Creek drainages.

Key highway corridors: State Hwy 223 (Dallas to Falls City/Valsetz corridor), Valsetz Road (west from Falls City into the South Fork Siletz drainage), State Hwy 18 (northern boundary near Rose Lodge), and State Hwy 22 (eastern boundary). Public land: Siuslaw National Forest provides the primary federal access, including the Cascade Head National Scenic-Research Area (with weapon restrictions — archery and shotgun only in the Cascade Head–Lincoln City Special Area; centerfire rifles, muzzleloaders, and handguns are prohibited). Salem District BLM holds scattered parcels including near Hogback Mountain. George T. Gerlinger State Experimental Forest lies west of Falls City. Private industrial timberland access is extensive through the Stott Mountain–North Alsea Travel Management Area (TMA), which covers portions of WMU 17 and northern WMU 18. Major participating landowners in the TMA include Weyerhaeuser, Hancock Forests, Manulife Forest Management, and Oregon Department of Forestry. TMA rules: yellow-signed roads are closed to motor vehicles year-round; motorized vehicle access is permitted only at fire danger levels IFPL 1–2; walk-in access is allowed at IFPL 3; at IFPL 4 all public access is prohibited. The Mill Creek/Sugarloaf area (Polk County portion) is closed to motor vehicles for the entire fire season. No camping, campfires, ATVs, or motorized bikes are permitted on private TMA lands. Siletz Gorge Road is open only on weekends between Wildcat Bridge and Gravel Creek. The Rickreall area is closed to vehicles November 1–30 and the Luckiamute area contains a nine-square-mile motor vehicle exclusion zone. TMA maps are available through ODFW. Access hours on private lands: one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset. Contacts: Hancock Forests (503-838-1610), Weyerhaeuser (888-741-5403), ODFW Corvallis office (541-757-4186), Newport office (541-867-4741).

Dominated by Coast Range mixed conifer forest — Sitka spruce, western hemlock, Douglas-fir, and red alder — with an extensive patchwork of clearcuts and regenerating second-growth in various stages from grassy/brushy slash to pole-timber stands. Early successional clearcut habitats provide the primary forage for both black-tailed deer and Roosevelt elk. The Cascade Head area within the unit contains remnant native prairie. Riparian corridors follow the Siletz and its tributaries with dense alder and vine maple. The landscape is a checkerboard of industrial timberland and public forest with few open agricultural areas.

The unit supports healthy populations of Columbian black-tailed deer and Roosevelt elk as the primary big game. Deer numbers are stable with buck-to-doe ratios around 16 per 100 does for the eastern portion (on par with the 5-year average and slightly below the 20:100 management benchmark); fawn ratios were essentially average in 2025 surveys. Roosevelt elk populations are stable to slightly increasing; bull ratios have historically been below management objectives but remained stable in the Stott Mountain area in recent surveys while calf ratios improved. Black bear are present and abundant throughout the Coast Range forest. Cougar are present as a breeding population throughout western Oregon Coast Range. Elk migrate seasonally between lower-elevation clearcuts in winter and higher ridge-top regenerating stands in summer. Deer and elk concentrate in early successional clearcut habitats and checkerboard public/private interface areas. Key elk areas include the South Fork Siletz River, Fanno Ridge, Gravel Creek, Mill Creek, Elk Creek, Euchre Creek, Murphy Road, and the mainstem Siletz River. The Siletz River system supports important fish habitat.