PORTLAND, Ore. -- A new turn lane is under fire from some native Americans who say the land is sacred ground.

According to the Oregon Department Of Transportation’s Christine Miles, the area around Wildwood has been logged and permitted involving a new turnout.

But advocate Carol Logan said tribes have been using the area for centuries as a burial and ceremonial site.

Miles said the land is owned by the Bureau of Land Management. The permitting process can take up to four years and the agency has been working on the plans for some time.

kgw.com photo/contributor Randy Craig

The view of Mt. Hood and the forest area surrounding it.

A hearing was set to happen on the matter Thursday before the state historical heritage committee.