Oregon’s 2025 legislative session is heading into its final weeks, and LandWatch is proud to report that it’s shaping up to be a good year for us in Salem.

The combined effects of a warmer and drier climate, more people living in fire-prone areas and vegetation and debris built up over years of fire suppression are leading to more severe fires that spread faster and put people, wild lands and economies at risk. Prescribed burns are a solution, but the U.S. Forest Service need the staffing, data and research to carry them out.

Wildfire is essential in our landscape, and an expected element of living, working, and playing in Central Oregon. As we plan for the future, we must learn to coexist with fire.

Cascade East Transit is offering free rides, expanded service, and fantastic prizes from June 2—8 during Try Transit Week! We checked in with Derek Hofbauer from CET to learn more about Central Oregon’s many transportation options.

The 2025 fire season is projected to be more intense than the 2024 season fire leaders said, but emergency response agencies have begun preparing early

Urban sprawl doesn’t solve the underlying problem of America’s housing shortage—it is the underlying problem.

Shared Post from the smart growth minds at strongtowns.org

On May 7, 2025, Thornburgh’s troubled attempt to revise its Fish and Wildlife Mitigation Plan will come before the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners again.

LandWatch is advocating for a data-driven approach that ensures Bend’s new tree code continues to support both streamlined housing development and the health of our urban forest.

With the recent award of $688,800 from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, the Bend to Suttle Lake Wildlife Passage Initiative has reached a critical fundraising milestone and secured the money needed to apply for federal matching funds for phase two of the project — engineering and design of four crossing structures.

Jeremy Orr, Director of Litigation and Advocacy Partnerships at Earthjustice from Earthjustice, and attorneys from Crag Law Center and Advocates for the West will join Central Oregon LandWatch to examine the Trump administration’s motivations with regard to national forest management and explain how the environmental justice community is pushing back against questionable, dangerous or illegal moves. 

We’re kicking off Earth Month by sharing a selection of resources designed to inspire practical climate action — personalized for you. We hope these tools help you feel empowered to see yourself and your community as a tangible driver of climate solutions.

Bend has advanced to the Final Four in the national Strongest Town Contest—an exciting recognition of the work being done to create a more sustainable, resilient, and livable city.

Your vote can help propel Bend to the championship!

When a data center came knocking, Christmas Valley farmers weren’t interested. Read on for the backstory on a significant win for Christmas Valley and Lake County, and an update on an ongoing challenge to preserve agricultural land in Jefferson County.

In the first month of the new administration, environmental advocates have faced a maelstrom of threats to the foundations of environmental protection and community well-being. 

At LandWatch, we are determined to stay focused on the positive changes we can affect. We are here to defend the land and water of Central Oregon and ensure a livable future for all its residents — and we won’t settle for anything less.

Our Cities & Towns team is focused on two key priorities during Oregon’s 2025 legislative session: affordable housing and transportation. 

We’ve detailed some of the key opportunities on our radar in Salem this year that will move Complete Communities forward in our cities and towns east of the Cascades.

Oregon’s land use planning system is hailed as a model for preserving its unique agricultural and forest landscapes while fostering sustainable growth.

Despite this, a troubling trend has emerged in recent years: spot zoning of farm and forest lands.

Today, the National Marine Fisheries Service’s “non-essential experimental population” (NEP) designation for Upper Deschutes Basin steelhead expires — meaning all steelhead above the Pelton Round Butte dams are now officially listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

So much happened throughout 2024. The LandWatch team is proud to have realized some big accomplishments in the name of regional livability on behalf of Central Oregonians like you. Here is a brief retrospective of some of the things we got up to in the field, in the courtroom, and alongside our amazing community of supporters!

Over the past year, LandWatch added staff and board capacity to keep pace with the rapid change in our region, expand our impact, and achieve our ambitious vision for the future.

Now, we’re excited to introduce four inspiring community members who will be joining the LandWatch Board of Directors in 2025. Get to know Jackie Dingfelder, Nancy Hinnen, Erin Rifkin, and Peter Shepherd!

Join us as we delve into the intersectional intricacies of the United States’ most famous wildlife conservation law and Central Oregon’s prevailing framework for (theoretically) balancing the needs of water users and threatened species to better understand a path toward meaningful steelhead habitat restoration and population recovery in the Upper Deschutes Basin.