To assure that the Deschutes River is well-represented in future policy deliberations and decision-making, we are proud to announce that the former Executive Director of the Deschutes River Conservancy, Tod Heisler, will join our staff to run our Rivers Conservation Program .
Read MoreIn a victory for public lands, wildlife, and native fish, Judge Marco Hernández ruled that the Forest Service failed to satisfy its legal obligation to study the environmental impacts of a major new trail system for off-road vehicles, and to ensure that sensitive habitat for elk, wolves, and native fish are protected.
Read MoreNext year will be the 10-year anniversary of the Metolius Basin's designation as an Area of Critical State Concern! The Metolius is the first and only area in Oregon to receive this designation which has kept it safe from harmful large-scale developments.
Read MoreAs the City of Bend moves forward with its “Core Area" Planning, we are preparing for the next steps in engaging the community to advocate for a vibrant, healthy, and resilient mixed-use neighborhood through the BCD Initiative
Read MoreCentral Oregon LandWatch received a $100,000 grant from Meyer Memorial Trust to continue work on the BCD Initiative, which is building broad support for policies and programs that promote the community’s vision for a vibrant, healthy, and resilient mixed-use neighborhood in the Bend Central District.
Read MoreThe City of Bend is proposing changes to its Comprehensive Plan that would allow more density in the Residential Standard Zone (RS) by permitting duplexes and triplexes (referred to as "plexes") on smaller lots.
Read MoreThanks in large part to our advocacy, the Westside Transect is a new concept for Central Oregon that is being used to plan development on Bend’s western edge where we are at most risk of wildfire sweeping into town from the Cascade Mountain forests.
Read MoreCentral Oregon LandWatch (COLW) is seeking specific proposals from interested Facilitators who are capable of strategic group development and facilitation, transformational conflict resolution, and have experience working with diverse groups to achieve equitable outcomes, especially when related to community planning.
Read MoreAs development pressures grow in high-risk areas, we must consider every new development in the WUI carefully. Smart planning that takes wildfire risk into account will help avoid unnecessary loss of life and homes, risk to our health, and endangerment of firefighters.
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Central Oregon LandWatch is the ONLY watchdog organization protecting wildlife habitat and migration corridors in rapidly growing Deschutes County.
Read MoreOur win closes a local loophole that was allowing more development than is typically allowed on farm and ranch land.
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We gave Bend's Millennial leaders the chance to design their ideal version of NE Hawthorne Ave at the Bend Chamber's first ever Young Professionals Summit.
Read MoreAgriculture is an important part of Central Oregon’s cultural heritage and supports a resilient local food system. Farm and ranch land has remained available for family farmers in Central Oregon because of protections put in place by our statewide land use planning system.
Read MoreAfter the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals ruled in favor of wildlife earlier this year, Deschutes County went back to court to challenge their ruling. In a recent ruling from the Court of Appeals, LUBA's decision was affirmed, upholding protections for wildlife in the deer winter range!
Read MoreCentral Oregon LandWatch is the only group on the front lines in defense of Deschutes County’s wildlife habitat code protections. Last week, we filed an appeal of an alarming change to the county’s Flood Plain Zone to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals.
Read MoreWe need to plan ahead so that together, our land uses and transportation system can reduce the average number of miles we all have to travel to get to where we want to go.
Read MoreMore than 100 of the iconic, old-growth ponderosa pine trees which greet us when we arrive back into Central Oregon from the Santiam Pass or the Metolius River Basin are dying because they were sprayed with a deadly herbicide by the Forest Service and ODOT over the course of three consecutive years.
Read MoreLast night, LandWatch advocated for wildlife habitat and protection from wildfire risk adjacent to Shevlin Park by supporting an application for a new zone in Deschutes County. The proposal to create a Westside Transect zone will extend to the county the 2016 UGB concept of tapering density as the city boundary nears the forest where there is higher risk of wildfire.
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As people continue to move here, the Bend Central District is our best hope for Central Oregon to grow into a place we want to keep calling home.