The Horizon
The latest updates on our work defending rural lands, creating livable cities and towns and preserving wild lands and water throughout Central Oregon
Action Alert! Highway 20 Tree Kill Hearings
Last year, we asked you to weigh in on the Forest Service’s plan to log and sell the dying trees along Highway 20. On Monday this week, the Forest Service finalized this plan to harvest and sell over 2,100 trees - many more than indicated in initial reports.
Preserving Open Space in Central Oregon
Preserving land that could be used for agriculture is at the heart of Oregon’s visionary land use laws. By containing most residential development inside cities and preserving agricultural land in the rural county, we can ensure that our urban areas are vibrant and equitable while our rural areas are preserved in trust for future generations.
Success in LandWatch’s Advocacy for a New Zone to Limit Wildfire Risk for West of Bend
The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a new zone designed specifically to limit wildfire risk for development west of Bend. The county’s new Westside Transect Zone will limit development to a maximum of 187 homes on about 700 acres between the city of Bend and Tumalo Creek on private land that could otherwise be eventually developed at a level more than ten times that amount.
Action Alert! Important Neighborhood Meetings for Bend's Transportation Future
The City of Bend is hosting five Neighborhood Workshops where you will be able to influence the future of Bend's transportation system. These workshops are a part of updating the Transportation System Plan (TSP), which will be the guiding document for transportation in Bend over the next 20 years.
Tod Heisler Joins LandWatch to Restore the Deschutes River
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 .
Success in our case to Protect the Ochocos
In 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.
Join us in a year-long celebration of the Metolius!
Next 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.
City appoints BURA Committee & Other Big News for the BCD
As 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
Central Oregon LandWatch Awarded $100,000 Grant for Community Planning in the Bend Central District
Central 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.
City Council To Vote On Changes To The RS Zone On Wednesday
The 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.
Why we support the Westside Transect Zone for Deschutes County
Thanks 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.
Request for proposals (RFP) for community-building program design and facilitation
Central 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.
What can we learn from California's devastating wildfires?
As 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.
Stop: Trouble For Wildlife Ahead
Central Oregon LandWatch is the ONLY watchdog organization protecting wildlife habitat and migration corridors in rapidly growing Deschutes County.
Important win to protect farm and range land
Our win closes a local loophole that was allowing more development than is typically allowed on farm and ranch land.
Find out what Millennials think about the BCD
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.
How we are helping Jefferson County farming families
Agriculture 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.
Court rules in favor of LandWatch & Wildlife AGAIN
After 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!
LandWatch Files Appeal to Protect Riparian Habitat
Central 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.
Do you want a longer commute?
We 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.