Because of the irresponsible and destructive use of Bayer’s herbicide along Oregon’s roads and highways, the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) recently proposed new rules to ban ACP along public right of ways, in wildlife management areas, and other sensitive habitats.
Read MoreLandWatch has fought for the preservation of agricultural land in Central Oregon for years, and this month we are happy to be able to tell you that we succeeded in a recent case to maintain protections for farm and ranch land in Jefferson County!
Read Morehe BCD Initiative advocates for a safe, inclusive, and community-oriented transformation in the Bend Central District. We aren't just here to talk about the community vision - we want to show you how public investment has catalyzed real changes in other cities around Oregon.
Read MoreIn addition to our other efforts in protecting forests and high desert, rivers and springs, fish and wildlife, and well-designed communities, Central Oregon LandWatch engages energetically in legislative advocacy. T
Read MoreFor more than a decade, Central Oregon LandWatch has been concerned about the risk of catastrophic wildfire in the forested area next to the west side of Bend. Most of this land would have been developed at urban levels had it come in with the City of Bend’s 2009 Urban Growth Boundary proposal to expand the city by more than 8,400 acres. Instead, our advocacy helped reduce the approved expansion by 70% by increasing densities inside the existing city boundaries.
Read MoreLandWatch succeeded in preserving habitat protections for wildlife species who depend on wetlands and riparian areas throughout Deschutes County!
Read MoreMountain lions (Puma concolor) have been in the news a lot recently as more sightings occur in Central Oregon and across the west. They are handsome and secretive animals, native wildlife, and elegantly adapted apex predators.
Read MoreThe City of Bend has completed Phase 1 of its Transportation System Planning (TSP) process. Phase 1 identified a Citywide Transportation Framework, which includes projects and programs that principally affect the City’s arterial and collector system and transportation patterns in the City as a whole. The Citywide Transportation Framework will serve as the basis for Phases 2 and 3 of Bend’s Transportation Plan.
Read MoreHow do you give a Valentine to an old growth ponderosa pine with its orange-yellow bark, to a riffle of water from a spring, to a silent and watchful owl, or to a cougar whose track you see in the snow? How can we give a valentine to the Metolius?
Read MoreLast 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.
Read MorePreserving 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.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreTo 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.
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