Birds are excellent indicators of environmental health and ecosystem integrity,” state the authors of the study; this staggering decline in numbers, along with similar broad population crashes in amphibians and insects, reflects an accelerating unraveling of the fundamental fabric of the natural world.

Central Oregon LandWatch has for years worked to preserve the last remnants of a critical wildlife corridor that was threatened by a planned expansion of Caldera Springs Destination Resort south of Sunriver. After LandWatch’s legal action blocked an initial proposal to expand across the 600 acres of forested elk and Mule Deer habitat, we successfully negotiated redesign of the resort site plan.

On Tuesday, Tod Heisler spoke with an impassioned crowd of more than 80 river advocates who attended our event, Last Chance for the Deschutes, at Worthy Brewing. He reflected on the dire state of the river and discussed real solutions that have been omitted from the irrigation district's proposed Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP).

Honey I Shrunk the BCD drew hundreds of neighbors, business owners, developers and community leaders to reimagine the Bend Central District together in a fun and exciting setting last week!

Join LandWatch at Worthy Brewing to hear from Tod Heisler, our Rivers Conservation Program Director, to learn about the threats to the Deschutes River Basin, the "solutions" proposed by the irrigation districts, and what we can all do to preserve the River for the next 30 years and beyond.

The BCD Visionary Board invites you to a celebration of community in the Bend Central District on October 22nd!

The biggest decision-point in our lifetimes for the future of the Deschutes River Basin was triggered last week when irrigation districts submitted a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Suffice to say, the plan put forth by the irrigation districts does not sufficiently address the scale of the River’s problem.

A sanctuary for wildlife, the Metolius Basin's 447 square mile drainage includes wilderness and 15,000 acres designated as Wildlife Primitive Area. This includes the rugged country around the Horn of the Metolius, the canyons on the east side of Green Ridge, and Fly Creek Canyon.

A fierce champion for the protection of Oregon's land and resources, Governor Tom McCall left the state a legacy of environmental lawmaking.

The time has come to put real collaborative and effective water conservation approaches to work. Otherwise, threatened fish and wildlife in the Deschutes basin will be blamed for our water woes when the solution to the problem has been in the hands of the irrigators all along.

Buckle up or put your helmets on... August is a packed month for our initiative to promote mixed-use development in the Bend Central District (BCD)! We hope to see you at one or more of the following events.

TODAY, August 8, the County Planning Commission will consider changes to TWO separate zones, one that threatens Deer Winter Range habitat, and one that threatens riparian and wetlands habitat. It is important to comment on BOTH proposed amendments. Look for background and talking points below.

From the early 1900s, the Basin has been under constant threat from logging and development. It has taken the perseverance and determination of its original guardians and community supporters to fight for its preservation.

Thank you to the Bella Vista and Burning Foundations for these generous grants, and thank you to all of our supporters. We wouldn't be able to do this without you.

The Transportation System Plan (TSP) Steering Committee will review the first draft of Bend's new TSP at their meeting on Thursday. The TSP will be the guiding document for transportation in Bend over the next 20 years. Any new transportation projects built in the City over the next 20 years, including transit, bike lanes, sidewalks, and road projects will be included in this plan. Learn more here.

Take a drive on the highway out past Sisters a bit. Not long ago it was a striking experience to pass down along the nave of a forest cathedral, beneath colonnaded ranks of towering, girthy, Ponderosa pines.

Hardly a day goes by without an article in the paper or our online news feeds about drought, declining snowpack, climate change and threats to water supply. Despite this continuous stream of information and the obvious fact that water is one of our most precious resources, we continue to waste enormous quantities of it.

We already know that urban sprawl eats up wildlife habitat, creates unhealthy communities, causes pollution, and costs us money. Those are some of the main reasons we created the BCD Initiative promote an inclusive, dense, mixed-use neighborhood in the Bend Central District that is well-served by safe and environmentally friendly mobility options.