The Horizon

All the latest updates on our work defending rural lands, creating livable cities and towns and preserving wild lands and water throughout Central Oregon

Wildlife Habitat, Farm & Forest CO LandWatch Wildlife Habitat, Farm & Forest CO LandWatch

Success! Central Oregon wildlife corridor protected

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.

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Wildlife Habitat, Rivers & Springs CO LandWatch Wildlife Habitat, Rivers & Springs CO LandWatch

The Deschutes River Basin needs YOU to submit comments

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).

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Rivers & Springs, Wildlife Habitat CO LandWatch Rivers & Springs, Wildlife Habitat CO LandWatch

The Future of the Deschutes River Basin is at Stake

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.

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CO LandWatch CO LandWatch

Action Alert! Central Oregon Wildlife Needs Your Help

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.

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Bend CO LandWatch Bend CO LandWatch

Action Alert! Bend's Transportation Future!

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.

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Rivers & Springs CO LandWatch Rivers & Springs CO LandWatch

‘Tis the season to waste water

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.

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CO LandWatch CO LandWatch

This Sneaky Factor Leads to Urban Sprawl

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.

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