2843 NW Lolo Drive, Suite 200, Bend, OR 97703

Ochoco National Forest Under Threat Protecting Elk Habitat Photo: Revolver Creative on Unsplash

Welcome Ben Gordon! Last year, LandWatch successfully defended the The Ochoco National Forest is treasured by Central beloved Ochoco National Forest from a proposal for Oregonians not only for its many recreational Our next Executive Director a major new trail system for off-road vehicles. opportunities, but also because of the precious habitat it Ben joins us after eight years TREC Senior Leadership Program, and received training from Now, a year after LandWatch’s coalition victory in federal provides for elk, wolves, native fish and other species— with the Oregon Natural the Center for Diversity and Inclusion. court to protect the area, the “Black Mountain” project habitat that is once again threatened. Its subalpine Desert Association where As Program Director for ONDA, he created the Tribal proposes 22 miles of new roads and damage in riparian forests and cold-water streams are home to over 375 he led ONDA’s stewardship Stewards Program to help Oregon’s Native American young habitat without sufficient regard for the species that species of fish and wildlife. The Black Mountain project and restoration efforts and adults deepen their connection to their ancestral homeland, spearheaded campaigns to explore career pathways in the field of natural resources, would be impacted. would harm many of these species that rely on the permanently protect vital and build marketable skills. This program received generous Ochocos’ riparian habitat, including Rocky Mountain elk. wildlife habitat in the John Day The Black Mountain project sits in the highest elevations support from the Meyer Memorial Trust and has led Elk need large undisturbed areas with ample forage of the Ochoco Mountains, wrapping around the east side River Basin. He officially began numerous participants to pursue advanced degrees toward vegetation, which are often found near streams. his new role with LandWatch careers in natural resources. of Big Summit Prairie. The project includes extensive on June 1st, 2020. Unfortunately, the Forest Service failed to identify and At the same time we extend our heartfelt thanks to Paul forest thinning that aims to restore historic forest protect this important elk habitat Ben has dedicated his career to conservation, and his variety Dewey, our founder who led the organization so well for 35 conditions after decades of unnatural fire suppression. of experiences deepen his love of Central Oregon’s landscape in their project proposal. years. Paul will help to ensure a smooth leadership transition But it also proposes harmful new roads and mechanical The Ochoco and his commitment to advocating for a sustainable future. and remain involved with LandWatch through his work on disturbance to riparian habitat along over 80 miles of As frontline defenders of National Forest is His belief in thoughtful planning to benefit us all led him to special projects. treasured by Central focus on working lands conservation as Outreach Coordinator streams. Those streams include the North Fork Crooked Central Oregon’s natural Oregonians not only Please join us in welcoming Ben as our next Executive for its many recreational for 1000 Friends of Oregon and to co-found the High Desert River, Peterson Creek, Porter Creek, and Allen Creek. beauty for now and future opportunities, but because Food and Farm Alliance to make local food accessible Director. The Board of Directors is deeply committed to of the precious habitat it generations, LandWatch to everyone. He completed the Mid-Career Institute for working with Ben to ensure his successful and visionary This April, LandWatch filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District provides for elk, leadership as LandWatch enters its next chapter. remains vigilant in wolves, native Environmental Leadership at Seattle University, attended the Court for the District of Oregon against the Forest Service fish and other protecting wildlife habitat in species. to protect the most sensitive habitat in the Black the Ochoco Mountains. Mountain project area. Follow Central Oregon LandWatch on social media: www.colw.org COLandWatch co_landwatch Photo: Arian Stevens

Update on the ADOPTED: The Core Area Plan Helps Achieve the Vision for Habitat Conservation Plan Thank you for Equitable Redevelopment in the Bend Central District commenting! As our population grows, we need well-designed places for people to Where we stand We asked you to comment thrive without sprawling into our natural surroundings. Central Oregon on the HCP, and the response LandWatch’s BCD Initiative project advocates for the vision of the Bend was incredible—there were a Central District to become a vibrant, healthy, and inclusive mixed-use Last year, the irrigation districts in Central Oregon has existed in the past total of 2014 public comments neighborhood with safe connections between east and west Bend. submitted a draft Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) for the century to compel a level submitted, 95% of which were Our advocacy is reflected in the City of Bend’s Core Area Project Report Deschutes River Basin to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service of water conservation inspired by your efforts! and implementation plan, adopted on May 20, 2020. It is a long-term, (USFWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). within irrigation districts thirty-year plan for the future health of our community, and will result in The HCP is required for them to continue water diversions that can really make a difference. Cost-effective water many positive and necessary improvements to the Bend Central District and use of reservoirs that have adverse effects on aquatic conservation options have been studied and tested over the (BCD) and the rest of the Core Area. species including Mid-Columbia Steelhead, Chinook Salmon, past two decades, but these solutions were not in the plan. However, these improvements will lead to increased property values, Bull Trout, and the Oregon Spotted Frog. The federal process to review the draft and approve a and without a clear strategy, could lead to displacement of Bend’s most We believe the draft HCP fails to meet even the most basic final HCP was originally scheduled for May, but it has been vulnerable residents and local businesses. needs of fish and frogs. Significantly more water needs to delayed until the end of the year. The extended timeline Our community impact analysis found that residents of the Bend be restored to the Deschutes River, the Crooked River and allows us time to try to convince federal agencies to Central District’s census tract are twice as likely to live in poverty as Whychus Creek than is committed by the draft HCP. The approve a much better HCP than the original draft. It also residents throughout Bend. The BCD census tract also has three times proposed term of the HCP is thirty years. If this woefully allows time to keep the federal delegation and governor’s as many Hispanic and/or Latinx residents than the City as a whole, and inadequate HCP is approved, it will condemn the rivers and office informed with the hope that they can influence the throughout Oregon, these communities are being disproportionately their species to three decades of degrading habitat and outcome, too. impacted by COVID-19. It is important to learn from the past as we are planning for the future, declining water quality. Scientists project that if the draft Central Oregon LandWatch stands steadfast in defense of and that is why we proposed six equity and anti-displacement measures HCP is allowed to stand, the Oregon Spotted Frog will be the rivers and their fish and wildlife. We advocate strongly extirpated from the Upper Deschutes River in its entirety. based on policy research and learnings from other communities to for a better long-term plan, one that provides sufficient improve the plan. The majority of these suggestions were incorporated We partnered with community leaders to alert the public stream flows to support the biological needs of the species into the plan, and several were tagged for implementation in the next to the woeful inadequacy of the plan. The response was the HCP was intended to enhance and protect. Now the phases. incredible — there were a total of 2014 public comments irrigation districts have to commit to deploy them in a basin- The BCD Initiative continues to form deep partnerships with the submitted, 95% of which were inspired by our efforts! scale conservation plan. COLW is here to advocate for the community and explore new models of urban revitalization in which The HCP represents one of the very few opportunities that river and assure they do just that. the existing residents share in the wealth-building as the neighborhood becomes more desirable.

Photo: M L on Unsplash NATHAN’S NOTES FROM THE FIELD Another sad note is the probable recent death of the famously wolves were hit and killed by motor vehicles in Oregon last year. The gray wolf (Canis lupus) population in Oregon continues its exciting expansion and wide-ranging wolf known as OR7, alpha male of the Rogue Pack Large, connected tracts of relatively protected land and intact hopeful recovery from presumed functional extirpation. The Oregon Department of Fish south of Crater Lake. habitat are critical for these wide-ranging animals, for individual and Wildlife (ODFW) recently released its Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management While the great majority of wolf packs are in the northeast dispersal as well as the health of the statewide population. 2019 Annual Report, which asserts that there are now at least 158 wolves statewide, up corner of the state in and around the Blue Mountains, there As keystone predators, wolves balance the natural community 15% from the previous year, in 22 packs (4 or more wolves), nine groups (2-3 wolves), and are a few packs that have just become established along the through a trophic cascade and keep ungulate populations several individuals. Other good news includes that the number of confirmed instances of Oregon Cascades. Central Oregon, including the Ochoco healthy through culling and the ecology of fear. Wolves are wolves preying on livestock declined, and as a consequence there were no wolves killed Mountains, appears to be an important corridor for wolves magnificent wild canids native to Oregon, and their population by public wildlife management agencies for the first time in some years. dispersing sometimes hundreds of miles across the state. should be allowed to re-established itself to a robust, healthy, Though wolves in the western part of Oregon enjoy greater federal and state protection, Habitat fragmentation, degradation, and disturbance from and sustainable level. Central Oregon LandWatch will continue to those in the eastern part of the state have been removed from the endangered species human activities and barriers to movement like roads disrupt work toward protections for wolves and the landscape that they list. The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is expected to delist nearly all wolves and inhibit dispersal of wolves as well as their prey. At least four move so widely across. sometime in 2020.

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