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

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 a major new trail system for off-road vehicles. opportunities, but also because of the precious habitat it Now, a year after LandWatch’s coalition victory in federal provides for elk, wolves, native fish and other species— court to protect the area, the “Black Mountain” project habitat that is once again threatened. Its subalpine proposes 22 miles of new roads and damage in riparian forests and cold-water streams are home to over 375 habitat without sufficient regard for the species that species of fish and wildlife. The Black Mountain project would be impacted. would harm many of these species that rely on the Ochocos’ riparian habitat, including Rocky Mountain elk. The Black Mountain project sits in the highest elevations Elk need large undisturbed areas with ample forage of the Ochoco Mountains, wrapping around the east side vegetation, which are often found near streams. of Big Summit Prairie. The project includes extensive Unfortunately, the Forest Service failed to identify and forest thinning that aims to restore historic forest protect this important elk habitat conditions after decades of unnatural fire suppression. in their project proposal. But it also proposes harmful new roads and mechanical The Ochoco National Forest is disturbance to riparian habitat along over 80 miles of As frontline defenders of treasured by Central streams. Those streams include the North Fork Crooked Central Oregon’s natural Oregonians not only for its many recreational River, Peterson Creek, Porter Creek, and Allen Creek. beauty for now and future opportunities, but because of the precious habitat it generations, LandWatch This April, LandWatch filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District provides for elk, remains vigilant in wolves, native 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. 2843 NW Lolo Drive, Suite 200, Bend, OR 97703

Welcome Ben Gordon! Our next Executive Director

Ben joins us after eight years TREC Senior Leadership Program, and received training from with the Oregon Natural the Center for Diversity and Inclusion. Desert Association where As Program Director for ONDA, he created the Tribal he led ONDA’s stewardship Stewards Program to help Oregon’s Native American young and restoration efforts and adults deepen their connection to their ancestral homeland, spearheaded campaigns to explore career pathways in the field of natural resources, permanently protect vital and build marketable skills. This program received generous wildlife habitat in the John Day support from the Meyer Memorial Trust and has led River Basin. He officially began numerous participants to pursue advanced degrees toward his new role with LandWatch careers in natural resources. on June 1st, 2020. At the same time we extend our heartfelt thanks to Paul Ben has dedicated his career to conservation, and his variety Dewey, our founder who led the organization so well for 35 of experiences deepen his love of Central Oregon’s landscape years. Paul will help to ensure a smooth leadership transition and his commitment to advocating for a sustainable future. and remain involved with LandWatch through his work on His belief in thoughtful planning to benefit us all led him to special projects. focus on working lands conservation as Outreach Coordinator for 1000 Friends of Oregon and to co-found the High Desert Please join us in welcoming Ben as our next Executive Food and Farm Alliance to make local food accessible Director. The Board of Directors is deeply committed to to everyone. He completed the Mid-Career Institute for working with Ben to ensure his successful and visionary Environmental Leadership at Seattle University, attended the leadership as LandWatch enters its next chapter.

Follow Central Oregon LandWatch on social media: www.colw.org COLandWatch co_landwatch Photo: Arian Stevens

Update on the

Thank you for Habitat Conservation Plan commenting! Where we stand We asked you to comment on the HCP, and the response was incredible—there were a Last year, the irrigation districts in Central Oregon has existed in the past total of 2014 public comments submitted a draft Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) for the century to compel a level submitted, 95% of which were Deschutes River Basin to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service of water conservation inspired by your efforts! (USFWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). within irrigation districts The HCP is required for them to continue water diversions that can really make a difference. Cost-effective water and use of reservoirs that have adverse effects on aquatic conservation options have been studied and tested over the species including Mid-Columbia Steelhead, Chinook Salmon, past two decades, but these solutions were not in the plan. Bull Trout, and the Oregon Spotted Frog. The federal process to review the draft and approve a We believe the draft HCP fails to meet even the most basic final HCP was originally scheduled for May, but it has been needs of fish and frogs. Significantly more water needs to delayed until the end of the year. The extended timeline be restored to the Deschutes River, the Crooked River and allows us time to try to convince federal agencies to Whychus Creek than is committed by the draft HCP. The approve a much better HCP than the original draft. It also proposed term of the HCP is thirty years. If this woefully allows time to keep the federal delegation and governor’s inadequate HCP is approved, it will condemn the rivers and office informed with the hope that they can influence the their species to three decades of degrading habitat and outcome, too. declining water quality. Scientists project that if the draft Central Oregon LandWatch stands steadfast in defense of 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. for a better long-term plan, one that provides sufficient We partnered with community leaders to alert the public stream flows to support the biological needs of the species to the woeful inadequacy of the plan. The response was the HCP was intended to enhance and protect. Now the incredible — there were a total of 2014 public comments irrigation districts have to commit to deploy them in a basin- submitted, 95% of which were inspired by our efforts! scale conservation plan. COLW is here to advocate for the The HCP represents one of the very few opportunities that river and assure they do just that.

Photo: M L on Unsplash NATHAN’S NOTES FROM THE FIELD The gray wolf (Canis lupus) population in Oregon continues its exciting expansion and hopeful recovery from presumed functional extirpation. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) recently released its Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management 2019 Annual Report, which asserts that there are now at least 158 wolves statewide, up 15% from the previous year, in 22 packs (4 or more wolves), nine groups (2-3 wolves), and several individuals. Other good news includes that the number of confirmed instances of wolves preying on livestock declined, and as a consequence there were no wolves killed by public wildlife management agencies for the first time in some years. Though wolves in the western part of Oregon enjoy greater federal and state protection, those in the eastern part of the state have been removed from the endangered species list. The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is expected to delist nearly all wolves sometime in 2020.

2 | LANDWATCH | MY2020 ADOPTED: The Core Area Plan Helps Achieve the Vision for Equitable Redevelopment in the Bend Central District As our population grows, we need well-designed places for people to thrive without sprawling into our natural surroundings. Central Oregon LandWatch’s BCD Initiative project advocates for the vision of the Bend Central District to become a vibrant, healthy, and inclusive mixed-use neighborhood with safe connections between east and west Bend. Our advocacy is reflected in the City of Bend’s Core Area Project Report and implementation plan, adopted on May 20, 2020. It is a long-term, thirty-year plan for the future health of our community, and will result in many positive and necessary improvements to the Bend Central District (BCD) and the rest of the Core Area. However, these improvements will lead to increased property values, and without a clear strategy, could lead to displacement of Bend’s most vulnerable residents and local businesses. Our community impact analysis found that residents of the Bend Central District’s census tract are twice as likely to live in poverty as residents throughout Bend. The BCD census tract also has three times as many Hispanic and/or Latinx residents than the City as a whole, and throughout Oregon, these communities are being disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. It is important to learn from the past as we are planning for the future, and that is why we proposed six equity and anti-displacement measures based on policy research and learnings from other communities to improve the plan. The majority of these suggestions were incorporated into the plan, and several were tagged for implementation in the next phases. The BCD Initiative continues to form deep partnerships with the community and explore new models of urban revitalization in which the existing residents share in the wealth-building as the neighborhood becomes more desirable.

Another sad note is the probable recent death of the famously wolves were hit and killed by motor vehicles in Oregon last year. wide-ranging wolf known as OR7, alpha male of the Rogue Pack Large, connected tracts of relatively protected land and intact south of Crater Lake. habitat are critical for these wide-ranging animals, for individual While the great majority of wolf packs are in the northeast dispersal as well as the health of the statewide population. corner of the state in and around the Blue Mountains, there As keystone predators, wolves balance the natural community are a few packs that have just become established along the through a trophic cascade and keep ungulate populations Oregon Cascades. Central Oregon, including the Ochoco healthy through culling and the ecology of fear. Wolves are Mountains, appears to be an important corridor for wolves magnificent wild canids native to Oregon, and their population dispersing sometimes hundreds of miles across the state. should be allowed to re-established itself to a robust, healthy, Habitat fragmentation, degradation, and disturbance from and sustainable level. Central Oregon LandWatch will continue to human activities and barriers to movement like roads disrupt work toward protections for wolves and the landscape that they and inhibit dispersal of wolves as well as their prey. At least four move so widely across.

3 | LANDWATCH | MY2020