Celebrating a century of protection for the Metolius

The Metolius has always been a place that captures the imagination and stirs the soul.

For thousands of years, Native peoples honored the River as a sacred life force in the dry landscape of the high desert. They gathered plants on its banks, caught salmon in its clear waters, and hunted mule deer in its meadows. Living in balance with nature, they were the original guardians. Their descendants in Warm Springs remain so today.

In the last century, the ancient Ponderosa pines have quietly witnessed many new arrivals. Early settlers and travelers also felt drawn to the special quality of the River and surrounding woods as they made their way west. They built summer cabins and camps, and raised their children and grandchildren to admire its beauty. Today, people travel from all over the world to explore and enjoy this natural treasure.

THE BATTLE FOR THE METOLIUS

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.

The Metolius Basin was once threatened by clearcuts and destination resorts, but thanks in large part to LandWatch’s Founder Paul Dewey's unwavering defense of the area, it is now protected as an Area of Critical State Concern (ACSC).

More than three decades ago, Paul Dewey founded Central Oregon LandWatch while working to protect old-growth trees along Whychus Creek's banks from being clearcut. This led to an agreement with the Forest Service not to log old-growth and other trees along the creek and scenic roads and trails.

A few years into that agreement, while walking along the Metolius-Windigo Trail, Paul discovered the largest timber theft in Oregon history at that time. Hundreds of trees he had saved, including irreplaceable old-growth, had been cut - they were gone forever.

That theft and other problems in the Metolius area led to a LandWatch lawsuit against the Forest Service that was eventually settled in federal court and fostered changes in the nature of the Forest Service and forest management in the Deschutes National Forest.

Then, in 2006, Jefferson County amended its comprehensive plan to make two sites eligible for destination resorts. As a result, two massive destination resorts were proposed in and next to the Metolius Basin. They were planned to build more than 4,000 new lodging units and their groundwater wells would have affected the springs of the Metolius. Central Oregon LandWatch appealed Jefferson County's decision to the Land Use Board of Appeals, the Oregon Court of Appeals, and finally to the Oregon Supreme Court.

Our appeals made space for the legislature to take action on our proposals to permanently protect the Metolius, and we worked with legislators to find the right fix. The result was the creation of Oregon's first and only Area of Critical State Concern (ACSC). This designation has been an authorized tool since Oregon's statewide land use planning system was created in 1973. It identifies an area where potential development conflicts with resources of state importance and establishes a management plan to address those conflicts.

So the next time you visit the Metolius and breathe in its sparkling beauty and soul-nourishing views, remember the ongoing battle for its lasting protection and make a pledge to stand up for Central Oregon's future generations.

Vigilant defense of protected Land

Time and again, people have come together to protect this unique place. We have blocked timber sales, stopped destination resorts, and advocated passionately to protect the ecosystem and the fish, plants, and animals that live there.

For over three decades, Central Oregon Landwatch has been a proud part of this effort.