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
3 places in Central Oregon to practice gratitude
Central Oregon’s unique spirit captivates the hearts and minds of those who know it well. From Cascade peaks to high desert horizons, there’s a lot to appreciate and explore!
An update on the Green Ridge Project
We’ve been monitoring the Green Ridge Project proposed by the Forest Service since 2017. This project involves thinning and logging on nearly 25,000 acres of national forest just north of Sisters in the Metolius Watershed.
Defending the cold, clear water of the Metolius River Basin
Right now, Oregon has the chance to designate the Metolius River as an Outstanding Resource Water.
Another logging project in the Metolius?
We began monitoring the Green Ridge Project near the Metolius Basin in 2017. Now, the current plan preferred by the Sisters’ Ranger District would impact 19,991 acres with thinning and logging throughout the entire project landscape. Take action for the forest today!
4,700 Miles of Oregon Rivers
On February 3, Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley introduced the River Democracy Act to Congress. This bill, the most extensive Wild and Scenic Rivers effort in U.S. history, would add 4,702 miles of Oregon rivers and streams to the national Wild and Scenic Rivers system.
DOUBLE your year-end gift today
We are grateful to announce that this year, the Brainerd Foundation will generously match your year-end gift up to $35,000 to help keep Oregon lovable, and make it even more livable.
Wildlife of the Metolius
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.
Here's to 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 Love of a Place
How do you give a Valentine to an old growth ponderosa pine with its orange-yellow bark, to a riffle of water from a spring, to a silent and watchful owl, or to a cougar whose track you see in the snow? How can we give a valentine to the Metolius?
Join us in a year-long celebration of the Metolius!
Next year will be the 10-year anniversary of the Metolius Basin's designation as an Area of Critical State Concern! The Metolius is the first and only area in Oregon to receive this designation which has kept it safe from harmful large-scale developments.
An Historic Victory: The Battle for the Metolius
The Metolius Basin was once threatened by clearcuts and destination resorts, but thanks in large part to our Executive Director Paul Dewey's unwavering defense of the area, it is now protected as an Area of Critical State Concern (ACSC).