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

Wild Lands CO LandWatch Wild Lands CO LandWatch

Podcast Episode with Dirty FreeHub

Listen to Dirty Freehub's recent podcast episode to hear more about LandWatch's work in the Ochocos. In this episode, Rory Isbell discusses the importance of migration corridors and riparian areas for Redband Trout and elk, along with our recent victory to protect wildlife habitat in the Ochoco National Forest.

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Farm & Forest, Rivers & Springs CO LandWatch Farm & Forest, Rivers & Springs CO LandWatch

LandWatch fights to protect wildlife habitat in the Ochoco Mountains from another threat

The beloved Ochoco National Forest and its precious habitat for elk, wolves, native fish and other species is once again threatened. Just over one year after Central Oregon LandWatch’s coalition victory in federal court to protect the area, the “Black Mountain” project proposes 22 miles of new roads and damage to riparian habitat without sufficient regard for the species that would be impacted.

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

Celebrating an enormous response to call for comments on the Deschutes

We worked closely with and directly supported the efforts of the community movement 30/30 for the Deschutes to advocate for a healthy river. Overall, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service received more than 1,700 comments from the public asking them to assure that an improved plan for the Deschutes River is developed!
 

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

Will we save the Deschutes River and its species?

Central Oregon LandWatch will be submitting substantial comments on the HCP's inadequacies and how it could be improved. In addition to Rivers Conservation Director Tod’s Heisler’s 15 years of experience with this basin, we have a team of experts commenting on on various aspects of the plan, including: hydrologists, water managers, wildlife specialists, and attorneys.

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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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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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