In the Media

In recent months, the Deschutes Land Trust's extensive Camp Polk Meadow restoration has captivated the public interest and grabbed most of the attention.

This is one way the Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines society: “a community, nation, or broad grouping of people having common traditions, institutions, and collective activities and interests.” It’s a definition that, in many ways, describes what we have here in Oregon and, more broadly, in the United States as a whole.

In Leo Busch’s recent letter, he extols the virtues of Bend’s decision to pursue a “dual source” water supply system.

In 1832, Wyeth left his Cambridge, Mass., home for Oregon Country in hopes that he could make a quick buck by catching salmon, harvesting timber, trapping fur and trading with the Native Americans who lived in the area we now call home.

Walking the well-worn trail from Mecca Flat and scanning the river for suitable fishing holes, it is easy to notice how at this time of year the Lower Deschutes is teeming with life.

Streams flowing out of the Central Oregon Cascades should be rushing at average levels or above this year, while tributaries of the Crooked River are likely to be fairly meager.

Crane Prairie Reservoir is tempting anglers with something much more alluring than the rotund rainbow trout for which the lake is famous.

Before the chain saws started, I called Tumalo Irrigation District regarding their planned tree cutting along the First Street park to maintain their irrigation pipeline under the trail. When asked about the scope of their project, they assured me that their cutting would be fairly minimal. However, instead, they cut large trees and did just what I feared — overkill.

Over the past 15 years, the banks of the Deschutes River through the Old Mill District have seen a dramatic transformation — and I am not talking about the development of retail stores, restaurants, offices and entertainment venues.