In the Media

New viewing platforms placed near Whychus Creek and the Metolius River, as well as an improved road up to the Black Butte Trailhead, are among the improvements recommended in U.S. Forest Service proposals for recreation sites in the Sisters area.

A week into summer, the cool and wet spring weather has turned warm and sunny. But hikers venturing out on mountain trails might run into slushy obstacles.

Anglers who want to fish the salmonfly hatch on the Lower Deschutes should get on the river soon.

Twelve years ago, an overwhelming majority of voters approved a constitutional amendment dedicating 15 percent of lottery revenue to state parks and watershed enhancement efforts. But the funding provision isn’t permanent. It will disappear in 2015 unless voters renew it. The Legislature is obligated to put the question on the ballot in November 2014.

A power company is proposing to build a 210-mile, 500-kilovolt transmission line from Salem to Boardman, crossing the Cascades, Warm Springs Reservation, Deschutes River and John Day River along the way.

The Deschutes National Forest has approved a plan for the Whychus Creek Wild and Scenic River, setting a list of priorities for restoring the creek to a more natural state and making it more fish-friendly for returning runs of salmonand steelhead.

As the city of Bend works on its plans for a $71 million upgrade to its water system, some conservation groups are keeping an eye on what the changes could mean for the health of Tumalo Creek and its watershed.

A Bend company plans to build a 5-megawatt hydroelectric facility on the North Unit Irrigation District's main canal in Jefferson County and sell the electricity it generates.

A $250,000 state lottery grant awarded to the Bend park district this week will boost plans for a new riverfront park just north of Colorado Avenue in Bend.