Contributed by Robbie Flowers, PhD. Forest Entomologist for the USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Protection. Central Oregon Forest Insect and Disease Service Center. As spring transitions into early summer in Central Oregon, we’ll begin to see more than just warmer weather and tank tops but also the return of an insect that has a deep […]
On November 7, 2017, the West Bend Project received the 2017 Forest Service’s Chief’s Honor Award, the highest award given by the Forest Service. The Chief’s Honor Award publicly recognizes outstanding accomplishments that contribute to the Forest Service’s strategic goals. The prestigious honor was given to the West Bend Project in the category of “Sustaining […]
A Public Service Announcement from the Central Oregon Fire Chiefs Association Legal fireworks have gone on sale just as Central Oregon is entering into an extended period of very hot and dry weather. Grasses, sagebrush and other fuels are rapidly drying, creating a high fire danger situation. Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson Counties are currently under […]
How does a team with contrasting perspectives successfully work together to create healthier forests? Can a team like this be a role model for other communities in the West hoping to prevent severe wildfires? In March 2018, the City Club of Central Oregon selected Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project to present at their monthly forum. The discussion showcased our […]
With summer quickly approaching, people of the PNW are gearing up for camping trips, lazy lake days, and endless adventures of good times with good beers. To protect our amazing backyard, we need to be proactive in restoring the wildlands and for Beer No. 2 in the “Sustainable Session Series”, Goodlife Brewing has teamed up […]
By Alan Unger, Tony DeBone & Tammy Baney One reason Central Oregonians love this area is the striking landscape provided by the Deschutes National Forest. The forest is the backdrop of our lives and the core of our identity and sense of place. We have a unique relationship with our forest. It is our playground, […]
After several years of serious wildfires west of Bend, The US Forest Service is working to create a firebreak along Forest Road 370 that will protect the Bridge Creek watershed from a catastrophic forest fire that could endanger Bend’s water supply.
Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell is combining two of his life interests – music and trees – into a new national television documentary, America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell. On April 1, 2017, OPB aired the series’ pilot episode. It focused on a trend toward building tall wood buildings in Portland with innovative mass timber products; […]
Last year’s fire season is fresh in many Central Oregon resident’s minds. Fire season is just around the corner and now is the time for Central Oregonians to prepare their home for fire season. Across the state and in Deschutes County, fire departments and organizations are encouraging residents to learn about living in Fire Adapted […]
Our thanks to The Bulletin for their coverage of our ongoing work at the West Bend Project. The West Bend Project is one of 10 primary forest restoration project areas on national forestland within the larger 250,000+ acre Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project landscape. The goals of the West Bend Project: restore forest ecosystems, reduce the […]
The DCFP is dedicated to restoring our forests, making them more resilient to fire, insects and disease, and even climate change. At the same time, we are creating better wildlife habitat, space for trees to grow and thrive, and safer and healthier communities. Fire were historically a healthy and regular occurrence in Central Oregon forests. […]
Some of the most beloved and visited places in the Deschutes National Forest are restoration priorities for the Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project. One of those places is the West Bend Project, which began in 2010 and will continue mechanical (thinning and brush mowing) forest restoration work until 2025. After the initial entry treatments, prescribed fire […]
Written by Pete Caligiuri with The Nature Conservancy and Sarah Mowry with the Deschutes Land Trust. Photos courtesy of Jay Mather. Holiday season is in the air and with it the age-old tradition of decking the halls with a beautiful Christmas tree. But rather than buy one of those cookie-cutter trees grown in the Willamette Valley (often with herbicides and […]
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