Central Oregon Bitterbrush Broads • Entered by Mary Fleischmann on October 24, 2024
Meeting with Deschutes Co. Forest Service
November 4, 2024
Participants and Hours
| Pre Planning hours | 4 |
| Post Admin hours | 1 |
| Activity Hours | 1.5 |
| Participants | 5 |
| Total Hours | 12.5 |
Key Issue: Multiple apply
Activity Type: Advocacy (rallies, lobbying, meeting decision makers, letters/calls/emails)
Key Partners: Oregon Wild, Trout Unlimited, Vocal Seniority, Juniper Sierra Club
Short Description of Activity
Met with head of local Deschutes FS district manager regarding the ongoing issue of a group wanting a bridge over a section of the Deschutes River which is designated Wild and Scenic Waterway.
Reflection/Evaluation
This has been a never ending issue for the past 10 years with a group of folks in south west Bend that want a pedestrian bridge over a section of the river which is wild and scenic. They need approval from the Bend Park and Rec, Forest Service and some private landowners. It keeps coming back and I believe these folks think that if they keep pushing big bucks they can make this happen. Bend Park and Rec. have no interest as do the private landowners who would be impacted. One of the other things is that there is no discussion from this group of impacts on parking. Meeting with the FS was to gauge where they are at with this. It was a successful meeting, they heard all of our concerns and comments. In the long run, they share many of those. While they could not fully tell us that they are not going to approve this, it is not a priority now or in the future. It would not only set precendent for river cooridors, it also has impact on wildlife migration, and again the parking issue. That was reassuring. While we know this subject will come up again, as it does every year, we have a better understanding of where the FS stands.