Central Oregon Bitterbrush Broads • Entered by Mary Fleischmann on May 27, 2025
Descutes County Commissioners meeting
May 7, 2025
Participants and Hours
| Pre Planning hours | 3.25 |
| Post Admin hours | 2.75 |
| Activity Hours | 4 |
| Participants | 3 |
| Total Hours | 18 |
Key Issue: Water-related Conservation
Activity Type: Advocacy (rallies, lobbying, meeting decision makers, letters/calls/emails)
Key Partners: Land Watch, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Local residents near the Resort
Short Description of Activity
Ongoing issues with Thornburg Resort and taking water. Also addressed at this meeting is that neither the County or the defendants allowed the Tribes to add evidence and input to the records. The need to reopen the records is pretty clear.
Reflection/Evaluation
The ongoing saga with this issue and the lies and minimal facts. The resorts continues to show their biased model which there is no science nor imparticial analysis. Two commissioners really got their butts handed over due how they have ignored the Tribes as well as comments such as “this is a state issue, not a county issue”. I for one corrected him and advised this is a Federal, State, County and City issue due to their treaty rights. Thornburg also sent in additional information despite the records being closed. It became a pretty heated meeting and I was glad to personally have some discussion with folks from the Warm Springs Tribal Council who were there with all their members. Local folks wells are going dry which impacts their lives and again Thornburg wants to dispute the conversations. Pretty strong opposition to this. The records have been reoppened for Tribes to send in their comments and evidence as to their Tribal rights of what is best for fish and wildlife in the Deschutes Basin. Also when I gave public testimony, shared that it is time to simply end this ongoing appeal process with this project as it is costing everyone and county staff and time too much money.