On Friday, June 18, the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals issued a remand of Deschutes County’s previous decision to approve industrial development near Deschutes Junction.

For 50 years, Oregon’s statewide land use system, envied and emulated nationally and internationally, has provided for planned and relatively sustainable patterns of development balanced by prudent restraint.

Today, we say farewell to Moey Newbold, our Director of Urban Planning. After a decade of fierce advocacy work with Central Oregon LandWatch, Moey is stepping down from her position to embark on new adventures.

On Monday, June 14, a settlement was reached between Central Oregon LandWatch, Oregon Wild, and the U.S. Forest Service to exclude sensitive riparian habitat from a proposed logging project in the Ochoco National Forest.

LandWatch is stepping up to challenge the conversion of over 60 acres of prime farmland in Jefferson County

As cities and towns across Central Oregon grow, we need infrastructure to accommodate that growth without compromising livability.

We are excited to announce that a generous donor has agreed to match donations dollar for dollar - up to $50,000. That means every dollar you give will be doubled. We know we can reach this goal, but we need your support!

On May 12, LandWatch hosted a community virtual Open House where we were joined by 50+ community members to plan for Central Oregon’s livable future. Since last year, LandWatch has been undergoing a strategic planning process to set our sights on facing the new challenges to our region. We were excited to share that mission and vision with our community.

During this time of year, you can visit the Deschutes twice on the same day and see two very different rivers. On Saturday, May 1, we took a trip to Benham Falls and caught the river just south of Bend.

For years, there has been an ongoing debate over a proposal to rezone certain rural areas across Central Oregon. The proposal would allow for removing land protections for forest and farm use and permit sprawling development across the County.

Oregon’s land use planning system may be our most effective tool to fight climate change.

Last week, the Bend City Council approved the Southeast Area Plan, which will guide development on 479 acres southeast of Bend’s current city limits.

Our regional identity is connected to our wildlife. They are a hallowed part of what makes this place exceptional and distinct. Now is the time to speak up for Central Oregon’s wild creatures.

Maps, as promised! Thanks for joining Central Oregon LandWatch on Tuesday for Mapping Sisters’ Future.

A note from our Executive Director, Ben Gordon.

On Wednesday, March 17th, the Bend City Council adopted six goals with promising strategies to achieve them.

This river holds the soul of Central Oregon. Photos still take our breath away. But, if you look closely towards the banks, you can see a river in dire want of restoration. The Deschutes still needs our help.

After 25 years of protection from logging, big trees on our public lands are once again threatened. The biggest trees make up only 3% of our forests. We should be protecting them, not cutting them down.

This Saturday, March 6 at 11 a.m. Register here. A chance to raise important issues with Representative Jason Kropf and Commissioner Phil Chang.