Copy
View this email in your browser
Deschutes Canyon Currents
February 2021
Lower Crooked River Canyon in February / Eric Hansen
We work to preserve and restore the wild landscapes of the middle Deschutes and lower Crooked Rivers and lower Whychus Creek through advocacy, stewardship and education.
           -FANs of the Deschutes Canyon Area's Mission Statement
https://www.facebook.com/FANsOfDeschutes/
Email
Instagram

Our Lens on Learning Series Continues Online
 

The Deschutes River Needs Our Help
Presented by Tod Heisler, Central Oregon Land Watch
March 20, 2021, 10:00 a.m.
Free event on Zoom

​Register Now
 

Join Tod as he discusses the severe ecological degradation the Deschutes River has suffered over the past century and why the recently approved Habitat Conservation Plan needs to do more.

Tod Heisler joined Central Oregon LandWatch in January of 2019 and serves as the Director of its Rivers Program. Tod has thirty years of executive management experience in various environmental non-profit organizations including the World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, and the Deschutes River Conservancy where he served as Executive Director for fifteen years. Tod played a leadership role in three water management studies conducted in the Deschutes Basin over the past fifteen years.  His broad knowledge of Oregon Water Law, current water management practices by irrigation districts, and the array of solutions available to restore Deschutes River streamflows puts him in a unique position to advocate strongly for all the rivers in Central Oregon, especially the one we think of as our “home river.”

Learn more and register for this event.
 


Tod Heisler will present on March 20.
 
A New Beginning in Public Lands Partnership
Marilynne Keyser, FANs President
 
There is much to be grateful for as we begin 2021. Although the COVID crisis is far from over, there is now a national strategy that will help us get through it. I hope you and your family stay safe and healthy. Getting out into our protected public lands (even in winter) is the best thing to do!

For Friends and Neighbors of the Deschutes Canyon Area (FANs), it has been an energizing start to the year. We received a $5,000 grant from the Conservation Lands Foundation for the production of a FANs brochure in Spanish and creation of a field guide to the common weeds of our area.  Eager volunteers are working on both right now. We have two new board members, Phyllis Carlin and Robin Galloway, who bring superb skills and new energy to FANs.

As I reported to you in the December newsletter, FANs board of directors has prioritized working with the Federal agencies that manage our Wilderness Study Areas and our and Scenic Rivers to stop the abuse caused by unauthorized motor vehicle access, illegal permanent camping and trash dumping.

On January 7, FANs had a Zoom call with six staff from the Prineville Office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), including Jeff Kitchens, Deschutes Field Manager, to discuss our concerns and the status of actions that the BLM was taking. It was an important and fruitful meeting which was followed up by an all-hands meeting on site to further access the damage and discuss the BLM’s plans to address it. Large boulders will be placed to block unauthorized motor vehicle access to the Wild and Scenic River corridor along Lower Bridge Road, and new signage will educate users of the designation and restrictions for use. An area that could possibly be used for parking for walk-in visitors was investigated and discussed. FANs would be primarily responsible for cleaning up trash and regularly monitoring the area.

This is an important new beginning for FANs and the BLM, and both partners are excited to work together at this site and throughout the public lands in the Deschutes Canyon area. We are looking for additional volunteers to monitor sections of those public lands in 2021.

If you are interested in being trained as a trail monitor, contact Jeff Scheetz at 503-277-9110 or jscheetz@ix.netcom.com, or contact me at 541-923-0558 or mtkeyser@gmail.com.
 

FANs members Eric Hansen (pictured) and Jeff Scheetz restored a boulder barrier to block
vehicle access in the Deschutes Wild and Scenic River section south of Lower Bridge Way.
Deschutes River II




A watercolor by FANs member John Hermannsson.
Here is a recording of our
February Lens on Learning Presentation:

Beautiful Birds of Central Oregon
Presentation by Chuck Gates
 

Steller's jay | Chuck Gates

Friends and Neighbors of the Deschutes Canyon Area
is proud to be a part of
Friends Grassroots Network
and
Central Oregon Conservation Network
Board Meeting Schedule

Friends and Neighbors of the Deschutes Canyon Area board meetings are usually held at 4:00 p.m. the second Sunday each month.  Copies of the agenda are available before the meetings.  Public comments are welcome at the end of board meetings.

Our next board meeting will be March 14, 2021, at 4:00 p.m. via Zoom. Please email fansofdeschutes@gmail.com if you would like to participate in this meeting.
 

FANs Board of Directors
 
Our all-volunteer Board of Directors focuses on our mission: Preserve and restore the wild landscapes of the middle Deschutes and lower Crooked Rivers and lower Whychus Creek through advocacy, stewardship and education. 

You can read more about our Board of Directors and Leadership Team by clicking here.
 

FANs is a 501-C-3 Nonprofit Organization  EIN #45-4986167

Like us on Facebook!     DONATE NOW
Our mailing address is:
Friends and Neighbors of the Deschutes Canyon Area
PO Box 2127
Terrebonne, OR 97760
541.771.FANS (3267)

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.
 






This email was sent to <<Email Address>>
why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences
Friends and Neighbors of the Deschutes Canyon Area · PO Box 2127 · Terrebonne, OR 97760-2127 · USA

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp