Michael Kohn

Prescribed burning was down by half this year on the Deschutes National Forest compared to a year ago and also well below the 10-year average, raising questions from local officials about preparedness for the next wildfire season. 

Following several years of planning and preparation, the Redmond Wetlands Complex — a natural wastewater treatment system — is starting to take shape. 

Deschutes County is preparing to deploy $3.4 million for wildfire mitigation projects to reduce the likelihood of catastrophic wildfire in La Pine.

The Environmental Center in Bend will host a virtual event on Tuesday (Nov. 18) focusing on recycling and recent rule changes in Oregon that expand the list of items that can go into the blue recycle barrel. 

Policies by the Trump administration are putting communities at increased risk for wildfire because federal funding for fuels treatment work is becoming more difficult to obtain.

A year ago, the U.S. Forest Service said a new plan to allow Class 1, pedal-assist e-bikes on certain trails in the Deschutes National Forest was being explored. A decision on adopting the rule — expected this month — now lacks clarity due to the government shutdown.

The High Desert Museum and Portland art collector Jordan Schnitzer are teaming up to launch a new award recognizing people tackling environmental challenges across the American West.

The Cascades Lakes Highway and Paulina Lake Road are both set to close for the winter season at 8 a.m. on Nov 18, the Deschutes County Road Department said in a release. 

Bend homebuilders are urging the city to remove juniper trees from its list of protected species under the city’s tree code, reasoning that inclusion of junipers will increase the cost of new homes. 

Broken lamps, torn jackets, zippers that won’t zip — and other household items — have a chance at a second life as the ever-popular Repair Cafe returns to Central Oregon next month.