Rimrock Ranch Permanently Protected, Our Commitment to Equity, a Plein Air Art Exhibition & More!

(Rimrock Ranch | Photo Courtesy of Deschutes Land Trust)

Summer marches on, bringing us sweet corn, lazy days on the river, dusty mountain bike trails, mountain wildflowers and all the other things that make the season in Central Oregon so special. We hope you’ve been able to enjoy summer’s beauty.

At the Land Trust, summer means getting out to monitor our lands, providing virtual events that bring nature into your home and working to conserve critical lands in Central Oregon. We’re delighted to let you know that we’ve permanently protected another special place — Rimrock Ranch. See below for more details on this exciting project.

Then, read on for your monthly Land Trust news, including our commitment to equity, a plein air art exhibition showcasing Land Trust protected lands, an event update, technology’s impact on Land Trust work, and more.

Rimrock Ranch Permanently Protected

The Land Trust is excited to announce that we have purchased and protected 1,123 acres of land along Whychus Creek northeast of Sisters. Rimrock Ranch includes rugged canyons, pine and juniper forests and almost two miles of Whychus Creek.

“The owners of Rimrock Ranch began working with the Land Trust in 2003 to conserve this unique property. From the outset, our shared long-term vision for Rimrock Ranch was that the Land Trust would one day own and ensure permanent protection of its remarkable natural resources. Thanks to stalwart donors who supported our Campaign for Whychus Creek, an amazing landowner and our conservation partner McKenzie River Trust, we have now realized that vision,” said founding director Brad Chalfant.

Rimrock Ranch’s grasslands, forests and creek are home to a wide variety of species, including reintroduced Chinook salmon and steelhead, mule deer, Rocky Mountain elk, golden eagles and numerous songbirds. The diversity of natural features at the ranch, combined with the property’s connection to surrounding undeveloped land means it will continue to provide a refuge in the face of a changing climate.

Read more, then check out a Virtual Tour of Rimrock Ranch

The Land Trust’s Commitment to Equity

In 2018 the Land Trust began a concerted effort to understand how we can become a more diverse, equitable and inclusive organization. Staff and Board have been learning about diversity, equity and inclusion, and exploring how our conservation efforts can truly engage everyone in caring for the natural world.

One of the first steps we took was to create an internal Equity Council in 2019 to help guide our efforts going forward. The Council has been helping provide learning opportunities for staff and Board and is beginning to integrate equity and inclusion into our internal plans, policies and procedures. We know that we are early in our journey and we know that we have made mistakes, are currently making mistakes and we will continue to make mistakes in the future. But we are committed to learning from these mistakes as we build a more diverse, equitable and inclusive organization.

Towards that end, one of the first things the Equity Council did was define diversity, equity and inclusion for the Land Trust and create our first Deschutes Land Trust Equity Commitment.

Read our definitions and our Equity Commitment

Join Us for a Plein Air Painting Exhibition

Local artists are celebrating 25 years of conservation in Central Oregon by painting Deschutes Land Trust protected lands.

During the month of August, Plein Air Painters of Oregon (PAPO) will be out and about at Land Trust Preserves, painting these beautiful places in honor of our 25th anniversary. Their works will be exhibited at Layor Art + Supply in downtown Bend during the month of September.

We hope you’ll stop by the show to see what the artists experience and express when visiting Land Trust Preserves. While you’re there, vote for one of the PAPO artists to receive a “People’s Choice Award.”

Starting September 3
Layor Art + Supply
1000 NW Wall St., Suite 110
Downtown Bend
Learn more

Land Trust Event Update

We are sad to announce that the remainder of our in-person Walks + Hikes events, as well as our 25th anniversary Farm to Table dinner, have been canceled.

With coronavirus cases on the rise in Oregon, we decided the best way to keep our community and our volunteers safe and healthy was to cancel these events.

However, you can still visit our Community Preserves on your own! Check out our suggestions for self-guided walks.

In addition, we are offering virtual events to connect you to the nature of Central Oregon! Register todays:

Virtual Nature Meditation
August 20, 5-5:45pm

Be sure to check our event calendar and follow us on social media to find our new virtual events as we add them!

Helping Prevent Wildfires

It’s wildfire season in Central Oregon. It might seem like something you can’t help prevent, but did you know a large number of wildfires in Oregon are actually caused by humans? Help be part of the solution by knowing what you can do to prevent wildfires.

Campfires. We’ve all seen the signs: We Want Your Campfire DEAD OUT! But what does this actually mean? It means there shouldn’t be any heat coming from your campfire when you leave. Here’s how to make sure your fire is out:

Slowly add water to your campfire.
Stir, scrape and separate the coals and ash to spread the heat out.
Add more water to your campfire until it stops steaming.
Feel for any residual heat by using the back of your hand held above the coals and ash (Please make sure not to touch the fire!). Make sure you feel the edges of the fire and fire ring.

Check out our other tips

The Land Trust’s 25th Anniversary: The Story of the Metolius Preserve

In honor of the Land Trust’s 25th anniversary, we’re sharing the stories of our flagship Preserves — the places, the people who have helped care for them and the power they have to create a brighter future. This month, we share the story of the Metolius Preserve, a beacon of light and hope for the future.

It all started with quiet conversations. The first was between Toni Foster, founder of the Friends of the Metolius, and Brad Chalfant, founder and executive director of the Land Trust, concerning threats to Oregon’s beloved Metolius River. Alerted to the possibility that private timberlands might someday be converted to destination resorts, Land Trust board member and co-founder, Win Francis quietly approached an old fishing acquaintance, Bill Swindells, the chairman of Willamette Industries. Musings on land and a love for the rivers and streams of Central Oregon ensued. Less than a year later, those conversations would lead to an offer from Willamette Industries to sell 1,240 acres of land with three sections of Lake Creek, a primary tributary to the Metolius River.

At the time, the Land Trust was less than seven years old, had only five staff members and wasn’t ready to launch a capital campaign to acquire such a large and significant property. However, despite the challenge, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Read more.

How Aerial Imagery Benefits Our Work

As the Land Trust looks for ways to improve upon the methods used to monitor and track significant ecological changes at our properties over time, we have recently started to implement the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), commonly referred to as drones. UAV technology has grown substantially in recent years and many land management organizations are realizing the benefits of being able to capture high quality aerial imagery to supplement photos taken at ground level — when it’s done in a thoughtful, well-planned manner.

Traditionally, when the Land Trust conserves a property, a set of on-the-ground photopoints are established at various places of interest within the property to document existing conditions. Those photopoints are GPS referenced and then revisited annually to be able to keep tabs on any relevant changes, such as stream or forest restoration projects, fluctuating weed populations, native vegetation health and trail and infrastructure conditions. Read more.

Land Trust Celebrates Signing of Great American Outdoors Act

The conservation world saw a huge victory in Washington, D.C. On August 4, the President signed the Great American Outdoors Act. One of the bill’s most important achievements was the full and permanent funding of the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).

Among the most important programs within the LWCF is the Forest Legacy Program, an initiative that is key to the permanent protection and conservation of Central Oregon’s 33,000-acre Skyline Forest, located west of Bend.

We are pleased to acknowledge the role of Oregon’s Congressional delegation. While Oregon’s entire delegation voted in favor of the Great American Outdoors Act, we owe special acknowledgment and thanks for the leadership of Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley. Likewise, we’re grateful for Representative Greg Walden for making this a bi-partisan, all-Oregon effort. Read more.

In Memoriam: Steve Ponder

It is with sadness that we note the passing of Land Trust volunteer Steve Ponder.

Steve became a volunteer with the Land Trust in 2016. He first helped out as a Walks + Hikes shepherd, assisting with numerous Land Trust hikes.

In 2017, Steve helped pilot our Trail Ambassador program. He devoted many hours to being on the trail (especially at Whychus Canyon Preserve), greeting visitors with a smile and sharing the Land Trust’s work with others. In the fall of 2018, Steve was recognized as one of the Land Trust’s Volunteers of the Year. His hours of volunteering helped the Land Trust greatly, and he was a delight to work with. Read more.