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In this Issue of C.O. Local BUZZ…

🤔Local Trivia

🌄Bend, OR Weather

📅 Lots and LOTS of Events

🚂Eastern Cascades Model Railroad Club Open House

🏃‍♂️‍➡️🐕‍🦺5th Annual Heroes on the Run 5K Fun Run

🎉New Event Calendar! Central Oregon Local Live!

📰Local News - What’s a Happening?

🌲Northwest Forest Plan Federal Advisory Committee to Meet September 25-27 in Stevenson, Washington

🐟Surveying fish in Whychus Creek

✈️Redmond Airport Offers Update on Expansion Project

Central Oregon Fire Info

Updates of Oregon Fires

🚧 Road Closures & Construction

🔥⛑️Fire & Rescue News

🚨 Crime News

🚨Shots Fired Following Dispute in Bend Neighborhood

📰 Community News

 Got some news or know of news for our Community News Segment - share it with C.O. Local Buzz!

😁 MEME of the Day

🌆 On going Events

📲Sponsors & Partners

Which of the following Apollo mission crews trained at Lava Butte in 1964 to simulate the rocky conditions they might find on the Moon?

A) Apollo 9
B) Apollo 15
C) Apollo 17
D) Apollo 11

👉Find the Answer in Tomorrow’s Newsletter👉

BEND

Events Sponsored By

Enjoy Bend Life Real Estate

What’s Up Central Oregon 

Eastern Cascades Model Railroad Club Open House

10AM - 4PM, September 7-8, 2024

ALL ABOARD!

Visit us during our annual Open House to experience a weekend of railroading fun! Ride on our expansive outdoor layout, view our intricate indoor HO layout, and learn about trains from our members!

Admission Free For All Ages

5th Annual Heroes on the Run 5K Fun Run (Bend, OR)

September 8 @ 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Join Street Dog Hero for our 5th Annual Heroes in the Run 5K Fun Run happening at The Athletic Club of Bend on Sunday, September 8th! This family-friendly and dog-friendly event has something for the entire family to enjoy, including: a 5K Fun Run, Kids mini run, raffle prizes, food carts, a beer garden, local vendors, kid zone activities, live entertainment, adoptable dogs, and more! 

Plus, all of the proceeds goes towards our mission of saving dogs from around the world and in our own backyard by providing transportation, medical treatment, adoption placement, awareness, and education. Don’t miss out on this jam-packed day of fun! Register TODAY! Please contact [email protected] for more details.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

Northwest Forest Plan Federal Advisory Committee to Meet September 25-27 in Stevenson, Washington

By CBN on September 3, 2024

The committee last met in Olympia, Washington in late June where they finalized recommendations to inform the Northwest Forest Plan Amendment Draft Proposed Action. The committee developed 192 recommendations targeting key areas and voted unanimously to approve and advance the completed recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture.

The September meeting will be held to further discuss next steps in the Northwest Forest Plan Amendment process, discuss how their recommendations are being incorporated into the proposed action, and how other alternatives are being developed for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

The Northwest Forest Plan draft environmental impact statement is expected to be released in October. It will be published in the Federal Register and will initiate a 90-day comment period.

The meeting will be held at the Skamania Lodge Riverview Pavilion, 1131 SW Skamania Lodge Way, Stevenson, WA 98648 and is open for the public to observe in-person. The meeting will also be streamed online.

Written and oral comments will be accepted during a designated portion of the meeting. Anyone wishing to provide in-person oral comments must pre-register by 11:59pm PST on September 13, 2024.

Written public comments will be accepted through 11:59pm PST on September 13, 2024. Comments submitted after this date will be provided by the Forest Service to the Committee, but the Committee may not have adequate time to consider those comments prior to the meeting.

Details regarding the upcoming meeting, including how the public can provide information to the committee is posted on the regional website at: fs.usda.gov/goto/r6/nwfpfac.

The Federal Advisory Committee does not replace the public involvement process or the public’s opportunity to engage directly with the Forest Service regarding Northwest Forest Plan amendment efforts during the planning process.

The Secretary of Agriculture established the FAC to support ongoing efforts to amend the Northwest Forest Plan. The FAC seeks to bring together representatives with diverse perspectives that reflect a range of experiences and expertise, including community, Tribal, government and other interest groups from across the Northwest Forest Plan landscape to inform the Northwest Forest Plan amendment. The group is working to help the agency identify ways to effectively conserve key resources while considering social, ecological, and economic conditions and needs.

The USDA Forest Service is amending the Northwest Forest Plan to address changed conditions with a focus on five key areas: wildfire resilience, climate change adaptation, tribal inclusion, sustainable communities, and conservation of old growth ecosystems and related biodiversity. The Forest Service is committed to preserving the elements of the plan that are working well while incorporating the latest science to help forests adapt to social, economic, cultural, and ecological changes.

The Northwest Forest Plan covers 24.5 million acres of federally managed lands in California, Oregon, and Washington. It was established in 1994 to address threats to threatened and endangered species while also contributing to social and economic sustainability in the region. After nearly 30 years, the Northwest Forest Plan needs to be updated to accommodate changed ecological and social conditions.

Additional information about the Northwest Forest Plan is available at fs.usda.gov/goto/r6/nwfp.

fs.usda.gov

Surveying fish in Whychus Creek

When Sisters resident John May saw people wading in Whychus Creek on August 19, obviously working on some sort of project, he was curious. He stopped by and encountered Deschutes Watershed District Fish Biologist Jerry George conducting a fish survey.

He asked George for details on the work, and the biologist sent him an email sketching out the results of the survey. May shared the information with The Nugget.

"Today we found that, while present, trout were in very low abundance in Whychus Creek along Junipine Lane. We collected too few fish to conduct a population estimate for the sampling reach," he wrote. "We had four trout total, one redband, two brook, and one brown trout. For reference, we typically collect between 30–200 trout in reaches of similar length downstream around Camp Polk.

"Today we were pleased to collect a healthy and robust native redband trout measuring 250 millimeters, or around 10 inches in length. Redband numbers have been down in Whychus Creek as they struggle to compete for food and space with non-native brook and brown trout so it's encouraging to see them maintaining a presence in Whychus Creek near Sisters. We were able to tell that the fish collected today was a redband trout and not a steelhead released at Camp Polk for reintroduction, because steelhead receive a unique jaw clip before they are released."

George noted that, "The water temperature was nice and cool, 9.6º C (49º F), and the reach has good riparian vegetation and overhead cover, but it is lacking in-stream cover and habitat complexity. The habitat is somewhat homogeneous in the reach sampled today (straight channel, moderate gradient riffle), which probably helps explain the low abundance of trout observed. The Junipine Lane area does have good gravel and cobble substrate for trout and salmon spawning, and if more in-stream habitat complexity and deep pools with cover were added for fish to hold in and hide from predators, could be a much more productive reach.

"As recently as 10-15 years ago Whychus Creek below the Three Sisters Irrigation Diversion would go dry in the summer and with the help of irrigation efficiency projects and flow restoration has come a long way towards being restored - but more work can be done."

Redmond Airport Offers Update on Expansion Project

The airport expansion project, expected to start next summer, will address increased demands

An expansion to the Redmond Airport is coming closer as the design, cost and timeline continue to take shape. On Aug. 27, Redmond Airport Director Zachary Bass presented an update on the expansion to Redmond City Councilors, highlighting design options, construction, funding and timelines.

The airport is about 40% through the project’s design phase, said Bass, offering a series of renderings of the inside and outside of the planned expansion. Most of the additions, Bass noted, will occur on the second floor of the airport, which will connect to a brand-new nearly 60,000 square foot concourse. The new concourse will include seen jet bridges and new retail and concessions.

The expansion design will likely evolve as the project progresses.
The project is estimated to cost about $170 million and will be paid for through state and federal funding, grants and an Airport Bond. Revenue from the airport, including money from parking and concessions, will also go toward funding the expansion. Taxpayers will not be directly paying for any of the expansion project, Bass told the Source Weekly.

To respond to an increase in demand, and better serve the growing population and travelers, airport officials recognized a need to evolve and grow. In 2019, the airport had 482,767 passengers boarding aircrafts, a number not anticipated until 2024, according to the Redmond Municipal Airport Terminal Area Concept Plan.

The expansion and modifications will accommodate capacity demands, improve ADA accessibility, increase energy efficiency and enhance passenger experience. Construction is expected to start in Summer 2025.

Updates of Oregon Fires

Link to: Air Quality Index map

Another AQI Map

Link to: Northwest Large Fire Interactive Web Map

Shots Fired Following Dispute in Bend Neighborhood

Bend, OR — On the evening of Sunday, September 1, 2024, a dispute in a Bend neighborhood escalated to gunfire, prompting a significant police response.

The incident occurred around 10:15 p.m. near the intersection of Romaine Village Way and Ridge Drive. According to Bend Police, the altercation began when a local business owner, driving a golf cart away from his establishment, noticed a man and a woman on a nearby private property. The business owner reportedly pointed a flashlight at the pair and instructed them to leave, leading to a heated exchange over alleged trespassing.

As the business owner drove away from the scene, the man fired two shots. Officers who responded to the scene recovered two 9mm shell casings.

Authorities have yet to identify a suspect, and the investigation remains ongoing. Bend Police are urging anyone with information about the incident to contact nonemergency dispatch at 541-693-6911.

No injuries were reported, and the police presence in the area has since been scaled back.

Deschutes Public Library Events

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