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Friends and Neighbors of the
Deschutes Canyon Area: What We Do Tom Iraci, FANs Board Member and professional photographer, created a video that shows some of our work and play, along with the beauty of the Deschutes Canyon Area public lands. Enjoy!
Guide to Common Native Plants of the
Deschutes Canyon Area written by FANs President Marilynne Keyser This field guide includes the most common native plants on public lands near Crooked River Ranch in Central Oregon. This guidebook is small (8.25 x 4.5 inches) and durable, so you can take it on your hikes to identify native shrubs, bunchgrasses and wildflowers on the many trails around Lower Whychus Creek, the Middle Deschutes and Lower Crooked Rivers. Organized by bloom time, this field guide is especially helpful in February through September. FANs of the Deschutes Canyon Area member price is $10 and non-member price is $12. Your purchase helps support FANs projects that preserve and restore public lands in the Deschutes Canyon Area. CLICK HERE to learn more and order Guide to Common Native Plants of the Deschutes Canyon Area.
Deschutes-Steelhead Falls Wilderness Study Area:
Public Lands Worth Protecting Summary of President Marilynne Keyser's Testimony Before Senate Committee, August 2018 FANs is a local stewardship organization based at Crooked River Ranch (CRR) that was started six years ago by neighbors who love the incredible river canyons bordering CRR and believe in the importance of local involvement in managing public lands. With our nearly 400 members and an additional 600 participants and volunteers our mission is to preserve and restore the wild landscapes of the Whychus-Deschutes area, which includes the Deschutes Canyon-Steelhead Falls Wilderness Study Area (WSA) that will be impacted by HR 2075. FANs has long recognized the need to implement fire risk reduction measures on both public and private lands in and around CRR. FANs worked for over a year with others in the community, including the fire chief, the homeowners association board President, and the appropriate federal agencies, to develop a collaborative concept that would ensure CRR is better protected from wildfire while also resolving the status of the entire WSA, one of the most scenic, wild places in Central Oregon. A concept emerged that is a true win-win solution. This approach would result in fire risk mitigation activities in the form of fuels treatment on BLM lands adjacent to CRR, wilderness protection for certain qualified public lands, and release of certain lands from WSA status. Our organization is not opposed to WSA release. In fact it was FANs representatives on the working group that introduced the idea as a part of the collaborative process. But we have several serious concerns about the approach of HR 2075.
Although the public lands impacted by HR 2075 are located in our backyard at CRR, Whychus-Deschutes contains outstanding recreation opportunities, one of the highest concentrations of cultural sites and artifacts in our region, and critical habitat for native plants, fish and wildlife. All of these resources are currently threatened by illegal off-road vehicle abuse, recreation overuse, and vandalism. Certain public lands in this area need and deserve permanent protection. Finally, we need to ensure land managers have the direction and the resources to tackle these complex and serious issues. We believe a comprehensive solution based on true local collaboration is possible for this area. I urge the committee to expand this bill to address the concerns of all the stakeholders of this incredible wild landscape. CLICK HERE to read Marilynne Keyser's HR 2075 written testimony. |
Upcoming Events and ProjectsFANs of the Deschutes Canyon Area's
2018-2019 Lens on Learning Series: Bringing Speakers on the Natural World to Crooked River Ranch Registration opens here one month before each event. Whychus - Rebirth of a Forgotten Creek
Presented by Brad Chalfant, Executive Director of Deschutes Land Trust January 19, 2019, 2:00 p.m. Juniper Room at Crooked River Ranch Whychus Creek flows into the Middle Deschutes River just to the west of Crooked River Ranch. Deschutes Land Trust's Executive Director Brad Chalfant will describe the geography and history of Whychus Creek, including how it came to be a "forgotten creek," how it was rediscovered and how it has come back to life. Along the way, Brad will talk about future challenges and opportunities with respect to Whychus Creek. Registration for this event opens here on December 19. Deschutes River - Irrigation Canal or Wild River?
Presented by George Wuerthner, Executive Director of Deschutes Land Trust February 16, 2019, 2:00 p.m. Juniper Room at Crooked River Ranch Due the large springs in its tributaries that provided year-round even flows, the Deschutes River once had the evenest flow of any western river and supported outstanding fisheries, as well as other wildlife. Today 90% of the river's flow is sometimes diverted for irrigation, primarily the growing of hay and pasture. The amplitude between high and low flows has been greatly modified to fit irrigation needs and this has caused many ecological problems including increased sedimentation, warmer temperatures, and as a result, major fish losses. This talk will provide background on the problem and propose some opportunities to improve the river's ecosystem. Registration for this event opens here on January 16, 2019.
Tom Iraci, photographer and FANs board member, created a slideshow titled "Beauty in the Canyons," featuring images from the Deschutes Canyon Area. Click the blue button below to view this spectacular slideshow.
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Friends and Neighbors of the Deschutes Canyon Area
fansofdeschutes@gmail.com P.O. Box 2127, Terrebonne, OR 97760 541.771.FANS (3267) |
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