Brian Jennings

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Posted inNews

Judge Rules Ochoco OHV Trail Plan Illegal

One more judge will review plan before final decision
Brian Jennings

A controversial Forest Service plan to establish a 137-mile trail for off-road vehicles in the Ochoco National Forest has been shot down by a federal judge in Pendleton, Ore. Patricia Sullivan issued her decision after a decade-long effort led by the Forest Service to include OHVs into the forest’s travel management plan. While the plan was […]

Posted inOutside

A Fisheries Pioneer

Amy Stewart was ODFW’s first district-wide female fish biologist
Brian Jennings

“I was told women belong in the kitchen, barefoot and pregnant,” recalls former state Fish Biologist Amy Stuart of Prineville. In 1983, she was hired by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife as its first district-wide female fish biologist, based in Prineville. With natural resources degrees from Cornell and Colorado State Universitiy, she interviewed for […]

Posted inNews

A River Runs Through Here

Water issues downriver in Jefferson County affect those upriver, too, impacting the economy, recreation and food
Brian Jennings

“Without water – no farms – no food.” With that simple statement, Jefferson County Commissioner Mae Huston emphasizes the importance of irrigation water for farms near Madras, in Jefferson County, where the seed industry, along with other crops, are the lifeblood of the rural community. Without adequate water supplies for farmers, she says the City […]

Posted inOutside

Crowds in the Backcountry

As national forest leaders consider quotas for local wilderness areas, some local wilderness advocates weigh in
Brian Jennings

Sarah Cuddy coordinates conservation efforts in the Ochoco National Forest for Oregon Wild. She’s worried about increased foot traffic in the woods. “With our population increase we’re seeing an increase in recreation. The sheer volume of people on the trails now is way more than we’ve experienced in the past.” Central Oregon’s population growth bears […]

Posted inNews

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch…

It was once an over-grazed range that became the home of Rajneeshpuram. Now another type of religion occupies the space, along with ranchers committed to land restoration
Brian Jennings

Brian Jennings covered the Rajneesh controversy while serving as news director at KXL Radio in Portland in the 1980s. This year, he headed back to the former Big Muddy Ranch two times, to see the sweeping changes there first-hand. Madras area rancher Ron Ochs, 88, says it was the most bizarre time in Oregon history. […]

Posted inOutside

Call Her Big Red

La Pine State Park is a popular spot for recreation—but its giant ponderosa remains the star attraction
Brian Jennings

Located about 150 feet from the Deschutes River in La Pine State Park, it rises higher to the sky than all other big ponderosa trees on the nearby landscape. Many of its branches are bigger than the other, younger ponderosa trees that populate the Deschutes National Forest. It’s known as a Pacific ponderosa (Pinus ponderosa), […]

Posted inOutside

Scarred McKenzie Pass Reopens

Brian Jennings

Update:  McKenzie Pass is closed at least through Thursday at milepost 70 eastbound and milepost 81 westbound due to mud over the highway after Wednesday’s storms. Check ODOT’s website for up to date information on when the pass will reopen.  Peter Murphy at the Oregon Department of Transportation loves McKenzie Pass. “You can’t get this […]

Posted inOutside

Shooting, Dumping and Cleaning Up

Another purge effort for China Hat—and a push to change rules around shooting in the area
Brian Jennings

Brent Jenkins likens the national forest to a play area. “It’s our playground. I love being out in the forest and I love seeing it clean. I know people, myself included, never go out in the forest without bringing back some trash.” Jenkins works for the Deschutes National Forest, and often has his eye on […]

Posted inCulture

A Carnival with a K

If your child attends the Kokanee Karnival, don’t be surprised to find a zippered plastic bag of fish in their backpack
Brian Jennings

Of the growing number of outdoor educational opportunities for kids in Central Oregon, one program is something of a rite of passage for a Central Oregon spring. The Kokanee Karnival, held at Bend’s Shevlin Park, welcomes hundreds of 4th and 5th grade students from schools in Bend, La Pine and Redmond each year. As well […]

Posted inOutside

In Search of Antlers

Shed hunting is a popular seasonal pastime; like a spring easter Egg hunt for adults
Brian Jennings

It’s becoming one of the more popular outdoor pursuits in regions where deer and elk herds thrive. In late fall, winter, and early spring, these animals seek lower elevation ranges that provide safety, shelter and food before migrating back to richer summer range. Deer seek lower ranges than elk, generally, where snow isn’t as deep […]

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