A nonprofit community group called Connect Bend is seeking to advance a proposed pedestrian bridge over the Deschutes River on the south side of Bend. The project has been deprioritized by Bend Park and Recreation District amid pushback from adjacent homeowners and the environmental group Oregon Wild.
Voters approved the project by a margin of 52.11% to 47.89% in a 2012 bond measure that also funded the Bend Whitewater Park and The Pavilion skating rink. The proposed bridge would complete the Deschutes River Trail from Tumalo State Park to Sunriver.
“There’s no good reason this footbridge hasn’t been built already,” said Ted Schoenborn, a retired BPRD board member and advisor to Connect Bend, in a press release on Oct. 20. “Just special interests and red tape. We voted for this. We paid for it. We need to go ahead.”
Two bills sought to ban the project in 2017 and 2018, both failing in the Oregon Senate. Opponents say the bridge could disturb that portion of the Deschutes, which is protected as a Wild and Scenic River. Those aiming to build within a quarter-mile of Wild and Scenic River banks must notify the governing statewide body and meet river-specific guidelines. At a 2015 public hearing on the project most opponents were adjacent landowners worried about vandalism and increased foot traffic near their homes.
“Up to 15,000 people in southern Bend do not have direct access to these outdoor areas. There are no parks in the Deschutes River Woods. One simple project would improve the lives of a lot of people.” —Brent Steinski
“Environmentally, this is a positive for the Bend area,” said Larry Waters, a board member, career public works director, and head of Connect Bend’s environmental outreach effort. “The areas near the proposed site are beaten down. They need care and management. This project enables us to do that work.”
Connect Bend’s petition is seeking 10,000 signatures to pressure BPRD to resume work on the bridge, claiming it would reduce traffic and connect more people to the outdoors. At the time of publication over 1,800 people have signed on.
“Up to 15,000 people in southern Bend do not have direct access to these outdoor areas,” said Brett Stinski, a board member of Connect Bend. “There are no parks in the Deschutes River Woods. One simple project would improve the lives of a lot of people.”
This article appears in Oct 27 – Nov 3, 2021.
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The BPRD proposal examined 5 alternative locations for a bridge. They chose a location designated Wild & Scenic, going right through a Wildlife Reserve and which is not even within BPRD’s boundary. The decision to abandon the entire project, rather than choose a different location, was made in the face of widespread neighborhood opposition, not “special interests”.
Yes, there was a big fight back then. Neighbors opposed it not only because it would attract traffic and congestion. It was also sited on an established elk migration route that Fish&Wildlife considered critical habitat in the Wild & Scenic section. Even BPRD decided to relocate the bridge site after the Oregon Legislature voted unanimously to block the project on enviromental grounds.
The only reason these new proponents are insisting on the original location is that the trail and bridge are the centerpiece for their new subdivision of exclusive homes along the Wild & Scenic section of the Deschutes. Without the trail, they just have houses for sale. But now the boat tours, bike racers and running clubs will crank up their membership to ride along with this terrible idea again.
Contrary to this article, the elk have been using this river crossing for centuries to access their calving grounds in the Spring. The herd splits up and the females take their yearling calves to the shallow river ford and down through Deschutes River Woods to the lava beds along the river. Here, they find safe haven for having their babies. There are no other crossings that the young elk can use safely to cross with their mothers.
If you like watching elk along the river or seeing them along Century Drive, you have to support them throughout their tenuous life cycle. They don’t have the option of driving a few extra miles to a different ford. We do. If we are as woke as we claim to be, we can find ways to protect the very creatures we go to the wilderness to see.
This particular herd is at risk of extinction due to continuing development along their habitat. Widgi Creek, (yea, name it after the dead) was plopped down in the middle of their trail to the river. The Forest Service is immune to land use laws and there were no hearings on the project. Immediately after, the Elk Crossing sign on Century Drive was chainsawn down. Suddenly, there is a new golf course lawn on the elks main trail. But trampling on turf made them destructive wildlife and the Department of Agriculture sent out its wildlife agent. At least seven elk were killed and left to the coyotes, including a radio-collared bull. Then someone started poaching elk in DRW and disrupted their migration. Now they travel at night and you can hear their whistles as the move along in the dark through DRW. A new bridge will seriously disrupt their migration with the traffic and parking lot noises of late night drinking. The mothers won’t bring their children anywhere near that disruptive area.
If you place a value on wild places, the Deschutes river Wild & Scenic area is a treasure. This bridge threatens the very meaning of Wild. First, as described above, it destroys one of the most valuable spots on the river for its wild residents. Secondly, it will destroy the wild all along the river to Sunriver. It is the connecting link that will enable commercial interests to capitalize off Bend-to-Sunriver events that will bring crowds to a place that only thrives on solitude. Their claims of restoring land will be offset by the crowds they intend to attract. The entire river will be degraded instead of just one crossing and the wild will be gone from this special place, forever.
The area that’s being called a wildlife preserve in the comments above has had multiple private residences built within it on the river front the west side. On the east side, that entire tract of land was sold to a housing developer in 2016. A footbridge would provide thousands of Bend residents equitable access to the outdoors while protecting riparian areas, NOT building the bridge would protect the patio view of a handful of Bend’s richest residences.
I cant believe theres virtually no river access in DRW. Theres great public access points just north in Bend and just south in Sunriver. If youre not one of the handful of people with river front, million dollar homes in DRW- you have to get in the car and drive 20 minutes just to get to the trails. We can allow river/trail access for DRW residents AND work together to preserve our natural resources.
Elk have not been seen here for YEARS!!! When we moved to River Rim in 2006 a herd of Elk came grazing in the winter at the Elk Meadow. There have not been any Elk since 2008. Because of the development of the neighborhoods Elk have moved on to different locations such as the area west of Aubrey Butte and are often seen on farms and ranches near Johnson Road, according to a Bend Bulletin article.