An activist group called Cascadia Forest Defenders protested proposed clear cuts in the Deschutes National Forest on Monday by hanging a banner from the Highway 97 overpass above Greenwood Avenue that read "Entering Deschutes National Forest: Where Recreation and Clearcuts Abound!" The Defenders, a grassroots environmental organization opposed to what it calls the "ecologically and environmentally exploitative" practices of the timber industry, claims that the Forest Service is engaging in clearcutting under the guise of "renamed regeneration harvests, seed tree harvests, or group selections." The group also expressed concerns in a press release about old growth logging, the use of herbicides near wetlands, and the loss of spotted owl habitat.
If you haven't burnt out on discussing—or listening to other people talk about—vacation rentals, the Bend Chamber is hosting a business-oriented town hall on just that topic. The event will focus on the potential impacts of any City regulations on property and business owners, with panelists including Rob Moore of Arbor Mortgage, Sue Carrington of Bend Dutch Vacation Rentals, and Jon Skidmore of City of Bend. The forum will be held on Tuesday, April 7 at the Deschutes Brewery Public House starting at 5:30 pm (with mixing and mingling beginning at 5 pm). Tickets are $15 for Chamber members and $20 for the general public.
Rep. Knute Buehler wants to give people the freedom to be guinea pigs. That is, he is spearheading a bill that would allow terminally ill patients to access treatments that are still technically in the experimental phase, and not yet approved for general use. The bill wouldn't open the floodgates to snake oil salesmen, rather it would allow access to treatments that have completed Phase 1 of the Food and Drug Administration's approval process. House Bill 2300, dubbed the "Right to Try" bill, recently unanimously passed the House Health Care committee.
