Wildlife Habitat Restoration
The plants and animals who live in our dry ponderosa pine forests are also adapted to fire and benefit from forest restoration. Wildlife habitat restoration in the Deschutes National Forest includes work such as improving the health of aspen woodlands and streamside vegetation, creating snags (standing dead trees) for cavity-nesting birds such as woodpeckers, bats, and small mammals, or opening up the forest canopy to increase moisture and light on the forest floor for native grasses and wildflowers to flourish.
Since 2010, we’ve been working as partners alongside the Deschutes National Forest on a $10.1 million effort to restore 250,000+ acres of forest in Deschutes County, focusing on the unhealthiest places that are putting our forests and communities at risk.
The West Bend Project is one of 10 primary forest restoration project areas on national forestland. There are only 20 such demonstration sites nationwide, selected to receive Congressional funding through the federal Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Act. The goals of the West Bend Project: restore forest ecosystems, reduce the potential of high-severity wildfire, and provide economic and social benefits to local communities.
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Recent News
Trail Closure Updates for Phils Trail area
Restoration Work near Phil's Trail area Popular mountain biking trails will be temporarily closed. You may have noticed some activity in the forests west of Bend. Restoration work (thinning, mowing, and prescribed burning) near the Phil's Trail area aims to…
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Prescribed Burning in Progress
Prescribed Burning locations across Central Oregon With the arrival of favorable weather conditions, fire managers on the Deschutes National Forest will begin igniting prescribed burns across our area over the next few weeks. This will include several high-visibility burns around…
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Mowing to occur near Deschutes River recreation areas
Recreationists should keep their distance from mowing equipment for their safety Posted May 26, 2021: Heavy equipment will be mowing national forest lands located west of Bend and south of Century Drive now and into much of the summer unless…
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