The Deschutes River in Bend during the summer is downstream from irrigation removal of the water is little more than a creek. Photo George Wuerthner In October, irrigators began the […]
Deschutes River Irrigators Guilty of Vandalism
Dried-up bed of the Deschutes River upstream of Bend, Oregon. Photo George Wuerthner This past month, irrigators began the annual drawing down of the Deschutes River to the point where […]
Holiday Farm Fire And Industrial Logging
Clearcuts along the McKenzie River corridor east of Eugene, Oregon did little to slow the Holiday Farm Fire. Photo George Wuerthner The Holiday Farm Fire began on September 7, 2020. […]
Wild Rogue Wilderness Legislation Introduced
The Rogue River cuts through the coastal Siskiyou Mountains. Photo George Wuerthner Congressman Peter DeFazio (D) from Eugene, Oregon, has introduced into the House the Wild Rogue Conservation and Recreation […]
Thinning or Clearcut?
One hears continuously that the Forest Service doesn’t clearcut anymore. Of course, what constitutes a clearcut is subject to interpretation. The following photos are all taken on the Deschutes NF […]
Wildfire May Benefit Spotted Owls
Northern Spotted Owl Photo US FWS A couple of years ago, I attended a meeting of the Deschutes Collaborative. Spotted Owls and wildfire was the topic that day. The meeting […]
Antidote For Rural Sprawl–Land Use Zoning
Rural subdivision in Gallatin County, Montana. Photo George Wuerthner Back when I was a student at the University of Montana in Missoula, I had a girlfriend who managed to rent […]
Critique of “Fire Suppression” Mythology
High elevation forests like the mountain hemlock seen here at Crater Lake have long intervals between fires. They only burn when there is the right combination of climate/weather. Fire […]