Firewood cutting season resumes May 1; permits available
Native plants, mushroom permits also available
PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) Beginning May 1, personal and commercial use firewood collection season will resume on the Deschutes and Ochoco national forests and Crooked River National Grassland. All areas will remain open through Nov. 30.
While many of the permit requirements were waived in 2020, the public will again be required to purchase firewood permits and tag their loaded firewood in 2021. While U.S. Forest Service offices remain closed to the public, individual permits can be purchased for $10 per cord (with a two cord minimum) from a variety of Central Oregon vendors. Each household may purchase up to eight cords annually.
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KTVZ file
About 900 acres in next few weeks near Willow Creek, Haystack Reservoir
PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) Beginning Wednesday, firefighters will be burning downed juniper near Willow Creek and around Haystack Reservoir on the Crooked River National Grassland.
Central Oregon residents may see light smoke periodically south of Madras as fire managers continue juniper jackpot burning near Highway 26 as weather conditions allow, for a total of 900 acres in the next few weeks. Light smoke will be visible from the highway but is not expected to impact motorists, Forest Service officials said Wednesday.
Firefighters will be burning individual piles of downed juniper trees left over from a large thinning project in the Willow Creek watershed. The project removed thousands of junipers to restore range conditions and water availability and has been open to personal firewood collection for the last 5 seasons.
Rare birds aplenty during the Central Oregon winter By Brian Rathbone, The Bulletin (Bend, Ore.)
Published: February 7, 2021, 12:30pm
Share: A cedar waxwing pauses to check its surroundings while eating berries from a tree near the Old Mill District on Jan. 13, 2021. (Ryan Brennecke/The Bulletin/TNS)
BEND, Ore. Some days, a message is sent out on WhatsApp, alerting birders of a northern saw-whet owl, others it might be a message on the Central Oregon Birders Online website informing the close to 1,000 members on the site’s message boards about a swarm of purple finches and hermit thrushes taking over a birdbath.
16th annual Backcountry Film Festival returns to C.O., virtually
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) Calling all ski bums, backcountry adventurers, thrill seekers and winter enthusiasts! Get ready for goosebumps as you “Ooh!” and “Ahh!” at the impact and importance of our winter wildlands through this collection of short films.
The 16th annual Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival will be available to watch in Central Oregon beginning Feb. 20th, and running through March 13th in our first-ever virtual screening experience. All proceeds will go to support the efforts of Discover Your Forest.
Discover Your Forest is the proud nonprofit partner of the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests, and the Crooked River National Grassland. We bring a massive volunteer force onto our public lands, and provide free field trips and virtual outdoor education for thousands of local students.