Author Archives: Jerry Curry

Pilot Butte faces years of rehabilitation after Fourth of July fire

State plans demonstration habitat in burned area. About six weeks after a fire on the Fourth of July ravaged the base of Pilot Butte, mitigating the damage to the burned areas remains an uphill battle. “It’s going to be a long process, so we appreciate everyone’s patience,” said Susan Bethers, park manager for the Tumalo […]
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Medford meeting will air smoke management proposals

State officials will visit Medford next week in one of several public hearings on proposals intended to reduce the lung-choking smoke that has become all too common in the state each summer by increasing controlled burns in non-fire seasons. Oregon departments of Forestry and Environmental Quality will hold the hearing, which is set for 7 […]
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Reservoir levels scraping bottom

Drought, hot summer weather and continued draw-down for irrigation needs have Emigrant, Hyatt and Howard Prairie lakes headed toward their lowest levels since 2014, leading to recreation closures and threatening to inflict future water headaches. Emigrant and Hyatt lakes — which like Howard Prairie are actually reservoirs — are forecast to drop below 10 percent […]
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Can a New State Office Get More Oregonians Outside?

It’ll have to balance feedback from all sorts of outdoor enthusiasts, from environmental activists to ATV lovers. Last August, Gov. Kate Brown signed a bill creating the Office of Outdoor Recreation. Nearly a year later, the state announced the leader for this office of, um, one. Meet Cailin O’Brien Feeney: skier, cyclist, climber, surfer. After leading outdoor tours […]
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Fires to the north bring smoke back to Central Oregon

Smoke in Bend mostly from fires in Washington, British Columbia. Central Oregonians awoke Monday morning to a new round of wildfire smoke blanketing the area. However, the smoke is largely unrelated to the spate of new fires in the region, according to fire experts. Source: Fires to the north bring smoke back to Central Oregon; […]
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Friendship Line | Firearm Suicides – OPB’s Think Out Loud

The Central Oregon Health Council recently partnered with the San Francisco–based Institute on Aging to bring a friendship line to the region. The phone service connects local seniors who might be feeling lonely with trained volunteers to talk to. In 2017, more than 400 people in Oregon died in firearm suicides. Bend Bulletin reporter Markyian […]
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Guest column: Judge was right to dismiss the Pelton Project lawsuit

My Indian name is Mustalik. I am a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon and am privileged to serve as chairman of the Tribal Council. I come from the Wasco and Warm Springs people on the Columbia River, and I write to address issues raised in The Bulletin’s recent […]
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Buehler elevates homeless issue – Opinion

Republican Knute Buehler is making homelessness a centerpiece of his campaign for governor, and the focus is welcome. He has released a seven-point plan for ending unsheltered homelessness in Oregon by 2023 — and while details of his program are open to dispute, Buehler has done a service by elevating this issue to the state […]
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Smoke fix: Years of work, millions of dollars

It’s become monotonous. With only a few brief interludes of favorable winds to clear the smoke, Southern Oregonians go about their daily business in sealed cars and closed-up houses and workplaces, strapping breathing masks to their faces if they must be outside for any length of time. It’s a normal reaction to these conditions to […]
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Fix broken policies to help restore forests

“We are hostages in our own homes.” That’s how Jennifer, a mother from Medford, described to me what communities in Southern Oregon and across the West are enduring yet again: a summer filled with smoke and fire. Jennifer continued in her letter to me saying, “my children are robbed of being able to play outside. […]
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