Discover Your Forest ends retail operations on C.O. forests for 2020

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Local nonprofit Discover Your Forest will not be operating retail programs on the Deschutes and Ochoco national forests for the remainder of the 2020 season.

This includes retail sites at Lava Lands Visitor Center, Paulina Visitor Center, and Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway Welcome Station.

After much consideration and regular conversation with both local and regional Forest Service leadership, the decision was made to keep these retail operations closed for the safety of visitors, our staff and volunteers due to the increasing spread of COVID-19.

For over 25 years, Discover Your Forest and their parent nonprofit, Discover Your Northwest, have offered visitors the opportunity to purchase passes, books, maps and souvenirs at Forest Service ranger stations and visitor centers across Central Oregon.

All proceeds from these retail sites go directly back to support education and stewardship on the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland.

In an average year, Discover Your Forest sells over $400,000 worth of merchandise to local residents and visitors from around the world. With funds raised through these sales, Discover Your Forest serves over 12,000 school children on free field trips each year and also helps the Forests to manage more than 2,000 volunteers.

Though necessary, continued closure will result in significant financial losses for Discover Your Forest and programs for schoolchildren, residents of Central Oregon and visitors.

If you would like to support Discover Your Forest, you can do so by becoming a member or shopping for their retail items online. We encourage members of the public who are interested in finding out more, to do so at discoveryourforest.org.