WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced Thursday that five Central and Eastern conservation projects have secured a total of more than $95 million in federal investment to help farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners adopt and expand strategies that enhance natural resources while tackling the climate crisis. . “These significant federal
Continue Reading
PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Ochoco National Forest announced Thursday that it has begun juniper thinning on the Crooked River National Grassland as part of a broader effort to reduce wildfire risk and restore ecosystem health. Over the past century, fire suppression, historical forest management practices, the discontinuation of cultural fire use by Indigenous people
Continue Reading
MEDFORD, Ore. (KTVZ) – Protests in Northwest forests might not get the attention they did a few decades ago, but some dangerous ones have emerged recently in southern Oregon – larges spikes and wires across roads and trails on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. “We are saddened to report that someone has been ‘spiking’ Forest
Continue Reading
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Recently, the Heart of Oregon Corps got what it called a “game-changer” grant to expand one of its programs for young adults. Heart of Oregon Corps, a workforce development nonprofit – recently announced an expansion of its year-round, young adult High Desert Conservation Corps Program, with the help of new funding.
Continue Reading
CORVALLIS, Ore. (KTVZ) – A study in Oregon’s Cascade Range of a tiny, elusive skunk found the animal can cover more ground than deer and is sensitive to climate change, particularly severe winter weather. The research is important because small mammals such as the western spotted skunk face major threats from human-induced land use change,
Continue Reading
A hiker’s pack usually gets lighter over time as they plow through trail mix and water, but Annika Dechert likes to joke that hers gets heavier.
Continue Reading
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A bushy-tailed fox recently caught on camera near Hosmer Lake is a Sierra Nevada red fox, a protected species that may be more visible of late due to wildfires or other reasons, a wildlife expert said this week. Lori Graaf shared a photo with NewsChannel 21 taken last Sunday, saying she
Continue Reading
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (KTVZ) – A fall-run Chinook salmon was identified Wednesday by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s fish biologists in a tributary to the Klamath River above the former J.C. Boyle Dam, becoming the first anadromous fish to return to the Klamath Basin in Oregon since 1912, when the first of four hydroelectric dams
Continue Reading
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Vehicle collisions with deer and elk tend to peak in October and November, when migration and breeding puts them on the move, making them more likely to cross roads. Fewer daylight hours and rainy weather also reduce drivers’ visibility. Each year, Oregon Department of Transportation crews remove about 6,000 carcasses of
Continue Reading
A mysterious white fox spotted recently in southeast Portland turns out to be a female Arctic fox that’s being cared for at the Bird Alliance of Oregon’s wildlife care center. Here’s their news release on the animal: Arctic Fox Found at Willamette Park Brought to Wildlife Care Center PORTLAND, Ore. — On Saturday, October 12, 2024 the
Continue Reading
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Water, soil and wildfire were important factors within the soil and water conservation community. The Deschutes Soil and water Conservation District hosted an open house Tuesday evening, inviting Deschutes County residents to learn more about conservation efforts. District Manager Erin Kilcullen said, “Any landowner, both rural or urban, has a lot of
Continue Reading
WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced Monday a federal investment of $37 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to replace lead and copper water pipes across Oregon that have been known to cause serious health issues. “The science is clear – there is no safe level of lead in drinking water,” Wyden said in
Continue Reading
EDGEFIELD, S.C. (KTVZ) — Oregon wildfires have scorched a record-breaking 1.9 million acres this year — the most acres ever damaged in modern state history, according to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center. These ongoing wildfires have posed significant challenges for land and wildlife managers this season, severely impacting landscapes, wildlife and surrounding communities. Despite these
Continue Reading
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Throughout Central Oregon, where water scarcity and harsh conditions challenge even the most determined farmers, small grants are making a big difference. The High Desert Food & Farm Alliance’s On-Farm Efficiency Grants are sowing seeds of resilience into local agriculture by helping farmers invest in seemingly simple solutions that deliver huge
Continue Reading
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The latest round of smoke from the continued, lingering wildfires has again affected air quality levels for more than a week. It also has been affecting businesses in downtown Bend. According to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, there’s an air quality advisory for Deschutes County through at least Tuesday due to the
Continue Reading
PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife is investigating and seeking the public’s help in finding those responsible for the unlawful take and waste of a yearling buck deer late last week in the Grizzly Wildlife Management Unit north of Prineville. OSP Fish and Wildlife troopers from Prineville responded last Friday
Continue Reading
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon State University – Cascades will host a public meeting next week to gather input on a proposal for an Environmental Protection Agency grant of about $4 million to remediate a portion of the former Deschutes County demolition landfill for future expansion plans. The project will provide 24 acres of usable
Continue Reading
WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced Friday the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded a total of $679,690 to five projects, primarily in Eastern Oregon, that boost habitat restoration and build community resilience to the impacts of climate change. The projects will support management of invasive grasses, reduce wildfire risks and restore sagebrush habitat.
Continue Reading
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The annual Lava Island Fish Rescue will kick off next Friday, October 18, and volunteers are urgently needed to assist in this important effort to save stranded fish, but organizers say ongoing Deschutes River restoration efforts may eliminate the need to do so within the next few years. As Central Oregon’s
Continue Reading
Associated Press PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon’s Multnomah County, home to Portland, has added the state’s largest natural gas utility to its $51.5 billion climate lawsuit against fossil fuel companies over their role in the region’s deadly 2021 heat- dome event. The lawsuit, filed last year, accuses the companies’ carbon emissions of being a cause
Continue Reading