Geographic area
Central and Eastern Oregon

Broadband Leaders: Mary Fleischmann

Co-leaders: Joanne Richter, Amy Stuart, Rynda Clark, Mathieu Federspiel (Sierra Club), Julie Weikel, Gale Sheppard, Pam Conley, Fiona Noonan (Central Oregon LandWatch), Sami Goodlove (Oregon Wild), MJ Winter,  Scott Bowler

Contact us:
Mary Fleischmann
maryriverwoman@bendcable.com

Welcome to the Central & Eastern Oregon Bitterbrush Broadband, formed in May of 2013. We invite you to join us in building an active and engaged chapter. We guarantee many special wilderness experiences, an opportunity to make a difference in public lands protections, and a lot of laughter along the way!

The Bitterbrush Broads focus on 4 major areas: Advocacy, Education, Stewardship and FUN!

HERE is a great article in Area 97 Magazine about Broads and Bitterbrush Broadband.

Focus areas:

• Wild Lands Protection—We work to protect the wild nature that is the intrinsic value of our public lands. Issues we work on include the protection of mature and old growth forests, grazing impacts, road impacts, habitat fragmentation, mis-management of our public lands. We advocate for new designations such as Wilderness areas and Monuments. We submit comments to public agencies about the optimum way to keep our public lands healthy. When necessary, we go to court.
• Wildlife Issues—We work to create healthy habitat, and to increase habitat connectivity for all wildlife in Oregon. We challenge our public agencies when they do not uphold the Endangered Species Act (e.g. Dam removal in the Lower Snake river). We educate each other and the public about the importance of diverse and healthy ecosystems. We fight for endangered species who can be further eradicated through poor management of public lands.
• Restoring Healthy Rivers in Our Watershed—We support the protection and improvement of riparian health and water flows.
• Climate Change—We support education and activism for mitigating climate change effects in all of our efforts, including local issues that impact our communities health.
• Building relationships – We build relationships with people living in rural areas and tribal communities.

Activities:

• BroadWalks/Hikes—Fun and educational day-hikes and campouts in central Oregon extending from the crest of the Cascades to the Owyhee Canyonlands (20 per year).
• BroadWorks—Land stewardship service projects that focus on supporting ecosystem health including public lands monitoring (grazing, roads, etc.), habitat restoration, native plantings and pulling noxious weeds. (3-5 per year).
• BroadChats/Presentations—Informal chats on issues related to wild lands protection and advocacy (6 per year)
• BroadAdvocacy—Actions to support local, regional and national initiatives that protect wild lands and our environment. We write comments to public agencies, letters to editors and representatives, organize public rallies to draw attention to critical issues, and litigate as a last resort to protect our public lands.
• BroadPartnerships—We create partnerships with other national, state and local conservation groups in our community who advocate for and support wild lands protection and address climate change impacts.

Our Broadband also participates in regional and national Broadwalks (multi-day events) organized around specific wild lands issues. Currently, Broadband leaders from the Pacific Northwest meet regularly to discuss the breaching dams at the Lower Snake River. See https://www.greatoldbroads.org/dont-dam-salmon/ for more information.

We also participate in other Broads regional advocacy groups such as forest management, grazing, urban growth issues, wildlife connectivity, and much more!

Broadlights:
“Meet the Ragtag Coalition of Birders and Grannies Taking on Ammon Bundy”
http://www.outsideonline.com/2048821/malheur-birds-not-bullies
“‘Armed Anarchy’ Rouses Granny Protestors in Bend, Oregon”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ellen-freudenheim/armed-anarchy-rouses-gran_b_8974284.html