Activity Report Explorer

Central Oregon Bitterbrush Broads • Entered by Mary Fleischmann on March 7, 2025

Leadership meeting

February 3, 2025

Key Issue: Multiple apply
Activity Type: Other Administration (reporting, emails, calls, planning)
Key Partners: Land Watch; Juniper Sierra CLub; ONDA; Mary O’Brien

Short Description of Activity

Monthly leadership team meeting

Reflection/Evaluation

Bitterbrush Broadband Leadership Meeting – ONDA Conference Room
February 3, 2025; 11 am – 12:30
ONDA Address: 50 SW Bond, Ste 4 (Behind Organic Coffee – in Box Factory area)

ZOOM: 868 3623 0413; Password: 461987

Attendance: Mark, Mathieu, Rynda, Mary, Amy, Joanne
Zoom: Scott, Mary O’Brien, Julie, Alice, Pam

BroadChat Updates: All will be hel at CO Environmental Center, 12 pm- 1:30

February 26 – Wildfire mitigation – Sami from Oregon Wild will give talk
March 26 – Dams impacts, and efforts to breach the Lower Snake River dams – Pam and Amy from Bitterbrush Broadband
April 23 – Peg Herring/book signing of Born of fire and Rain; Willamette chapter

Pressing Advocacy Issues:

1. FS Region 6 Requests to post AOI online for livestock grazing; chapters response from FS and strategies – National grazing call Tuesday Feb 11.
2. Owyhee Campaign – now what? See ONDA summary below
3. PIELC – who’s going – Mark, Julie, Alice, Mary, Bonnie Olin, Mathieu? – joint table with Willamette group. Action Item: Mary will take National’s new position statements for tabling.
4. Thursday Feb. 13th – Action Item: NW Forest Plan meeting at Sisters Fire Station – 5:30 PM. Mary and Mathieu plan to attend. Conservation orgs want people to attend. Oregon Wild has a wonderful “kit” to share with everyone. Mathieu working with Broads forest group and developing comments for NW Forest Plan. Mathieu and Alice developing comments by Sierra Club. Group of conservation orgs filing a comment letter together.

Campout events:

1. Hikes – Scott sent ideas to Rynda. Spring Basin in April. May do less hikes in 2025 and more with N Olympic Broads. Action Item: coordinate spring hikes.
2. Sierra Club Campout in May. Inviting Broads and will send to members. In Ochocos at Group Site. May 31 – June 2.
3. Ochoco campout. Maybe look at NFCR, monitor with AOIs, roads and RELAX and have FUN. No proposed dates yet.
4. Olympic BroadWalk – August 18 – 21st
5. Healing Canoe Journey on Lower Snake River – May 5 – 9. Pam sent out to all the PNW Broads Leaders, Also April 19 as part of Healing Canoe Journey with First Foods by Ione. Will campout night before and after. State Park will provide area to camp. Debra Ellers and Pam are leaders, have to register online for both events. Action Item: contact Debra or Pam and registered.
6. Klamath Scoping Trip – Planning committee only for October 6-9. Members will be invited to BroadWalk in 2026. RES (entity leading restoration) does incredible tours (Alice noted). ID chapter of SC also planning to do restoration and trip, in collaboration with Native American tribes.

Partner Organization Updates:

1. Sierra Club (SC): PNW Forest Plan update, campout see dates above. Hiked with Marina Richie to see the Ancient Juniper. City of Redmond has new city arborist that is in protecting old junipers. Avery is the new arborist. OSU extension pamphlet – Mathieu will send out to leaders.
Alice – Please attend to Feb 13 PNW For Plan meeting in Sisters. Need Broads advocates.

2. Oregon Wild (OW): Sami absent. Will be BroadChat speaker February 26 on wildfire and mitigation.

3. Landwatch: Last week did good legislative preview. Alice will send 1 page summary for those interested.

4.ONDA: Mark – Owyhee Campaign – Sen Wyden failed to support and doubled down on legislative approach, and with Cliff Bentz as a new partner, produced bad legislation and prevented Biden supporting it. Two monuments designated in CA combined were still smaller than Owyhee. Senator Wyden still proposing moving forward but is a dead end for conservation community for at least the next 2 years. Stay away from any legislative proposals for now. ONDA appreciates the broad support from 3 tribal nations, conservation organizations including the Broads, legislative leaders, 70,000 folks that signed petitions representing over 2 million people. Continue to watch and see if the 2026 election changes calculus.

Senator Barasso legislation – Republicans cranking out bad legislation re public lands, grazing management. “The Ranch Act”. Bad news…

Malheur NWR started new CCP, will take at least 3 years or longer. Even with staff cuts, it continues. Broads, SC, and others need to be involved. Invasive weeds are a driving process, losing whole habitat types. Refuge manager said the plan needs support from everyone, but prepared to not get everything.

Hart Mtn NWR closed until June 15. Rehab from wildfire has been slow.

BLM Burns District hosting Bridge Creek allotment meetings (Hammond allotment from the Bundy occupation). Virtual public meeting on Feb 13. 4 allotments, 2 are FFR that include a lot of federal lands mixed with private lands, mostly crested wheatgrass. The other 2 allotments (Hammond and Mud Creek) are more important for conservation. DEIS is available for public comment now. Simply an analysis of grazing permits but no assignment to permittee (Hammonds). Once complete, will decide who grazes, but likely Trump will step in since he pardoned the arsonists, the Hammonds. Multiple applicants for grazing allotments.

Broads burned their bridges with Senator Wyden calling him out re lack of support for Owyhee (we must have been doing our job!). Willamette Week article sent a message to Wyden. In 2015 campaign, Broads brought Owyhee to Wyden’s attention. SEORMP and Lakeview RMPs were a success. Having RMPS undone by Wyden legislation is unacceptable. Senator Wyden has an abysmal environmental record for Oregon. River Democracy Act went nowhere. Broads’ role for Owyhee need to stand steady, including allotment buyouts.

5.Gale Shephard: Not online.

7. Pam Conley: LSRD update: Shelley at National and Penelope (WA chapter) are submitting grants to support National staff position to help in PNW. Need presence of Broads in Tri-Cities to organize breaching LSR dams. 4 tribes/OR/WA coming out with studies like recreation, water, ready for public input. Pam will send out minutes to encourage people to comment. Start sending postcards to Trump and put pressure on government to remove dams. Pat Ford is writing an article on salmon and steelhead going extinct in NE Oregon rivers due to LSRD. Also, Pam is a member of local granges. Once Pat issues article, use granges to give salmon talks. Put pressure on Wyden, Merkley and Bentz.
RES at Klamath was asked by Tribe re Sacramento River to support salmon restoration, with letter to BOR. Tribe has applied for grant and RES will do stewardship. Sacramento River has had major decline in salmon and steelhead. Alice also involved with LSRD from SC and working with WA chapter.

Finances: $1701.49 – still don’t have amount from membership dues added in for 2025. BB chapter donated $50 to grazing conference in Salt Lake City.

Next Meeting: March 10, 12-1:30 at ONDA conference room.

Social / fun breakfast get together: Feb. 18th at 9 am at Laurie’s Grill in Bend.