Michael Kohn has been public lands and environment reporter with The ÅÝֱܽ²¥ since 2019. He enjoys hiking in the hills and forests near Bend with his family and exploring the state of Oregon.
A plan years in the making to protect mule deer habitat in Deschutes County was abruptly canceled Monday by two county commissioners critical of the plan’s effects on property rights, though wildlife experts and conservation groups say the plan is needed to bolster declining deer populations.
Commissioners Tony DeBone and Patti Adair voted to abandon the county’s proposed Mule Deer Winter Range , also known as an “overlay zone.†Commissioner Phil Chang was the lone vote in support of continuing the project. The overlay zone was still in its proposal stage and a public hearing in front of the Deschutes County Commission was the expected next step.
If passed, the overlay zone would have included land development regulations for private property owners, including restrictions on development, to protect mule deer habitat in parts of the county. The new rules had support and input from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, which has called for measures that provide sufficient migration routes for mule deer.
A map of present and proposed ranges for mule deer.Â
Deschutes County
Critics of the plan have said it does not address other reasons for mule deer decline, including predation by cougars and vehicle strikes.
“I don’t feel like putting more restrictions on people’s property rights is warranted,†said Adair during the meeting, adding that cougars are likely the reason for deer population declines.
In a phone call with The ÅÝֱܽ²¥, DeBone said the project has become divisive and he was no longer comfortable with the plan.
“The overlay is good if we can figure out how valuable it is for the deer population but if it’s just a small tool that is limiting private property rights but not fixing the problem, how do we know that,†DeBone said.
DeBone said once the overlay is in place it might limit a range of rights, such as the construction of additional homes. He said despite enthusiasm for the project by some people, there were just as many who were concerned with the project.
“It doesn’t feel right. If we were all on one page and the community said ‘yes we need to do this for the deer’ we would be going in one direction, but it divided people is what it did,†DeBone said.
Strong opposition
After the final vote came down against the project, Chang had strong words for his colleagues.
“Voting yes on this motion is grossly neglecting your responsibilities as Deschutes County commissioners to safeguard the natural heritage of this county for our community,†he said. “And it is ignoring the fundamental importance of habitat for the foundation of a healthy wildlife population.â€
Monday’s decision ends a multiyear process by the county to examine data and information provided by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Multiple information sessions earlier this year to inform the public on the process were well attended.
The project started with a technical assistance grant from the Department of Land Conservation and Development three years ago. It went on a hiatus in the second half of 2022 as the county shifted resources to focus on other projects.
The data collected during the surveys could have potentially created land use restrictions within the winter range, including bans on commercial dog kennels, shooting ranges, stand-alone golf courses, guest ranches, schools and off-highway vehicle courses.
“Most recently, it was full steam ahead for one long-range planner, plus significant support from several other community development staff,†said Tanya Saltzman, a senior planner with the Deschutes County community development department.
Saltzman was herself that long-range planner who had been the point person for the entire project, coordinating between the various agencies and parties involved.
Reaction from those who have been closely following the project was swift.
“It is hard to put into context the level of ineptitude I witnessed in that meeting,†said Ian Isaacson, co-chair of the Oregon chapter of the Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, a nonprofit organization.
A mule deer buck rests in the shade of a tree in a neighborhood east of Bend in 2022.
ÅÝֱܽ²¥ file
DeBone and Adair “completely disregarded the will of Deschutes County residents and their ears are closed to reality,†he added. “It was stunning. My jaw literally dropped. To put the sledgehammer to this is just unbelievable.â€
Isaacson said the decision took him and others completely off guard.
“We were anticipating that this was nothing more than informational, but that did not turn out to be the case,†he said. “Given the amount of public dollars that have been spent on this, I think a motion out of thin air to put a kibosh to the whole thing is a disservice to the community.â€
“My sentiments are not in a vacuum. There are plenty of people who are astonished right now,†he added.
Backdoor process
Michael O’Casey, a deputy director for the Pacific Northwest region of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, a coalition of conservation groups, said the manner in which the project was upended was undemocratic and did not reflect a process that had until Monday included significant public input. Monday’s meeting was a planned check-in after the conclusion of the planning commission process.
“Commissioner(s) DeBone and Adair utilized a backdoor process to abandon this overlay process during a meeting where public comment was not allowed,†he said.
Others were pleased by Monday’s vote, offering that the plan was misguided and could impact property values.
“It just wasn’t making sense; the deer are healthy; they are on my place, and all the neighbors, and the plans just didn’t cover the real reasons for the (deer population) losses. And that is cars, cars, cars,†said Ron Cochran, a Deschutes County rancher, who grows hay on a portion of his 60 acres.
Cochran said a major problem in his area is cars hitting deer on U.S. Highway 20 near Sisters, as well as cougars, and not enough is being done to reduce their impacts on mule deer.
The county has tried addressing deer strikes by creating safe crossings across highways. But the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has maintained that slowing down the mule deer population decline requires greater protection of open areas in rural areas in the county and maintaining wildlife corridors.
“The habitat in wildlife management is the underlying foundation of everything,†said Andrew Walch, district wildlife biologist for ODFW. “When we determine what is killing deer, whether it’s predation or vehicle strikes or whatever, those are evident causes. Habitat is not the evident cause of death, but it is all part of the equation.â€
“If there is not adequate summer and winter habitat and migration corridors between it leads to stressors and reduced fitness of those deer that can make them more susceptible for predation, or road strikes, or disease or other ultimate causes of death,†added.
Ending the project will be welcome news by some landowners concerned about subdividing their land, said Cochran. He offered the county some suggestions on helping the deer population recover in other ways.
“You’ve got to cut the speed limit, especially at night. You got to get your cougar control. You got to take care of your poaching. And you have to stop advertising Bend as a recreation haven in summer and winter,†said Cochran. “As you get more people into these outer areas in wintertime it just disturbs the animals.â€
Michael Kohn has been public lands and environment reporter with The ÅÝֱܽ²¥ since 2019. He enjoys hiking in the hills and forests near Bend with his family and exploring the state of Oregon.
Deer populations down 30% since 2017. Adair and Debone are not even willing to count the deer or study the problem. Wild animals need to move to be wild. Guess we can keep a few in zoos....
I think Adair and DeBone are showing exactly who they represent with the last few votes they have made. Voted yes to new resort which uses millions of gallons of water and squeezes wildlife out. Voted no to homeless camp after initially supporting it. Now this vote on mule deer. Statement made, we don't know what the benefit is, so we do nothing. I think they know it will not inconvenience their rancher/land owner voters. Why not say yes to an experimental period?
Rotten; transactionists for hire in a place without the resources to expose them for what they are. Poor stewards of everything but the rube/white-grievance vote. It's going to get worse before it's over with these two.
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Deer populations down 30% since 2017. Adair and Debone are not even willing to count the deer or study the problem. Wild animals need to move to be wild. Guess we can keep a few in zoos....
It's got to be frustrating as a County employee/stakeholder to continually have your time and efforts wasted by DeBone/Adair.
Let’s vote then out. It’s clear their God
is money.
I think Adair and DeBone are showing exactly who they represent with the last few votes they have made. Voted yes to new resort which uses millions of gallons of water and squeezes wildlife out. Voted no to homeless camp after initially supporting it. Now this vote on mule deer. Statement made, we don't know what the benefit is, so we do nothing. I think they know it will not inconvenience their rancher/land owner voters. Why not say yes to an experimental period?
Rotten; transactionists for hire in a place without the resources to expose them for what they are. Poor stewards of everything but the rube/white-grievance vote. It's going to get worse before it's over with these two.
Exactly!
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.