As we enter 2021, the Public Access Closure passed by Tribal Council continues. The Conservation Areas remain CLOSED at this time. We apologize for this inconvenience and hope we can reopen this spring. Birdwatching and sightseeing may continue along public road easements, but please do not enter these properties.
At Pine Creek Conservation Area, Tim Bemrose is now the Pine Creek Project Leader. He has been the Pine Creek Wildlife Biologist for that last year, so he is already familiar with the property. The house at the Headquarters was updated with new siding and paint. The deck is planned for reconstruction this spring. We also graded and updated drainage features on over nine miles of the Jennies Peak and Rhodes Canyon Roads in December. We plan to address the rest of the roads in 2021, as the absence of proper drainage features have lead to areas of erosion. The Spring Basin Land Exchange should be completed this spring.
At the Forrest Conservation Area on the Middle Fork John Day River, the first phase of the Vinegar to Vincent Project was completed in December. The project involved the construction of many of the new river channels and side channels, along with massive planting effort, and a wildlife-proof fence around the entire project. These new river channels will be fed by ground water and snowmelt, but the river will not flow through them until the next phase of the project, scheduled for 2022, giving time for the plants to get established.
“Other winter activities include juniper burning, property patrols, and seed sorting, as programs plan for a bright and active 2021 field season!”
