The latest and most comprehensive coverage of local News, Sports, Business, and Community News stories in the Klamath Basin, Southern Oregon and around the state of Oregon from Wynne Broadcasting’s KFLS News/Talk 1450AM / 102.5FM, The Herald and News, and BasinLife.com, and powered by Mick Insurance, your Local Health and Medicare agents. Call 541-882-6476.
Friday, November 3, 2023
Klamath Basin Weather
Dense Fog Advistory Until 12pm Today
Today’s Headlines
This week, crews put the final touches on the removal of the Copco No. 2 Dam.
Removal of the dam structure was completed in September, and crews spent the past month removing the remaining diversion infrastructure, grading the river channel, and performing erosion control.
That work prepared the river canyon for consistent river flows, likely commencing within 30 days, which the canyon hasn’t seen in 98 years.
Currently, flows in the canyon are fluctuating due to work being done to prepare Copco No. 1 for drawdown.
Copco No. 2 was located right below Copco No. 1 in a steep river canyon, commonly known as Ward’s Canyon, named after Kitty Ward, a Shasta woman who lived in the valley now submerged by the reservoir created by Copco No 1.
Completed in 1925, Copco No. 2 was a diversion dam that funneled the river’s flows out of the canyon and into a tunnel system that sent the water to the Copco No. 2 powerhouse located downstream, essentially dewatering the 1.7-mile-long canyon.
Without the river’s presence in the canyon, trees grew in the riverbed which, when exposed to consistent river flows, would have died off creating a hazard for future recreationists. Those trees were removed in September in collaboration with area tribes.
The remaining three dams, Copco No. 1, Iron Gate, and JC Boyle are slated for removal next year.
In January, KRRC will implement the drawdown, the slow draining of the reservoirs, which is expected to take 3-5 months, depending on the amount of water entering the system as a result of spring runoff.
Once the drawdown is complete, restoration and deconstruction activities will begin in earnest. All three dams are expected to be completely removed by November 2024. (Herald and News)
In a related story, researchers at Oregon State University have concluded that a large-scale dam removal and restoration project currently underway on the Klamath River in southern Oregon and northern California will help salmon populations, according to college officials.
The college said a group of scientists published their findings in a new paper that concludes salmon populations devastated by disease and other factors will be aided by the removal of four hydroelectric dams along the river. The project will not, however, fully alleviate challenges faced by the species, OSU said.
The researchers said that factors that affect salmon health include stream-flow levels, water temperature, and pathogens. Opening up habitat and creating longer fish migration routes by removing the dams will decrease fish disease risk by flushing out pathogens and unclogging a pathogen hot spot that formed below the Iron Gate Dam about five miles south of the California-Oregon border east of Interstate 5, OSU officials said. (OSU)
Friends of the children of the Klamath Basin will launch its Annual Potato Sale fundraiser tomorrow on Saturday, November 4, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., in the parking lot of Klamath Falls Subaru on Washburn Way.
Beginning November 6, potatoes will be available for delivery in Klamath Falls.
The potatoes are premium russets donated by CAL-ORE Produce. They will be sold in 20-pound boxes for $25, with all proceeds directly supporting youth mentoring in the Klamath Basin.
New this year is online ordering through https://ddock.co/199bdd. Buyers can also call 541-273-2022.
Friends of the Children – Klamath Basin is a chapter of a nationwide organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of generational poverty through salaried, professional mentoring. We select youth facing the greatest obstacles and commit to working with those children for 12+ years. Learn more at friendsklamath.org. (submitted press release)
Justin Wright, the president of the Klamath County Bar, was one of 12 people appointed to serve on the newly created Oregon Public Defense Commission (OPDC) on Wednesday by Oregon Supreme Court Chief Justice Megan Flynn.
Wright, who will be a non-voting member on the commission, is a sole practitioner focusing on juvenile delinquency and dependency cases, according to a news release from the state’s judicial department.
The new commission will be responsible for administering Oregon’s state-funded public defense system effective Jan. 1, 2024, when it replaces the current Public Defense Services Commission and Office of Public Defense Services.
One position remains unfilled, because the Chief Justice is still seeking an applicant who qualifies for the statutory requirements of being a retired judge who does not perform any judicial functions.
(Herald and News)
Oregon Tech held its second annual Ready, Set, Innovate event last week, bringing together nearly 120 junior high, high school and college students, along with mentors and volunteers, to foster innovative and entrepreneurial thinking in the local community.
Ready, Set, Innovate provided a platform for students from Brixner, Henley, Horizon Christian, Klamath Union, Lost River, and Mazama, as well as students from Klamath Community College and Oregon Tech, to engage in a day of creative problem-solving. The event also featured 35 team mentors and community volunteers who guided the participants in developing team-based approaches for tackling real-world challenges.
Attendees participated in design-thinking workshops led by Michael Donarski, Chief Operations Officer at Cascade Health Alliance, who brought over 25 years of experience in operations and project management to the event.
The success of Ready, Set, Innovate would not have been possible without sponsorship from Cascade Health Alliance and Sky Lakes Office of Strategy and Innovation. Furthermore, the Klamath County Economic Development Association and South Central Oregon Economic Development District were integral planning committee members and contributed significantly to the event’s success. (Herald and News)
Klamath County Public Health officials are working on an updated Air Quality Ordinance that will simplify the current woodstove advisories provided for the Klamath Falls-area Air Quality Zone.
Air quality is a topic that gains attention when wildfire smoke hangs in the air. It also becomes top of mind awareness for people living within the air quality zone, as they monitor woodstove advisories from October 15 to March 15.
The advisories came into effect to be able to address the poor air quality experienced in the population center of the community, which historically had concerns with industrial air pollution and smoke generated by home heating.
During the five months of woodstove advisories, there are currently four color-coded advisories:
- Green: burning for all fireplaces and woodstoves
- Yellow: burning for certified woodstoves
- Red: burning for approved exemptions only
- Red health alert: no burning
The proposed changes make the ordinance simple to understand with only three burning-related options: burning allowed, exempt woodburning devices only, and no burning allowed.
(KCHD)
If you’ve noticed an increase in air traffic here in the Basin the last few weeks, don’t believe the social media hype that says otherwise- it’s just more training.
U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft from Luke Air Force Base, Arizona returned to the 173rd Fighter Wing to continue training and flying with the Oregon Air National Guard unit for two weeks in October.
This is the third time the 56th Fighter Wing has brought their aircraft to Southern Oregon for training with the Oregon ANG F-15 Eagles. The first visit occurred in October 2022 when the Luke unit brought 14 aircraft for training on Kingsley Field’s extensive range.
The unit returned again in May of this year, where they tested a new concept called an airbridge; where air traffic controllers joined the Kingsley range complex with the Mountain Home Range complex, creating an unprecedented 19,512 square-mile range training space.
In addition to the interoperability training that both units receive when flying together, Bouma says there are huge benefits for the 173rd FW when looking toward the future.
In early May it was announced that the 173rd Fighter Wing was selected as the preferred location to host the next F-35A Lightning II training squadron.
While the wing works toward the completion of the Environmental Impact Statement and the final Record of Decision, expected in early 2026, plans are already underway helping ensure a smooth transition from the F-15 Eagle training mission to the F-35A training mission. (news release-173rd)
Get ready to set your clocks back an hour Saturday night before bedtime. Daylight saving time for 2023 ends this weekend, when places observing it set their clocks “back” an hour. Daylight saving time (DST) officially ends 2:00 a.m. Sunday.
Lawmakers at state and federal levels have offered measures to keep DST year-round, making it permament.
In March, Oregon’s senior U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and some of his Senate colleagues from both parties reintroduced legislation to end the practice of changing clocks twice a year. Their Sunshine Protection Act would apply to states observing DST, which Oregon and most states observe eight months of the year as Standard Time is observed the other four months from November to March. Wyden said the bill would negate a need for people to change clocks twice a year, with benefits for the nation’s health and economy.
DST in the U.S. starts the second Sunday in March annually when clocks are set forward by one hour, ending the first Sunday in November when clocks are reset to standard time. (local sources)
Klamath County libraries to close for Veterans Day
All Klamath County libraries will be closed on Saturday, November 11th for Veterans Day. No materials will be due on a day that the libraries are closed.
Libraries with Friday hours will be open as usual on Friday, November 10th, but full-time staff will have the day off and some regular programming may be cancelled. For more information, call us at 541-882-8894, or see our events calendar at klamathlibrary.org/library-eve
y-events-calendar>.
Election Day is coming – November 07, 2023
Klamath County residents received ballots this week containing one measure — a proposed five-year levy on behalf of funding the Klamath County museums.
Measure 18-131 asks voters whether they are willing to increase the current tax rate of 5 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value to 10 cents to fund the Baldwin Hotel, Fort Klamath Museum and Klamath County Museum.
Republican Rep. E. Werner Reschke presented his argument against the levy during a People’s Rights meeting earlier this month and again in an op-ed provided to the Herald and News.
In the meeting, Reschke asked attendees what the purpose of the proposed tax increase is. Some said it was for the purpose of setting a precedent so that other county departments might also submit ballot measures for additional funding. Some expressed concerns of misappropriation.
According to the ballot measure, the levy would provide sufficient funding for much needed repairs and maintenance of the museums.
When asked whether the county could spend those funds on anything other than the museums, Reschke said the funds could not be used for anything other than the museums.
County Commissioner Kelley Minty said it’s always a struggle to find the funding needed by all departments in the county, especially with rapid inflation in recent years.
Should it pass, the annual tax rate for a home valued at $150,000 would be $15.
(HeraldandNews.com)
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced today that three southern Oregon drug traffickers, including the head of a Klamath Falls, Oregon, drug trafficking organization, have pleaded guilty in federal court following investigations by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Medford resident office.
Juan Jessie Martinez-Gil, 59, a former resident of Reno, Nevada, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Candice Nadine Mckee, 31, a distributor in Martinez-Gil’s network and resident of Lakeview, Oregon, pleaded guilty Monday to possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Also on Monday, in a separate criminal case, Jessie Cole Merkel, 31, of Redding, California, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing fentanyl.
Merkel will be sentenced on February 22, 2024, by Judge McShane. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine, and three years’ supervised release.
Martinez-Gil et al. was investigated by the DEA Medford Resident Office with assistance from the Basin Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team (BINET), a Klamath Falls area narcotics task force comprised of Oregon State Police, the Klamath Falls Police Department, and Oregon National Guard.
Merkel was investigated by the DEA Medford Resident Office with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Oregon State Police, and the Central Point Police Department.
Both cases were prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Friends of the Children has moved into their new location
From their press release: “Construction delays gave us a little extra time in our beloved Altamont clubhouse (below, left), where we have worked with youth for 23 years. But on October 30th, we finally moved our Klamath Falls home base to Old Fort Road (below, right). This once-dilapidated property is now a knockout community asset thanks to widespread support and the visionary design of architect Yabori Calvo.
Here, program youth (70 this year) can read in a sunlit library, learn cooking skills in a well-equipped kitchen, meet with tutors and a licensed clinical social worker in quiet rooms, express their creativity in the art room, and exercise on hiking/biking trails designed by Klamath Trails Alliance. They will find the peace and belonging they need to build relationships, skills, and hope”.
All residents of the Klamath Basin are invited to a self-guided tour of our new Friends Of The Children clubhouse at 1515 Old Fort Road on Sunday, November 12th, 1 pm – 5 pm. Please stop in! No need to rsvp.
PJ drive for Klamath County Foster Kids
The Klamath Quota club are collecting new PJ’s for foster kids. You can drop off new pajamas at Oregon Department of Human Services, Caldwell Banker real estate office on So 6th, the Elks club and the following churches .
First Presbyterian church
Shasta Way Christian Church
Hope Lutheran Church
New Horizons Church
Foothills Christian Fellowship
55 and Alive group at Klamath Christian Center
Thank you very much from The Klamath Quota Club and BasinLife.com
Tonight! Internationally renowned violinist and composer Mads Tolling and his Mads Men (musicians Colin Hogan, Sam Bevan and Eric Garland) are scheduled to appear at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Ross Ragland Theater.
Tolling, a two-time Grammy Award winner and former member of Stanley Clarke’s band and the Turtle Island Quartet, and the Mads Men celebrate the music of the 1960s “Mad Men Era” with their own distinctive style and innovative flair.
“Mads Tolling & The Mads Men — Playing the ‘60s” was released in 2017 with two sold-out performances at the legendary Bay Area Jazz Club, Yoshi’s. The album has been a favorite among fans and critics alike and was in the top 30 on U.S. Jazz Radio for two straight months, peaking at No. 5.
Tolling has created a fun and exciting program that is at once nostalgic as well as contemporary, as he reimagines classic songs from 1960s TV, film and radio. Repertoire ranges from “Mission Impossible” and “Meet the Flintstones” to “Georgia on My Mind,” “A Taste of Honey” and “All Along the Watchtower.”
Tours have taken the Mads Men to Europe and Japan, and the group has appeared in performing arts centers in California, Texas, Indiana, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois and Pennsylvania.
This show is co-sponsored by Don and Connie Mausshardt, and Jean Pinniger.
Tickets are $25 for adults, $22 for senior/military/students $22 and $10 for children 12-and-under.
Visit the theater’s website at www.ragland.org to purchase tickets or learn more.
(HeraldandNews.com/Ross Ragland theater)
This week’s pet ready for adoption at Klamath Animal Shelter is a kitty named ” Squirrel “
Around the state of Oregon
Oregon residents can begin cutting down their own Christmas trees next week.
The Bureau of Land Management’s Roseburg District Office will start handing out Christmas tree permits on November 10th. The permits allow residents to cut down their own tree of up to 12 feet tall at either the Swiftwater or South River Resource Areas for a fee of five dollars. Each household is limited to three trees per permit. (Oregon news)
A Washington County grand jury has indicted a 24-year-old George Fox University student teacher on charges of luring a minor and using a child in a display of sexually explicit conduct after two Sherwood High School students reported him to the school’s administration.
Sherwood police arrested Mason Dominguez on Thursday and booked him into the Washington County Jail in Hillsboro.
Charges against Dominguez include allegations of tampering with a witness.
Sherwood police said they started investigating Dominguez in April after a student reported him that month, followed by another student sometime later. Investigators have since identified multiple victims, police said in a statement. Police did not release details of the allegations against Dominguez. (Oregon news)
An Idaho woman and her son have been charged with kidnapping after prosecutors say they took the son’s minor girlfriend out of state to get an abortion.
Court documents show Idaho police began investigating the mother and son earlier this summer after a 15-year-old girl’s mother told authorities her daughter had been sexually assaulted and later taken to Oregon to have an abortion.
With some narrow technical exceptions, abortion is banned throughout pregnancy in Republican-controlled Idaho. The procedure is legal in left-leaning Oregon, prompting many patients to cross the state border for abortion services, a trend anti-abortion opponents have struggled to stifle.
Idaho’s Republican-controlled Legislature and Republican Gov. Brad Little are seeking more ways to curb abortion as well. Recently, the state made it illegal to help minors get an abortion without their parents’ consent, legislation aimed at preventing minors who don’t have parental approval from getting abortions out of state. However, that law is being challenged in court, and prosecutors in the kidnapping case aren’t relying on it.
According to an affidavit, the girl’s mother believed her daughter was living with her father but told authorities she later discovered that the teen was staying at her boyfriend’s house for several months in Pocatello, Idaho, located in the southeastern part of the state. (Herald and News)
U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer told supporters Monday that he won’t seek reelection, ending his congressional career after nearly three decades and setting the stage for a potentially contested Democratic primary to fill his Portland seat.
Blumenauer, 75, has represented Portland on the federal, state or local level for 50 years and ascended to the U.S. House in 1996 in a special election after then-Rep. Ron Wyden was elected to the U.S. Senate. He has been reelected 13 times, coasting to victory in the Democrat-heavy 3rd District every two years. He received 70% of the vote in his reelection bid last fall.
Multnomah County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal is expected to announce she is running for Blumenauer’s seat, multiple sources with direct knowledge of her plans told The Oregonian/OregonLive Friday. She could not be reached for comment Friday or Monday. It is unclear if other Democrats will also compete for the seat.
Blumenauer serves on the powerful Ways and Means committee and previously chaired the Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee. (Oregon news)
Two people are recovering after getting stranded in the snow in the Cascade Mountains in separate incidents last week.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office says it rescued a woman and a man from the mountains last Wednesday. The woman was reportedly hiking through Willamette National Forest’s Jefferson Park when she got stuck in quickly accumulating snow. The man was mountain biking on Hawk Mountain when he became stranded by heavy snow. Officials say both individuals had to spend the night in the snow before crews managed to get to them to rescue them.
(Oregon news)
Helping your neighbors and their families stay warm just got easier. Pacific Power will match every dollar you donate to the Oregon Energy Fund with $2 more.
Pacific Power customers who receive their bills by mail will find they include an Oregon Energy Fund contribution envelope in November. Customers who pay their bills electronically can send a check or enroll in the fixed donation program. To enroll in the fixed donation program, customers can call Pacific Power toll-free at 1-888-221-7070 or Donate to Energy Assistance (pacificpower.net).
This program allows customers to donate any dollar amount, starting at $1 per month, which is then incorporated into their monthly bill. Fixed donations will also be matched 2-for-1 by Pacific Power.
Donations may be tax-deductible and are forwarded directly to the Oregon Energy Fund, which verifies eligibility and allocates funds to those in need. All funds donated are used to assist families in need within the same county in which the donor resides.
Last year, donations from Pacific Power’s customers, employees and the company helped 1,591 individuals in need throughout Oregon, including 793 adults, 196 seniors, 174 people with disabilities and 602 children. This year, Pacific Power will match up to $144,000 in donations.
Customers who need bill assistance themselves can speak with Pacific Power representatives at 1-888-221-7070 who can help with payment plans that work for their individual needs, while directing them to agencies that may be able to help.
(pp and l press)
Several thousand low-income people have been booted off Medicaid in Oregon even though they still qualify for the free health and dental insurance, while thousands of others have been told they will retain coverage even though they don’t qualify.
Many of those who’ve lost benefits are children.
The Oregon Health Authority said in a news release Thursday that “medical benefits for 2,268 people had incorrectly ended at the end of September.” It added that “1,226 people incorrectly received notices explaining that their benefits would end at the end of October.”
It’s unclear whether even more have wrongly lost coverage, whether those two groups are related or how many children have been affected overall.
The Capital Chronicle asked the agency about this problem more than a month ago, and it has still failed to answer basic questions about the children.
Losing coverage could cause hardships for families inadvertently booted from the program, especially if they need specialized or intensive care. County and federally supported clinics provide care to low-income residents, but they don’t usually have dialysis or surgery centers, for example. Hospitals emergency rooms will tend to emergencies. (Oregon news)
In Portland today, police are asking the public’s help locate the suspect in a May 14th shooting in the Cully Neighborhood that killed one man and left two other people wounded.
Police are looking for Jesus Ivan Perez-Toribio, 33, who was indicted by a Multnomah County Grand Jury in the shooting on Oct. 27th. He is described as a Hispanic male, 33 years old, 5’7” tall, and 160 pounds. His photo has been released so the public can be assisted in learning his location so he can be arrested.
In the press release today, the Portland Police Bureau said anyone who knows of Perez-Toribio’s location should not approach him and instead call 911 or 503-823-0449 and reference case number 23-125743.
The investigation began on May 14th earlier this year when North Precinct officers were dispatched to a report of a shooting in the 6500 block of Northeast Killingsworth Street. When the officers arrived, they found three injured victims. EMS responded to the scene to treat the victims. The suspect or suspects had left the scene before officers arrived and no immediate arrests were made. Detectives responded to the scene to investigate.
One of the victims, Jose Valentin Perez, soon died of his injuries. The names and conditions of the other two victims have not been released.
On Oct. 27, after the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office brought the case to a Grand Jury, Perez-Toribio was indicted for murder in the second degree, attempted murder in the second degree, and assault in the second degree. Jose Perez’s family has been notified of the indictment and provided a previously unreleased photo of him.
According to police, anonymous tips can be sent through Crime Stoppers of Oregon. Anyone wishing to submit a secure and anonymous tip regarding any unsolved felony crime should visit www.crimestoppersoforegon.com or visit the App Store and download P3 Tips for your smart phone or tablet.
State health officials are warning parents about a fruit snack that could contain dangerous levels of lead.
The report says WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches have been linked to elevated lead levels in the blood of several children who consumed it.
The FDA posted a public health advisory about the product after four North Carolina children exhibited elevated levels of lead in their blood after eating it. One child in Multnomah County has also tested high for blood lead levels after eating the product. (Oregon news)
The highly anticipated new Ritz-Carlton hotel in downtown Portland is set to open its doors today.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for tomorrow morning. The luxury hotel will also begin welcoming its first guests tomorrow. The 35-story hotel has 251 rooms and is the first Ritz-Carlton property to open in the Pacific Northwest. (Oregon news)
Acres State Park Annual Holiday Lights Shines Again
COOS BAY, Ore. — From Thanksgiving Day through New Year’s Eve, visitors near and far will travel to Shore Acres State Park in Coos Bay for the annual Holiday Lights.
With the help of more than 1,500 volunteers, hundreds of thousands of lights will be strung throughout the botanical gardens at the park to mark the winter tradition, which brings thousands of guests and dollars to the south coast each year.
Janice Langlinais, executive director of the Coos Bay-North Bend-Charleston Visitor and Convention Bureau, says there are a few steps to keep in mind when coming to see the holiday lights, including the timed entry system.
“It is not a timed entry per person. It is per parking space. So when people are booking their space, they are booking a time-specific parking spot no matter how many people are in the car,” said Langlinais. “If people have a state park pass, a coastal passport or another special pass from the state parks, the five dollars is waived. They still need to book the spot and the time that they’re going to go.”
There’s also a shuttle from the Charleston Marina to Shore Acres that will run every Thursday – Saturday evening as well as on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.
Langlinais says Holiday Lights started in 1987 with 6,000 lights. It was the first time visitors could enter the garden house where holiday treats are served.
“Now, all these years later, there are 325,000 lights, animated sculptures. It is a total winter wonderland. From an economic impact standpoint, it is extremely important for our communities to have visitors here in the winter. This is the slower time for tourism. It brings people here to help our restaurants stay open during the holidays, our attractions,” said Langlinais.
The $5 parking passes are available for hour long time slots between 4:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. daily.
High Desert Museum’s new Endangered In the High Desert Exhibition Opens Nov 11th
BEND, OR — What do a 100-pound chinook salmon, ten-inch-tall pygmy rabbit and vibrant San Rafael cactus all have in common?
Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) — a half-century-old law that aims to protect vulnerable species from extinction — all three of these species are currently classified as endangered in some regions of the High Desert. Defined by the ESA, an endangered species is one that is “in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.”
Opening on November 11, the High Desert Museum’s Endangered in the High Desert exhibition will call attention to species in the region that are either facing or recovering from the threat of extinction. This intriguing and informative exhibition is a component of the Museum’s yearlong exploration of the Endangered Species Act, 50 years after it passed unanimously in the Senate and by a vote of 355-4 in the House of Representatives. President Richard Nixon signed it into law.
“Fifty years later, the Endangered Species Act continues to be an influential law that has generated a significant amount of dialogue in its time,” says Executive Director Dana Whitelaw, Ph.D. “We look forward to exploring this significant legislation and its many complexities in the High Desert region.”
Visitors will first encounter a floor-to-ceiling map introducing many of the exhibition’s ambassador species — 24 of the 29 featured species that represent the many listed, de-listed and at-risk but not yet listed species in the High Desert — and their locations in the region. A playful mural of the High Desert landscape details each of the ambassador species. This massive mural splits into four distinct sections, first differentiating between endangered, threatened and delisted species at the state and federal levels. The fourth section asks guests to consider the future of several species in the area, including the monarch butterfly, western bumble bee and Pacific lamprey.
With vibrant colors and engaging photography, this exhibition is meant to ignite conversations about these plants and animals – including lesser-known species like the whitebark pine and the Oregon spotted frog – while also calling attention to the ecological connectivity within the greater ecosystem.
“Species depend on access to healthy habitat to survive” says Donald M. Kerr Curator of Natural History Hayley Brazier, Ph.D. “In designing the exhibit, we wanted to depict plants and animals in the context of landscapes and waterscapes. The exhibit’s images and murals convey that endangered species conversation does not happen in a vacuum; the broader ecosystems matter.”
After Museum visitors experience the brand-new Endangered in the High Desert exhibition, they can encounter a handful of the ambassador species in-person. Just a short walk from the exhibition, a bald eagle — a delisted species — lives in the Museum’s care. Six threatened and delisted species currently live in the Museum’s care: the bull trout, Foskett speckled dace, steelhead trout, peregrine falcon, bald eagle and desert tortoise. Small signs placed throughout the Museum will distinguish between these species and others living on Museum grounds.
Endangered in the High Desert is part of a yearlong series of exhibitions and public programs at the Museum to explore and reflect on the ESA’s impact in the High Desert and beyond. This includes the current exhibition Wolves: Photography by Ronan Donovan, open through February 11, 2024, as well as Andy Warhol’s Endangered Species: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation, which opens Saturday, December 9.
Endangered in the High Desert will be on display through July 7, 2024. This exhibition is made possible by the Visit Central Oregon Future Fund and the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, with support from DoubleTree Hilton and Waypoint Hotel. Learn more at highdesertmuseum.org/
Oregon is searching for its next Poet Laureate.
Over the two-year-term, the Poet Laureate promotes the art of poetry, encourages literacy and learning, addresses issues relating to the humanities and reflects on public life in Oregon. Nominations are accepted through January 8th, and poets are welcome to nominate themselves. The next Poet Laureate term begins in May. (Oregon news)
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