The Sunriver Nature Center and Observatory names Lori Slaughter as new director of philanthropy and fundraising.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE SROA Board.................. 4 Calendar ..................... 13 SHARC/Rec News ........ 22
Public Safety ............... 27 Classified .................... 38 Letter to Editor ........... 39
Featuring more than 65 artists, live entertainment and more, the annual Sunriver Art Faire takes place Aug. 12-14
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S U N R I V E R
S C E N E A NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SUNRIVER OWNERS ASSOCIATION
AUGUST • 2016
VOLUME XLII • NUMBER 8
SROA board sends letter in support of MOSIER Act
ODOT unveils newly proposed trails, highway project
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to the train derailment, oil spill and fire in the Columbia River Gorge in June, Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced the Mandate Oil Spill Inspections and Emergency Rules (MOSIER) Act. “Oregonians deserve the strongest possible protections from oil train derailments,” Wyden said. “This bill ensures that federal authorities can stop trains after a major derailment until a thorough investigation has been completed, and that the National Transportation Safety Board has ample resources to closely examine the root causes of such a crash.” Submitted to the Senate on July 13, the MOSIER Act would require three things: – Require the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate into major oil train derailments, and allocate $2 million for additional agency staffing. – Give the Federal Railroad Administration the authority for oil train moratoriums in the wake of a derailment. – Require the U.S. Department of Transportation to set a standard for the volatility of crude oil, which can contain flammable gasses such as propane or butane. Millions of gallons of crude oil are transported by rail through Sunriver, Bend and other Central Oregon communities every week. During the Sunriver Owners Association Board of Directors meeting on July 16, SROA board president Pat Hensley signed a letter in support of the MOSIER Act. “The entire eastern boundary of our community is directly adjacent to a main BNSF rail line,” wrote SROA Board President Hensley in the letter supporting the MOSIER Act. “Our owners have voiced considerable concern with the transportation of volatile
local economies,” said Todd Davidson, CEO of Travel Oregon. “Travel-related spending, employment and earnings are increasing across the state, spurring job growth in our cities as well as our suburban and rural communities.” The report, which provides detailed statewide, regional and county travel impact estimates, found: • Visitors to Oregon generated $10.8 billion in revenue for the state in 2015. This is a 6.6 percent increase in spending in real dollars over 2014 and marked the sixth consecutive year of growth. • Last year 27.7 million overnight visi-
The Sunriver Owners Association Board of Directors has signed two letters in support of two recently proposed projects by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). The first project, the Lava Lands Regional Trail System, will enable non-motorized travelers to safely access amenities associated with the Deschutes National Forest from Sunriver and Bend. According to ODOT, the proposed project will increase the economic viability of the Sunriver and Bend communities by expanding the quality and variety of active, outdoor recreation amenities available in the region. The proposed trail projects includes: • Complete the Haul Trail connecting Bend to the Cascade Lakes Welcome Station by constructing a new undercrossing of the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway at the Rimrock Trailhead, paving existing Haul Trail gaps (Welcome Station undercrossing to Mammoth Drive), and reconstructing failing trail segments (Mt. Washington Drive
Turn to Tourism, page 6
Turn to ODOT, page 3
Turn to Mosier, page 3 SUNRIVER SCENE SUNRIVER OWNERS ASSN. VOLUME XLIl • NUMBER 8 P.O. BOX 3278 SUNRIVER, OR 97707
A popular destination, Sunriver has experienced an increase in summer visitors.
Oregon tourism spending surges for sixth year By Travel Oregon The Oregon Tourism Commission (dba Travel Oregon) confirms that 2015 was the travel industry’s sixth consecutive year of accelerated growth and economic impact, reaching new heights in revenues for the state. Independent findings by Dean Runyan Associates indicate that travel-related spending increased by nearly $500 million last year to achieve a record $10.8 billion in revenues. “The travel and tourism industry continues to drive economic development in the state of Oregon and is helping to build strong and sustainable
New Central Oregon guidebook features images by Sunriver photographers By Susan Berger, Scene Staff As a journalist, LeeAnn Kriegh has written for a variety of regional magazines, websites and even The Oregonian, but a flora and fauna guidebook was an entirely new adventure. “I’m not a professional naturalist,” she said. “There’s a thin line between an ambitious project and an impossible one, and when I started writing my nature guide about Central Oregon plants and animals, I was on the wrong side of that line.” “The Nature of Bend: An Insider’s Guide to Central Oregon Plants & Animals” is the first comprehensive
guidebook specific to the region to help identify, locate and learn about more than 350 of the most common and interesting plants and animals within an hour’s drive of Bend. The Bend-based author began her book project two years ago — exploring, taking notes and picking the brains of area experts and naturalists. Kriegh’s project was almost derailed before it got off the ground. When she began making cold-calls and sending emails to photographers inquiring about using their work, the first photographer talked and asked questions for more Turn to Guidebook, page 3 PRSRT STD. U.S. POSTAGE PAID BEND, OR PERMIT NO. 213