News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Fish and Wildlife Commissioners surveyed the site of two proposed destination resorts.
The Oregon Fish & Wildlife Commission held its quarterly meeting in Sisters last week. Although the commission did not tackle any issues impacting Sisters directly, commissioners got a spectacular look at what is sure to become a significant fish and wildlife question in the near future.
Commissioners and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife staff climbed Black Butte to survey the likely future sites of two destination resorts, the 627-acre Metolian resort and the proposed 2,500-acre resort planned by Ponderosa Land and Cattle Co.
Both lie in Jefferson County not far from Camp Sherman.
According to Michelle Dennehy of ODFW, there was considerable discussion among commissioners about the potential impact of wildlife from a pair of destination resorts.
The Ponderosa Land and Cattle Co. development in the Green Ridge area is conceived as a traditional destination resort with golf courses and lodging amenities for visitors. "The Metolian," west of Camp Sherman, is envisioned as an "eco-resort" that would not have a golf course, would use sustainable building practices and encourage outdoor activities such as hiking and horseback riding.
"Invariably there's going to be conflict," Dennehy said.
There is concern among commissioners that extensive new human activity in the area could displace wildlife, especially during the winter when deer and elk are most vulnerable.
Another issue is the potential for negative interaction with deer grazing on golf courses or eating domestic shrubbery. In such circumstances, people often seek ODFW intervention to keep animals away.
"One of the concerns they had is that wildlife will no longer be as valued as it is today," Dennehy said.
Wildlife is currently the most significant issue surrounding the resorts, which got a boost earlier this month from an Oregon Court of appeals ruling affirming that Jefferson County acted appropriately in mapping the area to allow destination resorts.
The decision remanded to the county an element of the mapping project dealing with big game habitat. The county is expected to refine its analysis of the impact of destination resorts on wildlife, including increased roads and traffic.
Opponents of the destination resorts have said they intend to watch the county's response to that issue closely.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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