‘Greenprint’ survey aims to identify which areas to conserve

In a poll of Deschutes County residents conducted this spring, more than 80 percent of respondents said they loved living in the area, said Nelson Mathews, program director with the Trust for Public Land.

“The primary reason is quality of life and outdoor activities,” Mathews said. “That’s why people move here, why people stay here, and it’s important that it remains here. It’s kind of our competitive advantage in the world.”

The survey was part of the information-gathering process that the Trust for Public Land and several other organizations and agencies are conducting in order to develop a “greenprint” — a document designed to identify and map out important areas to protect and conserve.

As part of the process, the trust has launched an online survey so others across the county can say what they think is important about Deschutes County, and where they would focus conservation efforts.

While the poll asked 400 selected residents, the survey lets anyone chime in.

“We’ve done some questionnaires, but we’ve never really asked the community, ‘What’s important to you?’” said Brad Chalfant, executive director of the Deschutes Land Trust, one of the partners in the greenprint project.

The survey asks people about the importance of activities like preventing soil erosion or improving access to rivers and lakes. It asks about the relative importance of protecting natural areas and having a strong economy, and how respondents feel about the condition of water quality in the area.

And it also asks people to list what places they would like to see acquired for recreation or conservation.

“It’s really to gauge the strength of interest (and) support in the types of acquisitions we’re looking at,” Chalfant said.

If lots of people respond to the survey, it could help demonstrate support for projects like a trail system along the Deschutes River or Skyline Forest, Mathews said — and that could lead to more support from organizations with funding to distribute.

“If we get a big response, it makes us competitive as we go out for federal funding or state funding,” he said.

The land trust, for example, has purchased the Camp Polk Meadow near Sisters to help restore the ecosystem there, and has also worked to purchase conservation easements on several properties across Central Oregon, including Rimrock Ranch north of Sisters.

The greenprint organizers have also formed a steering committee with representatives from organizations, park districts, cities and the county, and then interviewed community leaders and others representing different interests, Mathews said.

But it needs more public input, said Ruth Williamson, who is on the Bend Park & Recreation District board and also serves as chairwoman of the Bend 2030 board.

Recreation is a draw for Central Oregon visitors, Williamson said. The greenprint will identify what lands are central for recreation, or should be protected for wildlife habitat or scenic vistas.

“The greenprint will only be as valid as it is well-informed,” she said. “If it’s just a compilation of master plans from various agencies — the city of Bend, the park district, Deschutes County — then it’s just a bunch of planners.

“What we want it to reflect is community values, and the survey is the tool to capture those values.”

Kate Ramsayer can be reached at 541-617-7811 or at kramsayer@bendbulletin.com.