KWSO News for Mon., Mar. 31, 2025

S.B. 771 would fund physical improvements to rodeo arenas, other facilities in smaller Oregon communities

The Oregon State Legislature Joint Ways and Means Committee is in Warm Springs this Friday to hear public testimony in support of funding for specific bills.   Those attending this community hearing in person will be given preference to present public comment by pre-registering to testify. Written comment may be submitted online up to 48 hours after the meeting start time.  Greg Leo is a supporter of S.B. 771:

The hearing is Friday from 5 until 7pm at the old Warm Springs Elementary gym.

 

Record-setting fish returns mark significant progress toward long-term reintroduction goals for Tribal, utility and conservation partners

Record numbers of adult steelhead returned to the Pelton Round Butte hydropower project on the Deschutes River during the 2024-2025 run, which ends today. With more than 950 fish passed upstream of Round Butte Dam, the Upper Deschutes Basin is now home to more steelhead than at any time since the 1960s. Scientists attribute this year’s returns to beneficial ocean conditions and improvements in fish management practices.

The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (the Tribes) and Portland General Electric – co owners of the three-dam Pelton Round Butte hydropower complex – began an ambitious effort in 2010 to reintroduce ocean-going salmon and steelhead to the Deschutes River.

The Tribes’ Branch of Natural Resources General Manager Austin Smith Jr. says that “while the return of steelhead fish to the watershed marks a significant milestone, the journey toward full restoration continues,” and that they “remain committed to ongoing conservation efforts, adaptive management, and education.”

 

Authorities intercept 2,500 lbs. of smelt caught illegally

Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office says 2,500 pounds of illegally caught smelt was seized during a joint poaching operation on the Sandy River last week. Conducted in collaboration with Oregon State Police, the aim was to protect the smelt, which is a crucial food source for many species and vital to the river ecosystem’s health.

All violators were issued citations, and the confiscated smelt were donated to the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.

 

Sen. Merkley town hall for Jefferson County scheduled for Apr. 5th

Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley will hold five town halls for Oregonians in early April, with in-person community conversations in Jefferson, Deschutes, and Crook counties on Saturday, April 5, followed by town hall meetings in Grant and Wheeler counties on Sunday, April 6. Merkley will be joined by U.S. Representative Janelle Bynum for the Deschutes County town hall.

The five events continue Merkley’s 2025 town hall tour of Oregon, where he will hold a community conversation in each of the state’s 36 counties.  Merkley says he holds these town halls in communities every year “to get to the heart of the ideas, issues, and priorities that matter most” to people.

His Jefferson County Town Hall on April 5^th will start at 10am in the Madras High School gym.

 

OHA notifies tribes and counties of funding halts

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), abruptly terminated roughly $117 million in COVID-era grants and funding for Oregon Health Authority programs, an impact that OHA says will be felt immediately in all nine federally recognized Tribal communities and in every county in Oregon. The sudden loss of the funding, a year or more before some of the grants were scheduled to end, included, among other things:

Five grants in OHA’s Behavioral Health Division that helped establish the 988 crisis line and were planned to fill critical gaps in community substance use treatment, prevention, and recovery services, especially for communities of color, young adults, and veterans.

A grant that established an Equity Office in OHA’s Public Health Division and provided technical assistance and training to rural health care providers, Tribes, Local Public Health Departments and community-based organizations on how to improve health in communities experiencing health inequities.

And multiple immunization-related grants in OHA’s Public Health Division.

 

Community invited to Tri-county summit to discuss ways to improve biking and walking in Central Oregon

Community members interested in sustainable transportation are invited to attend the 2025 Tri-County Bicycle and Pedestrian Summit in Bend on Thursday, April 10. Hosted by the Deschutes County Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC), the theme for this year’s summit is “Community Connections.” Attendees will gain insight into the projects and strategies aimed at improving biking and walking across Crook, Jefferson and Deschutes counties, as well as within the Warm Springs Tribal community.

The Tri-County Bicycle and Pedestrian Summit will be held on Thursday, April 10 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bend Park & Recreation District offices, 799 SW Columbia St. in Bend. The event is free to the public, but organizers recommend reserving a spot using this LINK.