KWSO News 5/2/25

The Warm Springs Commissary Project is looking for a Native American artist to create an outdoor permanent sculptured display. The work should relate to the Commissary project or the Confederated Tribes Warm Springs. Interested artists can get more information by emailing Starla@wscat.org by May 20th.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), are extending the public comment period for the Columbia River System Operations Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to August 15, 2025. The public may also attend virtual meetings, which the agencies say they will announce this summer.

In early April, the co-lead agencies delayed the meetings and extended the scoping period in response to the Council on Environmental Quality’s removal of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) implementing regulations. This delay allowed the agencies time to assess any NEPA process changes, align agency objectives, and better describe their proposal to the public for more informed feedback during the scoping period. The co-lead agencies’ goal is to ensure the use of updated information to continue balancing the Columbia River System’s authorized purposes in accordance with all relevant laws and regulations and to continue operating and maintaining their facilities to meet Congressionally authorized purposes, the press release states. The co-lead agencies continue to seek public input and invite federal and state agencies, Native American Tribes, local governments, and the public to submit comments relevant to the supplemental NEPA process.

You can find more information at https://www.nwd.usace.army.mil/columbiariver/.

BEND, Ore. (AP) — The U.S. Forest Service is evicting dozens of homeless people who have been living in a national forest in central Oregon for years so that it can start a wildfire prevention project. The project has been on the books for years. The decision to remove the encampment comes two months after the Trump administration issued an executive order directing federal agencies to increase timber production and forest management projects aimed at reducing wildfire risk. Homeless advocates on Thursday noted that timing. But a Deschutes National Forest spokesperson said the closure was directly tied to the forest restoration work. The wildfire prevention project involves removing smaller trees, clearing debris and setting controlled burns.