BEND, OR –– A bridge proposed by Bend Parks and Recreation Department (BPRD) generates class conflict.
In recent years, BPRD has supported the construction of a pedestrian bridge on the Upper Deschutes Scenic Waterway. BPRD Executive Director Don Horton as an outspoken proponent of the bridge, asserted it would increase recreation and access to the Deschutes National Forest.
The proposal was met with backlash, as many local organizations and members of the community pointed out that a bridge would violate longstanding legislation. Established in 1970, the Oregon Scenic Waterways Program strengthened environmental protections, prohibiting the construction of new bridges on the Upper Deschutes.
Additionally local environmental groups and federal agencies including Oregon Fish and Wildlife, have all raised concerns on the negative impact bringing more people into the area, as 44,000 people already use the Upper Deschutes annually. With that number continuing to rise, the pedestrian bridge would likely push recreational usage beyond capacity.
This would have detrimental impact on the preservation and restoration of the surrounding environment. In particular, the Upper Deschutes Scenic Waterway hosts many vulnerable species including the Oregon Spotted Frog, Peregrine Falcon, Northern Bald Eagle, Three-toed Woodpecker and American Marten. Construction would threaten many of these species, and in some instances could even lead to extinction.
Despite input from local organizations and community members, in 2017 BPRD Director Don Horton began to take aggressive action. Rather than obtaining public property or receiving consent from landowners, Horton attempted obtain private property through intimidation. In an internal email, one landowner recounted, [...] “Don Horton of Bend Parks and Recreation came out to our property and told us that he wants to put a bridge across our land, from west to east [...] Our attorney was present when Mr. Horton discussed seizing our land for crossing and trail.” [...]
Horton also began to influence local media in order to improve public opinion of his plan. Internal correspondence shows that the same time in 2018 Oregon Legislative Assembly introduced House Bill 4029, legislation that would ultimately prohibit the construction of new bridges, Don Horton contacted reporters at the Bend Bulletin, sending articles which depicted landowners as harmful to public lands. Shortly afterward, Erik Lukens continued to write several slanted editorials including “Environmentalists vs Urban Trails”, which exemplified Horton’s negative depictions: “It’s easy to understand why the wealthy owners of riverside homes near the bridge site would support HB 4029. They’ve bought their pieces of paradise, and they’d like to maintain its exclusivity.”
Framing the issue in terms of securing recreational benefits, the article depicted landowners as limiting the people's access to public lands. It failed to account for longstanding legislation such as the Oregon Scenic Waterways Program and environmental protections that constructing a new bridge would violate. It also failed to mention BPRD’s lack of public property, its refusal to collaborate with community members and questionable interactions with landowners. Rather, it intended to incite lasting class conflict, pitting Bendites from different backgrounds against one another and undermining the opposition to gain support for the proposal.
Ultimately, the BPRD’s proposals were unsuccessful, finally put to rest by the passage of House Bill 2027 in 2017, which bans the construction of bridges over the Deschutes in all Scenic Waterways. Additionally, in May 2017, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Commission denied a petition to construct new bridges in the area.