Tuesday, sepTember 6, 2022 A7
REDMOND SPOKESMAN
Write to us: news@redmondspokesman.com
GUEST COLUMN
Thornburgh
Resort project
reduces plan
for water use
BY KAMERON DELASHMUTT
T
he Thornburgh’s began ranching and farming 400
acres in Terrebonne in the 1920s acquiring 1,500 acres
on Cline Buttes in 1953, along with grazing rights on
30,000 acres of BLM Land for summer pasture.
In 2003, JELDWEN offered to buy the Thornburgh’s Cline
Buttes property to expand Eagle Crest. Instead, we began
planning the Thornburgh Resort. The conceptual master
plan was submitted in 2005 and approved by the Board of
Commissioners in 2006. In 2018, Thornburgh received ap-
proval of the final master plan. Prior to construction, we be-
gan a significant reassessment of amenities and the resort’s
overall resource management resulting in numerous adjust-
ments, including:
This month Thornburgh submitted a plan to Deschutes
County planning committing to:
• Reduce water use by foregoing the building an approved
golf course,
• Reduce water use by replacing some planned lakes, irri-
gated parks and green space in favor of natural landscaping,
• Employ resource-sensitive landscaping for all resort ame-
nities and homes to better steward our environment
These commitments allow Thornburgh to reduce the re-
sort’s water needs from 2,129-acre-feet per year to no more
than 1,460 acre-feet. This equals average consumption of
about 787,000 gallons per day, or:
• a 35% reduction in consumption
• a 43% reduction in resort-amenity water usage
• less than two-tenths of 1% of water use of 775,000 acre-
feet in the Deschutes Basin.
Thornburgh water use for all resort related facilities is 663
acre feet per year. For context this is about the same amount
of water required to pasture 55 horses in Tumalo.
Thornburgh isn’t creating new water uses or increasing
water usage in the basin. Instead, it purchased certificated
water rights already in use and stopped pumping the water
allowed under those rights. That water is presently left in
the aquifer and river reducing water usage in the basin and
increasing flows in the river. This largely occurs during the
critical summer period when flows are lowest and tempera-
tures the highest.
This increased summertime flow, or excess mitigation will
continue for decades, ultimately accumulating to roughly
24,000 acre-feet more stream flow than the resort with-
draws, or roughly 17 years of the resort’s full use. Not only
is the resort reducing its water needs and increasing stream
flow, over 2/3rds of the excess mitigation is cold ground-
water Thornburgh is leaving in the aquifer ultimately to be
discharged into the river. Once there, the cold groundwater
cools stream temperatures improving fish habitat.
While the approved master plan contains 3 golf courses,
construction of each course requires site plan approval. In
its approved site plan for the initial golf course, planned by
renowned minimalist architects Coore and Crenshaw, and
built by Whitman Axland and Cutten, Thornburgh notes ir-
rigated turf areas are held to the bare minimum. Majestic old
growth trees are retained with native grasses to blend golf
into the natural surroundings with as little impact as possi-
ble.
Thornburgh voluntarily reduced by 20% the amount of
overnight lodging, reducing impacts to water, traffic, and
wildlife. This reduction was approved by Deschutes County.
Thornburgh is also implementing a program of juni-
per thinning on about 4,000 acres of juniper forest on BLM
lands. Juniper removal can restore water flows by up to
1-acre-foot per four to five acres managed. Thornburgh’s ef-
forts mirror other regional programs to restore water flows
lost to Juniper expansion. Deschutes County is promoting
Juniper thinning while Crook County is pursuing large-scale
programs to reduce Juniper coverage to restore stream flows.
Central Oregon is a secret no more. As people come, they
need lodging, facilities and housing, which strains the short-
ages existing today. While we cannot stop people from com-
ing, we can provide for them responsibly.
While Thornburgh’s original plans proposed density of
only one-third what the code allowed, with 30% more open
space than the minimum required, it also had elements that
didn’t steward resources efficiently.
Thornburgh has made dramatic changes since, to lower
impacts on natural resources, with more planned. Thorn-
burgh is defining responsible development.
As we continue to adjust, Thornburgh will become the
most environmentally-conscious master planned community
in the West, if not the United States.
█
Kameron Delashmutt is the owner and developer of the Thornburgh Resort
at Cline Buttes.
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GUEST COLUMN
Redmond schools chose to be
reactive, not proactive on guns
BY HEATHER MCNEIL
A
fter the recent shooting in Bend
speakers and politicians stated
the necessity for “thoughts and
actions.” I am addressing an action that
I believe is essential for sending a mes-
sage about gun safety, especially on school
grounds.
On August 24 the Redmond School
District Board failed to adopt a pol-
icy about prohibiting guns from school
grounds. Instead, they have decided to act
reactively, rather than proactively.
The Oregon State Legislature passed
Senate Bill 554 in 2021, which allows
schools to adopt a policy (referred to as
KGBB in schools) that prohibits guns on
campus, including those belonging to in-
dividuals with a concealed carry permit.
Umatilla, Portland, Klamath Falls, Eugene,
Pendleton, Salem, and Bend La Pine are
just a few of the 29 districts who decided
KGBB was essential and have adopted the
policy, as recommended by the Oregon
State School Board. But not Redmond. I
am sure that those other districts had legal
advice, considered liability, and had pol-
icies in place prohibiting guns. However,
they decided that KGBB was also essential
and would send a strong and important
message to visitors and parents. But not
Redmond.
One Board member insisted that they
have sufficient policies already in place.
How many parents and visitors have actu-
ally read all of the policies and are familiar
with JFCJ, GBJ, KGB, and JFCM?
Another Board member said that a par-
ent could enter school grounds unaware of
the law and be held liable. That’s why the
policy recommends posting the informa-
tion at school entrances, so no one has the
excuse of ignorance. Personally, I’m more
concerned about the fear and confusion
that would result from a student or teacher
seeing the gun than I am about upsetting
the adult who carries it on campus.
Another Board member believed that
the policy says to leave firearms lying out
in plain view in your car. In fact, Senate
Bill 554, which is the law that supports
KGBB, requires that firearms be secured
and states, “…(A) firearm is not secured
if…the firearm is a handgun, is left unat-
tended in a vehicle and is within view of
persons outside the vehicle.”
A board member insisted that KGBB
had been discussed fully already, and she
couldn’t understand why there was so
much concern being expressed in letters
and testimony. However, that discussion
was in executive session, which the public
cannot attend, and readings were at work
sessions when the public cannot comment.
These facts from everystat.org make it
clear that action is necessary in the United
States to prevent gun violence:
• The rate of gun deaths has increased
33% from 2011 to 2020 in the United
States.
• Firearms are the leading cause of
death among children and teens in the
United States.
• In 2022 there have already been at
least 102 incidents of gunfire on school
grounds.
I highly recommend that concerned cit-
izens take a look at the following:
• An overview of gun violence in the
United States, with many statistics and
facts. everystat.org/wp-content/up-
loads/2020/03/Gun-Violence-in-United-
States.pdf
• A new, extensively researched report
from the American Federation of Teach-
ers, the National Education Association,
and Everytown, entitled How to Stop
Shootings and Gun Violence in School.
everytownresearch.org/report/how-to-
stop-shootings-and-gun-violence-in-
schools/
Superintendent Cline stated that guns
are not allowed on school grounds but
that he was open to adopting KGBB if
that was the board’s decision. It failed on a
vote of 3 to 2. Please contact the Redmond
School Board if you have concerns.
█
Heather McNeil is a member of Central Oregon Moms
Demand Action for Gun Safety and lives in Bend.
GUEST COLUMN
Parents should know district’s gun policies
safety policy defined by a recently passed
he leading cause of death for chil-
law in Oregon and recommended by
dren in the U.S. is gun violence.
American Federation of Teachers and the
Why is this terrible epidemic only
National Education Association. The pol-
icy has been adopted by 29 other school
worsening? The 2021–2022 school year
districts in Oregon, including Bend-LaP-
had the highest number of incidents in
ine, with many others still considering.
preschools and K–12 schools since 2013.
What can any of us do to stop the vio-
The law was carefully crafted to close a
lence in and around our schools? The an-
loophole that could allow individuals with
swer must be we need to do everything in
a concealed weapon permit to be exempt
our power to stop inten-
from gun bans on school
Well, many of us are riled
tional assaults, but also
properties and to enforce
the increasingly com-
secure firearm storage
up
because
children,
mon accidents. We’ve
laws. A critical aspect
at increasing rates, are
seen that shootings at
of the policy the board
schools can happen any- being injured and killed in
voted down also speci-
fies that signs should be
where, nowhere is safe
posted on every entrance
from accidents that arise accidents and intentional
door to educate the pub-
when guns are allowed
attacks.
lic about the “no guns”
on campus, even by
commitment and the
the most well-meaning
potential of criminal liability.
adults.
The Redmond district does have poli-
In 2018, according to the Associated
Press, more than 30 mishaps were publicly cies in place intended to prevent guns on
campus. I ask, how many of us are aware
reported involving firearms brought onto
of these district policies buried among
school grounds. Guns in the possession
the thousand or so others? It is incredibly
of anyone other than a law enforcement
ironic that we are willing to post “no to-
officer have no place in our schools. The
bacco” signs on every entrance but not “no
commitment should be simple: gun free
guns”. Do we care enough to look carefully
schools. This policy and this commitment
at policies written several years ago and
are critical steps in saving our children’s
update them to reflect the fact that the in-
lives.
cidence of school gun violence is horrific
Redmond school district parents and
and increasing?
families need to know that the school
I attended the meeting and heard these
board on August 24 specifically voted
reasons for declining to adopt a new pol-
down the chance to implement a gun
BY STEVEN AND JEAN CARLTON
T
icy, among others. A board member cited
his concern that he is afraid that since
many of the people he knows carry a gun
everyday, they would forget and bring it
into the school and be prosecuted. It is just
this situation that the law is designed to
prevent and I would ask if we are commit-
ted to protecting our children, or careless
adults?
Another board member very inaccu-
rately described the law as allowing guns
to be left in view in cars in the parking lot.
More than one board member misstated
the penalties specified by the law. Another
member complained that she doesn’t know
why people are “all riled up” about this.
Well, many of us are riled up because
children, at increasing rates, are being in-
jured and killed in accidents and inten-
tional attacks. The new law is consistent
with researched methods to control vio-
lence. It provides an opportunity to take a
close look at loopholes, make an effort to
address them, and to educate everyone on
school property about safely securing our
guns. Clearly we all need to be better in-
formed and willing to look at every aspect
of making our schools safer.
Parents, please contact the Redmond
School Board with your concerns. There
are some simple and rational steps to re-
duce the chances of gun violence in your
children’s school, particularly while we
wait for upgrades to security systems that
we heard at the same board meeting are up
to a year out.