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THURSDAY • June 10, 2021 Serving Central Oregon since 1903 • $3 SUNNY OUTLOOK Summer concert series lineup Theater companies come back Backyard barbecue recipes INSIDE SPORTS PULLOUT, A5-8 Citizen scientists help study local bats for OSU-Cascades Volunteers listened for the elusive spotted bat BY MICHAEL KOHN The Bulletin By harnessing the power of “citizen scientists,” researchers from Oregon State Universi- ty-Cascades completed a study of an elusive species of bat. OSU-Cascades worked with 12 volunteers over the past two years on the project, which focused its efforts on the spotted bat. The team completed 61 surveys, iden- tifying the bat 25 times. Spotted bats are rarely seen but remain an important species in Central Oregon. They help con- trol insect populations by con- suming large amounts of mosqui- toes and other agricultural pests. They are notable for their large ears and distinctive white spots on their black backs. Their ears are believed to be the largest of any bat species in North Amer- ica. “Spotted bats are high-flying, hard-charging lions of the sky, trying to catch the big moths,” said Tom Rodhouse, the proj- ect leader and a courtesy faculty member at OSU-Cascades. See Bats / A13 LAST BURN OF SPRING HOMELESSNESS BILL Tom Rodhouse/Submitted photo Tom Rodhouse, an ecologist with the Na- tional Park Service and a courtesy faculty member at OSU-Cascades, holds a spotted bat in Clarno in 2003. Oregon allowing tents on public property Communities must put local rules in sync with legislation now headed for governor’s desk Prescribed fire outside La Pine finishes the season in the Deschutes National Forest BY NICOLE HAYDEN The Oregonian Oregon communities must rewrite local rules to allow Oregonians to sit, lie, sleep and keep warm and dry on public property in most circumstances. House Bill 3115, which passed the Senate on Wednesday afternoon MORE BILLS and is en route to Gov. Kate Brown’s desk, is a response to HEADED FOR GOV. BROWN a 2018 landmark homeless- ness case that impacted most • Prosecutors, Western states with an intent prisoners can ask for to better support individuals reviews of experiencing homelessness. convictions While local governments should already be following • Affordable housing rules set forth by the case expanded known as Martin v. Boise, the bill, written at the be- • Lyrics for hest of House Speaker Tina state song changed Kotek, forces cities to offi- cially change any ordinance Stories on A2 language still on the books to be in line with the court decision. In its ruling, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said governments cannot criminalize conduct that is unavoidable as a result of ex- periencing homelessness. To punish a home- less individual for sleeping outside when there aren’t enough shelter beds would be compa- rable to punishing that individual for the fact that they are homeless, a consequence the court described as cruel and unusual. See Homeless / A4 COVID-19 BY MICHAEL KOHN • The Bulletin Jack Abendroth and Gillian Moore clear a containment line around a burning log while working a prescribed burn along Forest Road 21 near La Pine on Wednesday. Ryan Brennecke/The Bulletin INSIDE Early start to the 2021 fire season: Northeast Oregon burns, and the region’s snowpack dries up, A4 T he Deschutes National Forest conducted its final prescribed burn for spring Wednesday, with a burn northeast of La Pine that served as part of a training program for firefighters. Fuels specialists and fire crews burned small trees and brush on the ground in approximately 20 to 50 acres along Forest Road 21, northeast of La Pine and east of U.S. Highway 97. Ignitions were completed in one day. The primary purpose of the burn was to train firefighters within a controlled environment, but the burn also met ecosystem objectives. Pre- scribed fires are conducted to reduce fuel loads that if left untreated can burn out of control during a wildfire. Smoke from the burn may linger in the area for up to a week, but the smoke impact is ex- pected to be minimal to nearby communities. The burn wrapped up a busy season for local fuels specialists. In total, prescribed burns were applied to 4,478 acres of the forest in 37 sepa- rate locations, according to Jean Nelson-Dean, a spokesperson for the Deschutes National Forest. Of this area, 332 acres were on non-Forest Ser- vice lands. Nelson-Dean said the prescribed burns will help to fight potential wildfire, and protect homes and community infrastructure. The prescribed burns also help forests recover more quickly if a wildfire does pass through. With the prescribed fire season over, does smoke indicate an actual wildfire is active? Not necessarily, said Nelson-Dean. Smoke could in- dicate field burning. People interested in updates on prescribed burns and wildfires in Deschutes County can text “COFIRE” to 888-777. When wildfire does occur, it is simply part of a natural cycle for Central Oregon forests. “Central Oregon has a fire-adapted ecosys- tem, which means that fire and smoke are a part of maintaining a healthy forest here,” said Nel- son-Dean. “Just like Western Oregon forests re- quire rain to be healthy, Central Oregon forests require fire, which we do our best to use in a controlled manner under the best conditions to move smoke up and out of the area.” Reporter: 541-617-7818, mkohn@bendbulletin.com State might revamp lottery to spur more vaccinations BY AIMEE GREEN The Oregonian The number of Oregonians getting vac- cinated against COVID-19 has nose-dived since Gov. Kate Brown announced a $1 mil- lion lottery for vaccinated residents a few weeks ago. The state says it’s now looking at ways to spark more enthusiasm — and inoculations among those still unvaccinated — in the three weeks left before the drawing is held. Charles Boyle, a governor’s spokesman, said in an email that the governor’s office is “exploring options for drawings earlier in the month to continue to generate excite- ment throughout the next several weeks.” Brown also hinted at a news conference Friday that more prizes may be added to the offerings in coming days, though she hasn’t yet shared any details. TODAY’S WEATHER Mostly cloudy High 66, Low 44 Page A12 INDEX Business Classifieds Comics A11-12 A14 A9-10 Dear Abby Editorial Events A7 A8 GO! Horoscope Local/State Lottery A7 A2,4 A6 Obituaries Puzzles Sports A4 A10 A5-7 The Bulletin An Independent Newspaper We use recycled newsprint Vol. 117, No. 329, 38 pages, 2 sections SUN/THU See Lottery / A13 U|xaIICGHy02330rzu