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By Aaron West The Bulletin February 04. 2016 4:29PM Oregon Wild's litigious past a factor in Ochoco wilderness opposition BEND — Oregon Wild's proposal to declare 300,000 acres of Ochoco National Forest land as a national recreation area has been widely opposed by the residents and officials of Crook County for the land-use restrictions that many say such a designation could lead to. But another factor contributing to the staunch opposition, according to recent comments at public meetings and gatherings as well as interviews with The Bulletin, is the conservation organization's history and reputation in Prineville and elsewhere. Some locals know Oregon Wild as a group that in the past has damaged local industry with its proposals and lawsuits, regardless of intentions, and they haven't failed to bring that up at meetings about the proposal. "I'd say that 90 percent of people around here know about Oregon Wild's history because it's been brought up so much in so many of the meetings," said Pete Sharp, who was born and raised in Crook County and filed to run for county commissioner this year. "We had quite a few that brought up (Oregon Wild's) history because they went online and looked it up. People know that they've been doing bad things for us for a long time. It's not necessarily the same people now as it was then, but you know, you have trouble siding with the group that helped destroy the timber industry." For its part, Oregon Wild said that focusing on the past, and particularly an old reputation for litigation and conflict, isn't productive to the current conversation that's taking place in Crook County. Rather, collaboration is the path the group is focusing on now. "In the '90s, there was a lot of fighting and a lot of lawsuits," said Erik Fernandez, Oregon Wild wilderness program manager. "Lawsuits nowadays are few and far between, and collaboration is everywhere. We've had 10 to 15 years of moderate success with collaboration, so I think there's a fair amount of history and legs to that. I think with some people, they're still angry about the '90s, and that's their right. But arguing about the '90s isn't the way forward." Still, some in Crook County remember the past. According to the Oregon Wild website, before its name was changed to Oregon Wild in 2006 to prevent people from confusing it with a government agency, the group went by the Oregon Natural Resources Council. And in the '80s and '90s, the ONRC was involved in lawsuits statewide and regionally that Crook County residents say have created a distaste for the organization locally. "They can't be trusted. They have a reputation of saying one thing but really meaning something else," said Greg Lambert, who owns Mid Oregon Personnel in Prineville, adding that people would be against the proposal whether or not Oregon Wild had the reputation it has. "It's a well-deserved reputation — if they don't get their way they're going to file a lawsuit. Their history gives us the ability to listen to what they're saying and know what they actually mean. They use words and phrases that sound very good, but when you look at how they've implemented those words in other scenarios, it turns out they're not so good." "While the spotted owl didn't affect us particularly, there were numerous appeals and lawsuits that the old Oregon Wild group participated in in Central Oregon and Eastern Oregon," said John Shelk, who owned Ochoco Lumber before it closed in 2001. "And to the extent the community still remembers those activities, there likely is still an aura of mistrust for their organization and a questioning of their motives." http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20160204/NEWS/160209814 © 2016 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->