Oregon
Snowy plover numbers tick up as Oregon beaches roped off for nesting season
Oregon Zoo’s adorable baby elephant Tula-Tu with mom: Watch
Tula-Tu, the baby Asian elephant, is located with the herd in Forest Hall at the Oregon Zoo in Portland.
The number of Western snowy plovers in Oregon increased slightly last year, continuing what’s been a major success story for the threatened shorebird as officials begin roping off beach for nesting season.
After two years of slight declines, officials counted 440 plovers during the 2024 breeding season survey, which was higher than the 433 counted in 2023 but still lower than the historic high of 532 in 2021.
Plovers are one of Oregon’s biggest success stories. Their numbers dropped to as low as 55 in 1993 and 76 in 2003, leading to them being listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act.
“With the support of the public and improvements to plover habitat, we’re making great strides in reversing the decline of this species,” said Cindy Burns, Siuslaw National Forest wildlife biologist. “Keep doing your part to understand nesting season rules and to share the beach this spring and summer.”
Beaches roped off to protect nesting for snowy plover
A main reason for the rebound has been the policy of roping off roughly 40 miles of dry sand on coastal beaches in management units that allow plovers to hatch and thrive in peace.
That policy, which started in 2010, began anew on Saturday. Plover nesting season lasts from March 15 to Sept. 15. The plover management units prohibit people and dogs tramping into the dry sand of plover nesting units, though in some cases they can bypass the areas on wet sand.
Sensitive plover nesting areas are identified on maps for the northern Oregon Coast and southern Oregon Coast. Signs may be present at trailheads with additional rules and limits, such as staying on the wet sand and no dogs even on a leash, “to help protect the small shorebirds and their exposed nests during this crucial period,” a news release from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department said.
Reminders for recreation on designated plover beaches March 15-Sept. 15:
- The following are not permitted: dogs (even on a leash), driving a vehicle, riding a bicycle, operating electric-assisted bicycles, camping, burning wood, flying kites or operating drones.
- Foot and equestrian traffic are permitted below the high-tide line on hard packed sand.
Snowy plovers nest in open sand
The numbers of plovers began to improve dramatically following the establishment of the roped-off units, the numbers show.
“They’re a ground-nesting bird that lays their eggs in small depressions on open sand — we call them scrapes in the sand — and rely on camouflage for protection. They need undisturbed time for the young to develop,” Cheryl Strong, a wildlife biologist and plover lead for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, told the Statesman Journal last year.
If the birds are disturbed by people, dogs, kites or drones — all of which are perceived as predators — they may fly away from their nest and put the eggs or young at risk.
Snowy plovers expanding range
Beyond plover numbers improving is the fact that they’ve expanded their range, Strong said previously.
“We’ve seen them expand their range to the north and south. We now have plovers in every coastal county in Oregon. It’s quite a turnaround,” Strong said last year.
One of the new areas plovers have been nesting is the Sand Lake Recreation Area, near the lake’s inlet, every year the last few years.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 18 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on X at @ZachsORoutdoors and BlueSky at oregonoutdoors.bsky.social.
The Oregon Ducks are set for one of the biggest timelines of their recruiting cycle, as many top targets are nearing commitments. This time around, the Ducks have a ton of top targets still remaining on their board compared to past seasons, as the Ducks have eight total commitments at this time.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his staff still need to land a safety commitment, but three-star safety Elijah Butler out of Maryland recently included the Ducks in his final six schools.
Oregon Target Elijah Butler Makes Exciting Recruiting Announcement
Butler announced his top six schools ahead of a crucial part of his recruitment, according to a graphic by Leyton Roberts. The Ducks made the cut alongside the Maryland Terrapins, Virginia Tech Hokies, Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, and the Alabama Crimson Tide. The talented prospect would be a great addition for any of these teams, as they could all use a safety prospect at this point in the recruiting timeline.
Butler is from the state of Maryland, which makes the Terrapins one to watch.
It is also worth noting that he has been labeled as one of the best players in the state of Maryland, as he currently ranks as the state’s No. 9 prospect, according to Rivals. This is important as the Terrapins have always made solid attempts to land their in-state stars, including last season when they landed one of the better players in the state’s history, Zion Elee.
As of now, the prospect hasn’t been predicted to land with any of these schools, which means it is likely still a tight race entering the official visit schedule. He has yet to schedule an official visit with all of the schools he has listed in his top six, as he is still missing three key official visits. Butler has scheduled official visits with Alabama, Auburn, and Florida, according to 247Sports. This means he still needs to set one with Oregon, Virginia Tech, and Maryland if he wants to take one to each school.
If the Ducks are able to get Butler on a visit, then they would likely be in a more favorable position to land his commitment, as it currently. seems they are one of the trailing teams from this list. It seems highly unlikely that the Ducks will gain his commitment unless they get him on an official visit, which is still possible at this point, as plenty of top prospects across the nation are still scheduling their official visits.
As of now, the Ducks have 27 prospects set to take an official visit, according to 247Sports. Among all of the prospects who have scheduled a visit thus far, only one of the players is listed as a safety. That player is a three-star target, Junior Tu’upo. This leads one to believe that the Ducks could try to get Butler on a visit, or at a minimum, pitch their program to the prospect from St Frances Academy.
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BLUE RIVER, Ore. (KATU) — The founder of a former disaster relief nonprofit is being sued for allegedly diverting nearly $837,000 in donations and grants for personal gain.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield filed the lawsuit Thursday against the founder and executive director of Cascade Relief Team (CRT), Marcus Brooks. In the complaint, Rayfield calls CRT “a sham.”
Brooks is accused of stealing donations and government grants meant for disaster relief following wildfires and flooding in 2020, and using it for personal expenses including casino visits, travel, vehicles, and more.
CRT was founded in 2020 and was hired for cleanup and relief services following the Labor Day Wildfires that burned over 1 million acres across Oregon.
In Blue River, an unincorporated community in the McKenzie River Valley, the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire destroyed nearly 800 homes and burned more than 173,000 acres.
I am angry that my community was taken advantage of
Just months after the fire, long-time Blue River resident Melanie Stanley said CRT stepped in and promised help to the community.
“For us, it was…like a savior at that point,” Stanley said.
Stanley was the manager for the Blue River Resource Center and worked for Brooks to help facilitate recovery efforts. She said CRT operations slowly became questionable.
“None of us knew the level at which all of this stuff that finally came out was at,” Stanley said. “We knew that there was some stuff that had started to look hinky or feel hinky, or there was just some lack of communication that was happening. There were some other things that were happening, and so we just all were kind of guarded.”
In fall of 2023 the nonprofit was reported to have run out of money, and Brooks allegedly fired staff without disclosing the organization’s financial conditions and did not notify donors or beneficiaries. Stanley was one of those people fired.
The state now claims the funds that were meant to go towards communities like Blue River, never made it out of Brooks’ hands, including donations given by Blue River neighbors.
“I am angry that my community was taken advantage of, and I am angry that they now have to worry about trusting when something else happens, because we know something else is going to happen,” Stanley said. “We hope to God it’s never anything as big or as bad as what has happened, but you know, we also have learned that groups like Locals Helping Locals…they are our foundation, and they are because they’re us.”
The state is seeking to recover the money, permanently bar Brooks from serving in a leadership role at a charitable organization and dissolve the nonprofit.
Stanley said Brooks’ actions have tainted reputations.
“We as a community and as the people from the community who helped kind of put all of these things together, we did what was asked of us,” Stanley said. “We did help clean things, and we did help get things to provide, you know, more progress and get things moving forward, and we did good work, and so I just really hope that this is not overshadowed.”
According to Stanley, Blue River’s recovery now stands at 50%.
“We will be very picky from here on out about who and what groups gets let in to help with anything,” Stanley said. “And sadly, it may be to our detriment, but he did more damage now, as far as reputations go, and for that I’m angry. I’m very angry.”
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