Our Vision for a Quality Environment In the year 2030, Bend is a community defined by and connected to its unique natural environment. We regard clean air, pure water, natural areas and habitat, and other elements as essential to a whole ecosystem. We have successfully managed the challenges related to Bend’s growth and development by achieving a balance between environmental protection and the community’s quality of life. We are dedicated to ensuring this balance remains secure, intact and sustainable into the future. Our community is served by a locally and regionally integrated system of trails, roads, and public transit. The Deschutes River, a community focal point, has been enhanced and protected as a functioning natural ecosystem. Our strong environmental stewardship and collaboration is reinforced through City ordinances, energy conservation measures, and ‘green’ building codes. Bend sets a national standard for environmental protection and the other intrinsic qualities of living in a landscape of rivers, mountains, lakes, and high desert.
AIR
1 – Air Quality. Bend is a national leader in promoting air quality. Bend has maintained its high air quality by reducing harmful emissions, construction dust and implementing alternatives to field and forest burning in the region. Bend has instituted snow and ice removal procedures that minimize threats to the environment and personal health.
WATER
2 – Basin-Wide Water Management Collaboration. The City has partnered with key stakeholders in creating a basin-wide water quality and quantity management authority and water bank ensuring that human, agricultural and ecosystem needs for water are met. Availability of ‘level four’ wastewater has provided industrial and commercial users with significant alternatives to the consumption of water treated to drinking standards.
3 – Deschutes River Enhancement. Bend has enhanced, improved and protected Deschutes River habitat and riparian environments as the city has grown. A balance between Deschutes River recreation and habitat has been achieved enhancing its value to all elements and users. In-stream flow of the river through Bend is sufficient year-round to provide high quality fish habitat.
4 – Storm Water Treatment and Drainage. Bend has promoted and implemented storm water alternatives such as ‘eco-roofs’ and ‘bio-swales’, providing safe, effective diversion and containment of storm water run-off. Storm water diversion is an integral part of infrastructure planning for new developments.
5 –Irrigation Canals. A comprehensive long-term program developed by a City-led consortium of local, state, and federal organizations have succeeded in eliminating water loss from irrigation canals. The successful program has increased overall quantity of available water remaining in the river, enhancing fisheries and insuring public safety. The irrigation corridors provide linear parks through the community.
6 – Citywide Water Conservation. Bend has helped assure adequate water supplies by promoting aggressive citywide water conservation, including industrial, construction, commercial, residential and individual users. Public education has resulted in steep reductions in historically high summertime water use, significantly reducing the need for supplemental (well) water.
7 – Native Plants and Water-Conserving Landscaping. Native plant species and water- conserving landscaping have been widely adopted in public and private ornamental landscapes throughout the community. Serious efforts to remove, manage, and control noxious weeds have earned the City accolades.
LAND
8 – Protected Open Space, Parks and Natural Areas. Bend has planned for and protected parklands, greenbelts, urban forests, trails, urban wildlife corridors and habitat areas in and around the city through management standards and practices. Open space, parks and natural areas are an integral part of our community that shape future development and provide recreational opportunities essential to the health of community members.
9 – Protection of Natural Resources by Developers. Developers in Bend demonstrate high levels of respect and protection for the area's natural resources, stewarding them and protecting them – particularly trees. All heritage trees are protected and carefully integrated into new developments.
10 – Maintenance of the 'Urban Forest'. Bend places a high value on maintenance of its ‘urban forest’. A City tree ordinance has increased tree planting and preservation, improving community appearance, providing wildlife habitat, boosting property values and mitigating the ‘heat island’ effect caused by increased development. Bend is recognized as a Tree City USA.
11 – Interconnected Trail System. Bend has completed a citywide, fully interconnected ‘urban trails’ system that links walkers, runners and bicyclists to local parks and recreation facilities, open spaces, and other destinations through sidewalks, paths, water trails, and greenbelt corridors. This system provides public recreational access throughout the city while protecting the environment. Bend has regionally coordinated trail systems that connect cities and provide access to adjoining city, state and federal lands.
RESOURCE CONSERVATION
12 – Energy Conservation and Alternative Energy Sources. Bend has widely adopted and installed solar and other alternative energy sources for residential, commercial and industrial energy generation. The City of Bend has adopted renewable energy standards for municipal services including fleet vehicles, building design, procurement policies, operations and maintenance.
13 –City-Wide Waste Prevention and Recycling. Increased efficiency and reduced waste is the cornerstone of Bend’s sustainable community. Bend's commercial, residential and construction recycling levels are among the highest in the nation. Bend has substantially increased recycling through education, incentives and City ordinances, and has implemented aggressive waste prevention practices and programs for businesses and households. Construction waste and yard debris, once major waste disposal elements in the growing city’s waste stream are managed, as a renewable resource.
SUSTAINABILITY
14 – Sustainable Bend. Bend has established itself as a model of sustainability, embedding this concept throughout the community’s environmental, economic, social well-being, growth management and development process. Public-private partnerships work with the sustainability vision, key plans and policies, and recommendations of previous studies to protect the community’s environment while assuring its prosperity and cultural history. A ‘Sustainable Bend’ program incorporates ‘green’ building codes, design guidelines, energy and resource conservation and other measures.
15 – Incentive-Based Sustainability. The City’s planning and growth management policies, procedures, directives, mandates, and tools include incentives for developers to incorporate Sustainable Bend principles into all new developments.
16 – ‘Green’ Building Standards and Practices. The public and private sectors have invested substantially in ‘green’ building technologies, significantly decreasing Bend's overall resource consumption, use of toxic materials, and energy consumption over the years. The City of Bend has embedded and institutionalized green building standards into City building codes and ordinances.
17 – Environmental Education. Education to promote a quality environment in Bend is widely available and accessible throughout the community, in schools and institutions of higher education, through parks and recreation programs, and lifelong learning and the arts. Bend has established a sustainable environment research center to study and promote environmental sustainability.
KEY VISION ELEMENTS
AIR
1 – Air Quality. Bend is a national leader in promoting air quality. Bend has maintained its high air quality by reducing harmful emissions, construction dust and implementing alternatives to field and forest burning in the region. Bend has instituted snow and ice removal procedures that minimize threats to the environment and personal health.
WATER
2 – Basin-Wide Water Management Collaboration. The City has partnered with key stakeholders in creating a basin-wide water quality and quantity management authority and water bank ensuring that human, agricultural and ecosystem needs for water are met. Availability of ‘level four’ wastewater has provided industrial and commercial users with significant alternatives to the consumption of water treated to drinking standards.
3 – Deschutes River Enhancement. Bend has enhanced, improved and protected Deschutes River habitat and riparian environments as the city has grown. A balance between Deschutes River recreation and habitat has been achieved enhancing its value to all elements and users. In-stream flow of the river through Bend is sufficient year-round to provide high quality fish habitat.
4 – Storm Water Treatment and Drainage. Bend has promoted and implemented storm water alternatives such as ‘eco-roofs’ and ‘bio-swales’, providing safe, effective diversion and containment of storm water run-off. Storm water diversion is an integral part of infrastructure planning for new developments.
5 –Irrigation Canals. A comprehensive long-term program developed by a City-led consortium of local, state, and federal organizations have succeeded in eliminating water loss from irrigation canals. The successful program has increased overall quantity of available water remaining in the river, enhancing fisheries and insuring public safety. The irrigation corridors provide linear parks through the community.
6 – Citywide Water Conservation. Bend has helped assure adequate water supplies by promoting aggressive citywide water conservation, including industrial, construction, commercial, residential and individual users. Public education has resulted in steep reductions in historically high summertime water use, significantly reducing the need for supplemental (well) water.
7 – Native Plants and Water-Conserving Landscaping. Native plant species and water- conserving landscaping have been widely adopted in public and private ornamental landscapes throughout the community. Serious efforts to remove, manage, and control noxious weeds have earned the City accolades.
LAND
8 – Protected Open Space, Parks and Natural Areas. Bend has planned for and protected parklands, greenbelts, urban forests, trails, urban wildlife corridors and habitat areas in and around the city through management standards and practices. Open space, parks and natural areas are an integral part of our community that shape future development and provide recreational opportunities essential to the health of community members.
9 – Protection of Natural Resources by Developers. Developers in Bend demonstrate high levels of respect and protection for the area's natural resources, stewarding them and protecting them – particularly trees. All heritage trees are protected and carefully integrated into new developments.
10 – Maintenance of the 'Urban Forest'. Bend places a high value on maintenance of its ‘urban forest’. A City tree ordinance has increased tree planting and preservation, improving community appearance, providing wildlife habitat, boosting property values and mitigating the ‘heat island’ effect caused by increased development. Bend is recognized as a Tree City USA.
11 – Interconnected Trail System. Bend has completed a citywide, fully interconnected ‘urban trails’ system that links walkers, runners and bicyclists to local parks and recreation facilities, open spaces, and other destinations through sidewalks, paths, water trails, and greenbelt corridors. This system provides public recreational access throughout the city while protecting the environment. Bend has regionally coordinated trail systems that connect cities and provide access to adjoining city, state and federal lands.
RESOURCE CONSERVATION
12 – Energy Conservation and Alternative Energy Sources. Bend has widely adopted and installed solar and other alternative energy sources for residential, commercial and industrial energy generation. The City of Bend has adopted renewable energy standards for municipal services including fleet vehicles, building design, procurement policies, operations and maintenance.
13 –City-Wide Waste Prevention and Recycling. Increased efficiency and reduced waste is the cornerstone of Bend’s sustainable community. Bend's commercial, residential and construction recycling levels are among the highest in the nation. Bend has substantially increased recycling through education, incentives and City ordinances, and has implemented aggressive waste prevention practices and programs for businesses and households. Construction waste and yard debris, once major waste disposal elements in the growing city’s waste stream are managed, as a renewable resource.
SUSTAINABILITY
14 – Sustainable Bend. Bend has established itself as a model of sustainability, embedding this concept throughout the community’s environmental, economic, social well-being, growth management and development process. Public-private partnerships work with the sustainability vision, key plans and policies, and recommendations of previous studies to protect the community’s environment while assuring its prosperity and cultural history. A ‘Sustainable Bend’ program incorporates ‘green’ building codes, design guidelines, energy and resource conservation and other measures.
15 – Incentive-Based Sustainability. The City’s planning and growth management policies, procedures, directives, mandates, and tools include incentives for developers to incorporate Sustainable Bend principles into all new developments.
16 – ‘Green’ Building Standards and Practices. The public and private sectors have invested substantially in ‘green’ building technologies, significantly decreasing Bend's overall resource consumption, use of toxic materials, and energy consumption over the years. The City of Bend has embedded and institutionalized green building standards into City building codes and ordinances.
17 – Environmental Education. Education to promote a quality environment in Bend is widely available and accessible throughout the community, in schools and institutions of higher education, through parks and recreation programs, and lifelong learning and the arts. Bend has established a sustainable environment research center to study and promote environmental sustainability.
