One of the common desires mentioned by residents through more than 20 years of community planning has been to retain and conserve the natural character of Bend as the community grows and changes. Although it is difficult to precisely define what “the natural character” means to people, it can be considered a composite of features typical to Bend: ancient volcanic rock outcroppings, large ponderosa pines and junipers, the Deschutes River, improved public and private open space, and a relative abundance of wildlife and waterfowl.

“Areas of Special Interest” are designated on the Land Use Map because they have features typical of Central Oregon, or represent important wildlife areas. The most significant are the River Corridor Areas of Special Interest along the Deschutes River, which includes the river canyons and rimrocks in the north and south portions of the urban area. At the south edge of the urban area the River Corridor Area of Special Interest includes wildlife habitat areas along the river canyon and a cinder cone. The smaller, scattered Areas of Special Interest on the Plan Map are the more prominent rock outcrops and rock ridges in the urban area. They are not specifically inventoried with respect to size, quality, or importance. These high points break the line of sight so that the area retains a feeling of undeveloped open space. Because these Areas of Special Interest are small and the scale of the Plan Map is large, the indication on the Map represents the approximate location of the area. More detailed contour maps have been developed and the sites inventoried to determine the specific boundaries of the Areas of Special Interest.

Keeping these features relatively intact will help retain the natural character of Central Oregon as the community grows. The Areas of Special Interest and other natural areas can be retained as either public or private open space. Some sites within the urban area are already protected because they are owned and managed by public agencies.

The city has changed its codes to provide incentives or encourage developers to preserve natural features. Such code changes shall include, but are not limited to, the following:

Local governments and special districts can also preserve or conserve natural areas through several non-regulatory measures. They can:

Natural areas can also be retained in private ownership in a variety of ways without adversely affecting the density or development potential of a site. The city and county encourage the private sector to preserve natural areas within subdivisions and other developments. Many local developers have accommodated the goal of conserving natural features by incorporating rock outcroppings, mature trees and native vegetation and related features into their projects by: