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News Release
Road Name: Old Mill Road
Location: Office Covered Bridge
Dates and Times: Saturday, April 4, 2026, 8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Alternate Routes: None
Reason for Closure: The Office Covered Bridge will be closed to vehicles for the annual City of Westfir Easter Egg Hunt
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Road Name: Old Mill Road
Location: Office Covered Bridge
Dates and Times: Saturday, April 4, 2026, 8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Alternate Routes: None
Reason for Closure: The Office Covered Bridge will be closed to vehicles for the annual City of Westfir Easter Egg Hunt
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Howard Buford Recreation Area (Mt. Pisgah) welcomes more than 600,000 visitors each year and is home to a wide variety of wildlife. The safety of park visitors and wildlife is a top priority for Lane County Parks.
Over the past two months, the frequency of coyote sightings in the park has increased dramatically with more than 30 sightings reported in January alone. The nature of the sightings has also changed. Coyotes are reported to follow people and dogs, to not show fear when people attempt to chase them off, and to approach people and vehicles in a way that suggests begging for food.
Lane County Parks compared coyote sighting locations over the past 10 years with the reports made in early 2026 and found a clear change in the areas coyotes are observed. Between 2015 and 2025 coyote sightings were spread throughout the park with most occurring away from parking lots and the busiest areas. In 2026 the sightings have been almost exclusively around parking lots and the areas most frequented by people.
Multiple consultations with wildlife biologists from the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW) have helped assess coyote behavior and safety risks. Coyote scat examined by wildlife biologists appeared to include pet food. This observation supported claims from park visitors that people were feeding the coyotes, which is against the law, and creates a safety risk for people and animals. Coyotes have also been observed taking food that is not properly disposed of in garbage cans, which reinforces their association of people with food.
“The removal of one and possibly more coyotes from the park was a difficult and heart-breaking decision to make,” said Parks Manager Brett Henry. “But we have to consider the safety of park visitors and, unfortunately, the choice some visitors have made to feed these wild animals and encourage them to see people as a source of food created a dangerous and untenable situation.”
The frequency and nature of the coyote sightings, observed coyote behavior, and the likelihood of increasingly aggressive encounters prompted Lane County Parks – in consultation with ODFW – to coordinate with wildlife management professionals to euthanize habituated coyotes found to frequent the park’s parking lots and trailheads. One coyote has been euthanized and Lane County Parks is working closely with ODFW to evaluate continued habituated behavior in other coyotes. Euthanization of more coyotes is possible if the animals continue to approach people and a risk of injury to park visitors persists.
Non-lethal options were considered; however, habituated coyotes do not respond to hazing. Instead, they may learn to ignore hazing or return to their concerning behavior once the active hazing stops. Guidance from ODFW prohibits the relocation of coyotes in Oregon and makes it clear relocation of coyotes does not have good outcomes and is generally considered inhumane. Coyotes are territorial and when a coyote is relocated, it is often killed by the existing coyotes in an area. Relocated animals are also more likely to die of diseases, starvation, or be struck by a vehicle in the place they are released.
Feeding coyotes and some other wildlife is prohibited by state law. Park visitors are encouraged to document and report anyone spotted feeding wildlife, leaving food for wildlife, or encouraging wildlife to approach people or pets to Lane County Parks at 541-682-2000 or to Oregon State Police.
Learn more about living with coyotes from ODFW.
A security camera video is available for use as b-roll. The video was pulled from a security camera after visitors reported seeing a person feeding a coyote on the main road of the park. The feeding took place off camera, but the video shows the coyote remaining alongside the road and approaching a vehicle and the vehicle stopping to encourage the coyote to approach. There is no indication the people in this video were the same people seen feeding the coyote. The video can be downloaded at https://vimeo.com/1174813270/7ae9be4a31?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci.
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Howard Buford Recreation Area (Mt. Pisgah) welcomes more than 600,000 visitors each year and is home to a wide variety of wildlife. The safety of park visitors and wildlife is a top priority for Lane County Parks.
Over the past two months, the frequency of coyote sightings in the park has increased dramatically with more than 30 sightings reported in January alone. The nature of the sightings has also changed. Coyotes are reported to follow people and dogs, to not show fear when people attempt to chase them off, and to approach people and vehicles in a way that suggests begging for food.
Lane County Parks compared coyote sighting locations over the past 10 years with the reports made in early 2026 and found a clear change in the areas coyotes are observed. Between 2015 and 2025 coyote sightings were spread throughout the park with most occurring away from parking lots and the busiest areas. In 2026 the sightings have been almost exclusively around parking lots and the areas most frequented by people.
Multiple consultations with wildlife biologists from the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW) have helped assess coyote behavior and safety risks. Coyote scat examined by wildlife biologists appeared to include pet food. This observation supported claims from park visitors that people were feeding the coyotes, which is against the law, and creates a safety risk for people and animals. Coyotes have also been observed taking food that is not properly disposed of in garbage cans, which reinforces their association of people with food.
“The removal of one and possibly more coyotes from the park was a difficult and heart-breaking decision to make,” said Parks Manager Brett Henry. “But we have to consider the safety of park visitors and, unfortunately, the choice some visitors have made to feed these wild animals and encourage them to see people as a source of food created a dangerous and untenable situation.”
The frequency and nature of the coyote sightings, observed coyote behavior, and the likelihood of increasingly aggressive encounters prompted Lane County Parks – in consultation with ODFW – to coordinate with wildlife management professionals to euthanize habituated coyotes found to frequent the park’s parking lots and trailheads. One coyote has been euthanized and Lane County Parks is working closely with ODFW to evaluate continued habituated behavior in other coyotes. Euthanization of more coyotes is possible if the animals continue to approach people and a risk of injury to park visitors persists.
Non-lethal options were considered; however, habituated coyotes do not respond to hazing. Instead, they may learn to ignore hazing or return to their concerning behavior once the active hazing stops. Guidance from ODFW prohibits the relocation of coyotes in Oregon and makes it clear relocation of coyotes does not have good outcomes and is generally considered inhumane. Coyotes are territorial and when a coyote is relocated, it is often killed by the existing coyotes in an area. Relocated animals are also more likely to die of diseases, starvation, or be struck by a vehicle in the place they are released.
Feeding coyotes and some other wildlife is prohibited by state law. Park visitors are encouraged to document and report anyone spotted feeding wildlife, leaving food for wildlife, or encouraging wildlife to approach people or pets to Lane County Parks at 541-682-2000 or to Oregon State Police.
Learn more about living with coyotes from ODFW.
A security camera video is available for use as b-roll. The video was pulled from a security camera after visitors reported seeing a person feeding a coyote on the main road of the park. The feeding took place off camera, but the video shows the coyote remaining alongside the road and approaching a vehicle and the vehicle stopping to encourage the coyote to approach. There is no indication the people in this video were the same people seen feeding the coyote. The video can be downloaded at https://vimeo.com/1174813270/7ae9be4a31?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci.
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PORTLAND, Ore. and EUGENE, Ore. – The Oregon State Legislature passed a new recycling law to help protect people and the environment from the impacts of batteries. House Bill 4144 joins several existing extended producer responsibility laws in Oregon, which require companies to implement recycling or safe disposal solutions for the products they make and sell.
After the new law takes effect, battery manufacturers will be responsible for funding and managing a statewide battery recycling program that will launch in 2029. The program must include battery recycling drop-off locations that are accessible to people across Oregon.
The law will also prohibit batteries from being discarded in the trash. This is an important element of the law that aims to prevent fires from breaking out in garbage trucks and at waste facilities. Certain types of batteries cause frequent fires, which puts garbage and recycling workers in danger and results in costly damage.
“Metro is proud to have helped lead an effort that resulted in such an unprecedented level of cooperation across local governments, waste companies and environmental organizations,” said Metro Councilor Duncan Hwang. “Battery-related fires are not endemic to a single community, city or region. And they don’t discriminate between the public and private sector. They put all of us in very real danger and threaten irreparable damage to the environment, which is what brought so many different groups together to address this critical issue on a statewide level.”
Metro and Lane County regularly contend with battery-related fires at waste facilities. In 2025 alone, Metro’s two transfer stations experienced a combined total of 61 fires, 58 of which were caused by batteries that had been mixed in with loads of garbage. Lane County saw 56 battery-related fires at Short Mountain Landfill that same year.
In response to the steady occurrence of battery-related fires, Metro and Lane County worked together to advocate for the statewide battery recycling law. The two local governments co-led the effort to develop the legislation with the strong support of Oregon State Representative Emerson Levy (HD–53) and in close partnership with the Association of Oregon Recyclers and Oregon Refuse & Recycling Association. Several environmental organizations and other local governments also voiced support.
“It has been refreshing to work with so many partners who hold the same values around safety and responsibility when it comes to battery disposal,” said Lane County Waste Reduction Manager Angie Marzano. “This legislation is poised to create a system that safeguards people who work in the solid waste industry, customers, and the environment from the dangers posed by improper battery disposal.”
While the new statewide battery recycling program will not take effect until 2029, people across Oregon can take steps now to make sure that batteries are discarded safely:
For people living in greater Portland:
For people living in Lane County:
About Metro
Metro serves more than 1.7 million people in the greater Portland area. In addition to managing the Oregon Convention Center, Portland’5 Centers for the Arts, Portland Expo Center and Oregon Zoo, Metro also manages the region’s garbage and recycling system, protects clean water and air at more than 19,000 acres of parks and natural areas, oversees long-range planning across 24 cities and 3 counties, and is supporting construction of more than 5,300 affordable homes region-wide with more on the way.
About Waste Wise Lane County
Waste Wise Lane County—a part of the Lane County Government’s Waste Management Division—empowers residents, schools, and businesses with education, tools, and resources that can be used to reduce waste, conserve resources, and live more sustainably. For more information, visit lanecountyor.gov/wastewise.
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PORTLAND, Ore. and EUGENE, Ore. – The Oregon State Legislature passed a new recycling law to help protect people and the environment from the impacts of batteries. House Bill 4144 joins several existing extended producer responsibility laws in Oregon, which require companies to implement recycling or safe disposal solutions for the products they make and sell.
After the new law takes effect, battery manufacturers will be responsible for funding and managing a statewide battery recycling program that will launch in 2029. The program must include battery recycling drop-off locations that are accessible to people across Oregon.
The law will also prohibit batteries from being discarded in the trash. This is an important element of the law that aims to prevent fires from breaking out in garbage trucks and at waste facilities. Certain types of batteries cause frequent fires, which puts garbage and recycling workers in danger and results in costly damage.
“Metro is proud to have helped lead an effort that resulted in such an unprecedented level of cooperation across local governments, waste companies and environmental organizations,” said Metro Councilor Duncan Hwang. “Battery-related fires are not endemic to a single community, city or region. And they don’t discriminate between the public and private sector. They put all of us in very real danger and threaten irreparable damage to the environment, which is what brought so many different groups together to address this critical issue on a statewide level.”
Metro and Lane County regularly contend with battery-related fires at waste facilities. In 2025 alone, Metro’s two transfer stations experienced a combined total of 61 fires, 58 of which were caused by batteries that had been mixed in with loads of garbage. Lane County saw 56 battery-related fires at Short Mountain Landfill that same year.
In response to the steady occurrence of battery-related fires, Metro and Lane County worked together to advocate for the statewide battery recycling law. The two local governments co-led the effort to develop the legislation with the strong support of Oregon State Representative Emerson Levy (HD–53) and in close partnership with the Association of Oregon Recyclers and Oregon Refuse & Recycling Association. Several environmental organizations and other local governments also voiced support.
“It has been refreshing to work with so many partners who hold the same values around safety and responsibility when it comes to battery disposal,” said Lane County Waste Reduction Manager Angie Marzano. “This legislation is poised to create a system that safeguards people who work in the solid waste industry, customers, and the environment from the dangers posed by improper battery disposal.”
While the new statewide battery recycling program will not take effect until 2029, people across Oregon can take steps now to make sure that batteries are discarded safely:
For people living in greater Portland:
For people living in Lane County:
About Metro
Metro serves more than 1.7 million people in the greater Portland area. In addition to managing the Oregon Convention Center, Portland’5 Centers for the Arts, Portland Expo Center and Oregon Zoo, Metro also manages the region’s garbage and recycling system, protects clean water and air at more than 19,000 acres of parks and natural areas, oversees long-range planning across 24 cities and 3 counties, and is supporting construction of more than 5,300 affordable homes region-wide with more on the way.
About Waste Wise Lane County
Waste Wise Lane County—a part of the Lane County Government’s Waste Management Division—empowers residents, schools, and businesses with education, tools, and resources that can be used to reduce waste, conserve resources, and live more sustainably. For more information, visit lanecountyor.gov/wastewise.
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Due to continued and worsening budget constraints, Lane County Behavioral Health (LCBH) will assume youth mobile crisis and stabilization services previously provided by Riverview Center for Growth effective April 30. By absorbing these services into the already existing Mobile Crisis Services of Lane County program, LCBH can insure Lane County youth and families will continue to have access to life-saving crisis and stabilization services 7 days a week.
“We thank Riverview for their invaluable service to the youth and families of Lane County,” said Lane County Health & Human Services Director, Eve Gray. “We make this move due to the dwindling availability of adequate funding and while it is born out of necessity, we are confident the specific expertise in youth crisis services our LCBH providers and responders have will allow for uninterrupted service to our community.”
LCBH has been providing mental health services to children and adolescents for over 50 years with a full staff of providers who specialize in this age group. The Child & Adolescent program at LCBH is one of 4 core programs and is comprised of 14 staff and serves roughly 400 clients. Additionally, thanks to the advent of LCBH’s Mobile Crisis Services of Lane County, the primary provider of mobile adult crisis services in Lane County outside of Western Lane, LCBH has responders specifically trained to serve youth through mobile crisis response.
The current youth volume averages to about 6-8 calls per day and 3 in-person calls for crisis response. Lane County and Riverview are currently engaged in a transition plan which will see LCBH having 7 days a week coverage from 6 am to 11 pm by the beginning of April. Responders for the overnight shift have already been hired and once two additional positions are secured, the program will be able to operate 24/7.
Once the current contract expires with Riverview, they will continue to provide mental health services outside of mobile crisis services.
“We are deeply proud of the life-saving work our crisis team has provided to youth and families in Lane County for more than 20 years,” said Meghan Melton, Executive Director at Riverview Center for Growth. “While this transition marks the end of our Youth Mobile Crisis contract, Riverview remains fully operational and committed to serving our community through our broader continuum of programs and services.”
LCBH is a division of Lane County Health & Human services and encompasses a broad array of services and programs, including: Lane County Behavioral Health Clinic, Lane County Treatment Services, and LaneCare. LCBH provides outpatient behavioral health services including therapy, case management, medication management, and peer support to adults, children, and families residing in Lane County.
Due to continued and worsening budget constraints, Lane County Behavioral Health (LCBH) will assume youth mobile crisis and stabilization services previously provided by Riverview Center for Growth effective April 30. By absorbing these services into the already existing Mobile Crisis Services of Lane County program, LCBH can insure Lane County youth and families will continue to have access to life-saving crisis and stabilization services 7 days a week.
“We thank Riverview for their invaluable service to the youth and families of Lane County,” said Lane County Health & Human Services Director, Eve Gray. “We make this move due to the dwindling availability of adequate funding and while it is born out of necessity, we are confident the specific expertise in youth crisis services our LCBH providers and responders have will allow for uninterrupted service to our community.”
LCBH has been providing mental health services to children and adolescents for over 50 years with a full staff of providers who specialize in this age group. The Child & Adolescent program at LCBH is one of 4 core programs and is comprised of 14 staff and serves roughly 400 clients. Additionally, thanks to the advent of LCBH’s Mobile Crisis Services of Lane County, the primary provider of mobile adult crisis services in Lane County outside of Western Lane, LCBH has responders specifically trained to serve youth through mobile crisis response.
The current youth volume averages to about 6-8 calls per day and 3 in-person calls for crisis response. Lane County and Riverview are currently engaged in a transition plan which will see LCBH having 7 days a week coverage from 6 am to 11 pm by the beginning of April. Responders for the overnight shift have already been hired and once two additional positions are secured, the program will be able to operate 24/7.
Once the current contract expires with Riverview, they will continue to provide mental health services outside of mobile crisis services.
“We are deeply proud of the life-saving work our crisis team has provided to youth and families in Lane County for more than 20 years,” said Meghan Melton, Executive Director at Riverview Center for Growth. “While this transition marks the end of our Youth Mobile Crisis contract, Riverview remains fully operational and committed to serving our community through our broader continuum of programs and services.”
LCBH is a division of Lane County Health & Human services and encompasses a broad array of services and programs, including: Lane County Behavioral Health Clinic, Lane County Treatment Services, and LaneCare. LCBH provides outpatient behavioral health services including therapy, case management, medication management, and peer support to adults, children, and families residing in Lane County.
The dog park at Armitage Park will temporarily close beginning the week of March 9 for construction related to improvements funded by the 2022 Lane County Parks Levy.
The project will improve safety and accessibility at the park, including construction of a separate RV entrance so large vehicles no longer pass through the dog park area. Additional upgrades include two covered pavilions, ADA-accessible pathways, lighting, parking lot paving, and improved vehicle circulation.
Construction is expected to last approximately two months, with the dog park anticipated to reopen by the end of May. Updates will be posted on the Lane County Parks Levy Projects page.
During the closure, nearby dog parks include:
Lane County Parks appreciates the community’s patience during construction and looks forward to reopening an improved dog park later this spring.
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The dog park at Armitage Park will temporarily close beginning the week of March 9 for construction related to improvements funded by the 2022 Lane County Parks Levy.
The project will improve safety and accessibility at the park, including construction of a separate RV entrance so large vehicles no longer pass through the dog park area. Additional upgrades include two covered pavilions, ADA-accessible pathways, lighting, parking lot paving, and improved vehicle circulation.
Construction is expected to last approximately two months, with the dog park anticipated to reopen by the end of May. Updates will be posted on the Lane County Parks Levy Projects page.
During the closure, nearby dog parks include:
Lane County Parks appreciates the community’s patience during construction and looks forward to reopening an improved dog park later this spring.
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