The Buzz: Wild about "Wild" filmed near Bend

            Central Oregon and other areas of the state are in for a new wave of attention thanks to the pre-holiday  release in theaters of the new film, Wild.

            Early positive reviews praise the performance of Reese Witherspoon, who stepped in with her indepedent production company and bought the rights to the book by Portland author Cheryl Strayed.

            The story is based on Strayed’s account of her 1,100 mile trek on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) with her life at a low point after a trail of bad decisions, divorce and the death of her mother.

"Wild" as featured on opening page of PCT web site

            Among the publicity for the movie  is a Dec. 5  New York Times feature by Bend resident Tim Neville who visited some of the Oregon locations for the filming.  He points out that all but seven of the locations were filmed in Oregon and only two of those on the PCT.

            The locations are stand-ins, so to speak, for actual sites along Strayed’s PCT adventure.

            One of the most recognizable locations is Smith Rock State Park, which was used as a backdrop still photo of Witherspoon in the movie’s promotion trailer. The crew set up at  the Ranch at the Canyons gated residential estate working ranch in Terrebonne for that filming.

"The Postman" star Kevin Costner at Smith Rock

The PCT trail overview

           The imposing scenery around Smith Rock has also been in other movies including Swordfish, The Postman and Even Cowgirls Get the Blues.

            Other Bend-area locations for Wild  include Paulina Lake Lodge, the Alfalfa Store, and Oregon Badlands Wilderness.  Scenes also were filmed around Crater Lake, Ashland, the Timberline Ski Bowl area and Portland.

            The film is expected to substantially increase hiking and visits to points along the 2,650 mile PCT that begins at the Mexican border and ends in Canada.

BRIEFS: Population growth...brighter economy...green light for Bend water project

         

Deschutes again leads state in population growth rate

            More people are arriving in Central Oregon along with a better economy, and Deschutes County now leads the state in the percentage growth of  incoming residents.

That is a snapshot revealed in new population figures for Bend and Deschutes County and a report on the improving business climate.

            In its latest report, Portland State University’s population research center  estimates that the county’s population increased 4.2% in the 12 months before July 1, 2014  measured by the center.

            That translated to 3,875 new residents and a total of more than 166,000 in the county. State population grew by only 1.1% over the period according to the research center, or to about 3.4 million.

            Deschutes County was well ahead of the second highest growth county, Hood River County, which grew by 1.9%, but with only a total population of 23,730.

            Bend, as the county’s largest city, joined Salem, Beaverton, Eugene and Corvallis with growth of more than 1,000 residents in the July to July period. Portland grew by 9,390 residents.

A bright economic outlook

            On the economic side, an economic report from the University of Oregon sponsored by the Bend Bulletin, indicates a continuing increase in the Central Oregon Business Index in the third quarter of 2014 compared to the comparable quarter of 2013

            The Bulletin reported that the index, using a baseline of 100 in 1998, grew 4.3% to 124.3.

            Economist Tim Duy who directed the research attributed the growth in part to housing, but added that the increase did not signify a real estate “bubble” similar to the one that popped during the recession.

            The Bulletin reported that Duy’s research shows tourism continues to be a mainstay of the regional economy. Supporting that conclusion, lodging room taxes jumped from $1.7 million in the third quarter of 2013 to $2.2 million in 2014.

Another bright spot was employment growth of 5% year-to-year, which

brought total jobs to within approximately 3,000 of the peak 2007-2009 period.

           

A green light for Bend water project

            A decision by U. S. District Judge Ann Aiken has cleared the way for the City of Bend to proceed with construction of the much-delayed Bridge Creek water project that will include replacement of an existing pipeline along Skyliners Road.

            Aiken ruled that the Forest Service, which had issued a special use permit for construction across federal land, was not required to assess potential impacts for future withdrawals from Tumalo Creek that exceed 18.2 cfs, the current limit.

            The estimated $24 million pipline is part of a larger project that will include a new water filtration treatment system. The city has already received extensions from the federal Environmental Protection Agency which has determined the city’s current system needs to be upgraded to prevent potential contamination from cryptosporidium and other bacteria.

            Opponents including Central Oregon Land Watch have argued the environmental review did not adequately consider the effects of withdrawals on fish and future climate change. Other objections maintained that the city should rely more on less-costly groundwater withdrawals from additional wells instead of diverting surface water directly from the Bridge Creek-Tumalo Creek basin.

            Initial estimates for the entire project, including the pipeline, have approached $60 million with legal costs added to that.