Fifteen miles east of Bend, Oregon, lies an area of rugged beauty, its harsh desert terrain filled with natural rock formations, Native American pictographs from a bygone age, lava flows, desert flowers, and hardy juniper trees twisted by the winds that sweep across the land.
Volunteers have worked to protect this wilderness for more than a decade, but one voice has consistently stood out in the battle for the Oregon Badlands. Teague Hatfield has lived in Central Oregon for the last decade with his family, and in that time has witnessed first-hand the crucial intersection between access to public lands and the local economy. From casual appreciation as a student, to an active participant in the effort to permanently protect some of this special place as wilderness Teague’s dedication to preserving the wild areas around his home is constantly growing.
Teague came to the wilderness movement as both a lover of nature and as a small business owner. As a child, his family “skied and did the occasional camping trip, but that was about it,” he acknowledges. Much of his family’s interest in land had to do with their ancestral farm in Kansas; many members of his family worked in agriculture in the state, but were not involved beyond occasional recreation. Teague’s interest in the outdoors began when he was a college student in Bellingham, Washington, nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Cascade Mountains. It’s continued ever since. In 1995, he moved his family from Seattle to Bend, in Central Oregon, an area to which he was drawn both as a place of business and for the beauty of the area. “Oregon is such a natural wonder,” he says. “We always marvel that you can head in any direction and find a spectacle. I love the Cascades, love the Rogue, Umpqua, and McKenzie Rivers, the coast and obviously all the unexpected diversity out East. It’s just never ending.” What really sets Central Oregon apart to Teague “is the open space and opportunities for solitude and recreation that are so close at hand in all directions.”
There is more to the Oregon Badlands than natural beauty, however. Teague believes that the natural resources of Central Oregon are critical to its economic survival. As the owner of a FootZone running store that has grown to employ a dozen people in the last ten years, he is witness to how much the livelihoods of Central Oregon’s citizens depend upon the continued protection of local wilderness. The Oregon National Desert Association (ONDA) – the conservation group leading the charge to protect the Oregon Badlands -- sponsors running events at Teague’s store in Bend, and it was through ONDA that he became more that just a casual wilderness buff.
Teague on Mount Hood
In 2007, Teague was invited to be part of a steering committee for a report on economic impacts of the proposed Oregon Badlands Wilderness, developed on behalf of the Oregon National Desert Association. “The Potential Economic Impacts of Badlands Wilderness in Central Oregon,” brought Teague in from the periphery of the wilderness movement, and made him a central figure in the discussion of wilderness and the local economy. As he said, “This report made tangible what I’ve long observed living and doing business in Bend.” Release of the report helped generate interest and awareness about the need to protect the Badlands.
"As a local business owner, Teague knows firsthand how beneficial wilderness can be for the economy,” says Gena Goodman-Campbell, Wilderness Coordinator for ONDA. “But what makes Teague a great advocate for the Badlands is that he is never afraid to stand up for Wilderness for Wilderness' sake."
In recent years, Teague has become one of the most eloquent and outspoken advocates on behalf of the Oregon Badlands. After his committee’s report, he was invited to submit testimony to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests about the environmental and economic importance of the Oregon Badlands. "I have great respect for the landscape and the active lifestyle that it supports," he wrote. "My business relies on the continued economic viability of Central Oregon and I’m convinced that the lifestyle and economic components are interdependent."
A trip to Washington, DC in the fall of 2008 allowed him to meet others as passionate about wilderness as he is, giving him “additional respect for the efforts of so many advocates.” Teague still seems disbelieving that he has become a spokesperson for the importance of this wilderness bill. “I often marvel,” he says, “that anyone might think my ability to run a small shop qualifies me for anything. That said, I love the opportunity to voice my opinion that we should protect those places that give a sense of peace and solitude.”
Teague and his young family continue to live in Bend, and Teague continues to be an active voice locally. "Teague is one of those volunteers that just gets it," adds Gena Goodman-Campbell. "When he talks to decision makers about the Badlands he is both articulate and genuine, always coming back to the importance of Badlands Wilderness to local businesses and the health of our community."
His young children are ardent fans of the public lands their father is helping to protect, and in turn he says, “I’ve actually found that the kids encourage me to check out new places since the trips I can do with them are often different from what I might do otherwise.”
The work that he has undertaken will be ongoing for many years, but Teague knows how critical the efforts of advocates like him are to victory in the fight for federally protected wilderness, and how critical wilderness is to the local area. “Protecting this land will only help our community now and in the future.” As Linda Swearingen, former Deschutes County commissioner remarks, “the way Bend is growing, it’s important that we protect the Badlands while we still can.”
Thanks to the good work of Teague Hatfield, we are well on our way to ensuring that this area of great natural beauty will be available to future generations.
