03/11/05 Oregon dude ranches

Oregon Dude Ranches Have you ever thought about using your ranch as a part-time dude ranch? Some Oregon ranchers have and would like to see this venture continue. I'm Jeff Keane and I'll be right back with some details. John Gill, president of American Dude Ranchers Association and owner of Rock Springs Guest Ranch near Bend, Oregon would like to see the passage of Oregon Senate Bill 538. This bill would repeal the sunset clause on the establishment of dude ranches that would expire at the end of 2005. S.B. 538 also has language to allow dude ranches to operate within a 10-mile radius of an urban growth boundary containing 50,000 or more people and rules on square footage, design, and operation of guest quarters and food service facilities. Mr. Gill just testified in favor of the bill at the Senate Environment and Land Use Committee. Sponsors of the bill, Senator Ben Westlund, R-Tumalo and Representative Gene Whisnant, R-Sunriver, say this is an innovative way to keep rural Oregon working by mixing tourism with agriculture. Gary Blake, co-owner of a ranch near Bend, echoes John Gill's assessment that guest ranching can be an education for the guest and an educational tool for ranchers to show urbanites that beef comes from land managed by responsible producers and not just from a plastic wrapped supermarket container. I know some guest cattle drives and guest ranches work in Washington state, seems like a lot of people like to experience Billy Crystal's "City Slickers" adventure. I'm Jeff Keane. Capital Press 2/25/05