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 The dream of a whitewater play park and paddle trail has been alive in the minds of paddlers of Central Oregon for years. Ideas of what could be created for the community’s benefit have been exchanged among boaters and with community leaders alike. The Deschutes River has always been the heart of Bend and continues to be the focal point for recreation, cultural events and family life today. Its use has been enhanced by the development of the Deschutes River Trail by Bend Metro Park & Recreation which provides pedestrians nearly uninterrupted access for recreation along the river. As the Trail System is being expanded to encompass nineteen miles of trails through Bend, new ideas and possibilities for the roads, bridges, and river itself have surfaced. With these new discussions in 2004, boaters from the local paddling club, Paddlers of Central Oregon (POCO), decided that the time was right to form a sister organization that would be devoted to developing a paddle trail and whitewater play park on the Deschutes River.
That organization, Bend Paddle Trail Alliance (BPTA), was incorporated as a non profit organization in 2005 with the mission of promoting a paddle trail and whitewater play park in Bend. The BPTA is comprised of a Board of Directors which oversees the direction, decision making and activities of the organization.
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