From the moment he arrived in Oregon, Elliott Dubreuil felt drawn to its dry side.
The Louisiana native moved to Bend in 1993. He picked the small town to avoid the rain and still fulfill a job requirement to live in the Pacific Northwest. And the more the outdoor gear sales rep drove Eastern Oregon’s roads, the more he knew he wanted explore beyond them.
“He enjoyed exploring the places other people don’t go,” says a longtime friend. “He found peace and sanctuary from the intensity of the world.”
In late 2015, the longtime Bend resident passed away at 61. But his legacy of love for Oregon’s high desert continues.
Elliott had set aside a fund that he wanted to go toward “boots on the ground” conservation work. Today, his generous planned gift is doing just that, helping support ONDA’s new Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat Monitoring Project, which launched this spring.
The project is a multiyear effort to assess and observe over time the health of public lands that are critical to the survival of one of the West’s most iconic birds. The federal plan designed to keep the sage-grouse off the Endangered Species List includes standards for habitat health and requirements to change tactics if the land doesn’t meet them. By assessing in key locations what’s presently on the ground, as well as changes over time, ONDA can offer important data for the ongoing effort to save the sage-grouse.
The work would have been right up Elliott’s alley. He had been an avid outdoorsman since his Eagle Scout days, going on to rock climb, paddle, bike, ski and hunt across the West.
He also had a keen interest in the natural world. Even before graduating from high school, Elliott became a self-taught expert on raptors and rehabilitated a few hawks in the family backyard.
The self-described “fun hog” left home to pursue a secondary education degree at the University of Montana. After graduating, he landed his dream job: a Pacific Northwest sales rep for brands like Teva and Ugg. He was so good at it that he semi-retired at 47, acting as a consultant for startup outdoor clothing businesses.
He spent plenty of time in the years since traveling the world and learning new skills. He became a bareboat captain and a Scuba instructor. But eastern Oregon remained one his favorite places, where he would hunt for chukar, camp and hike, often with friends.
During those outings, Elliott particularly enjoyed sharing knowledge, whether about raptors spotted soaring above Steens Mountain or about leave no trace ethics.
The reason, friends say, is he felt connected to conservation and wanted the natural world preserved.
With Elliott’s generous contribution, his connection to conservation continues.
Your Legacy in Oregon’s High Desert
Inspired by Elliot’s generosity? With thoughtful planning, you too can create an enduring legacy.
Planned giving is accessible to most people, even those of modest means. It is any significant gift, made in lifetime or at death, as part of your overall financial planning. You may use cash, appreciated stock, real estate, personal property, life insurance or a retirement plan to make your gift. By taking advantage of tax incentives, you can craft a gift that delivers benefits to Oregon’s desert and to you.
Talk to your financial planner or visit ONDA.org/legacy to get started on your planned gift today.