Wheeler County Riparian Buffers; 2003-2004 Annual Report.

Technical Report · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2006

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/897182· OSTI ID:897182

Homer, Will ^[1]

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1. Wheeler County Soil and Water Conservation District, John Day, OR

Number of Contacts Made--I have contacted 35 landowners in Wheeler County. Of the 35 contacts 12 have resulted in meeting on their property to discuss available options. Included an article in the Annual Report and Wheeler SWCD newsletter mailed to 550 landowners. Contacts are primarily through networking with others here in the office as well as working closely with the NRCS office. Number of Contracts Negotiated--This Project has produced five riparian buffers within the past contract year. Each has greater meaning to the landowner than simply a buffer. In most cases the buffer is providing the landowner with improved grazing management and/or more reliable water source for livestock. Landowners also feel the enhanced wildlife habitat is a bonus to the program. Other Accomplishments--I took part in the John Day Subbasin Planning process and was able to offer assistance into the inventory items related to Wheeler County. I was often the only local representative able to attend the meetings. I assisted the Wheeler SWCD in writing a successful OWEB grant to remove 110 acres of junipers for watershed restoration, range rehabilitation, and economic development. One partner in the project is a manufacturer that uses juniper as their primary construction material. The goal is to create a pilot project that may grow into a self sustaining industry within the county. I also assisted in writing a small grant to improve water usage in the Muddy Creek watershed. I assisted with the Pine Creek Conservation Area ''Twilight Tour'' as well as the Wheeler SWCD ''Annual Meeting and Dinner''. Both events were successful in getting information out about our riparian buffer program. Facilitate office training and utilization of advanced GIS technology and mapping. Problems Encountered During Contract Year--The NRCS Cultural Resources Review process has ground to a halt. It is takes 6 months to get initial results from the Portland offices. Nearly all requests require site surveys that delay the process even further. The Farm Services Agency is not user friendly when it comes to the CREP program. The program has not been designed to fit everyone along a steelhead stream. Crop/Field designations often negate or complicate CREP eligibility along qualifying streams. I spend a great deal of time mediating between FSA and the landowner. I have lost one interested landowner specifically to the fears related to the Oregon Department of State Lands ''Navigability'' study. Outlook for Contract Year 3--I am currently working on a project area that will encompass nearly six miles of steelhead habitat. It is located in the critical Bridge Creek watershed. Another is nearly three miles in the Mountain Creek Watershed. Both projects will take great steps in improving fish habitat. Both are on Steelhead streams. Further out I am working with two landowners for projects in the Butte Creek watershed that will be highly visible and will likely gain the attention of many more landowners. Like all previous projects, there is a great deal of work in future projects in massaging the landowner into feeling comfortable with the riparian buffer program. The potential to do great things with this program is huge in Wheeler County. Continuing outreach and education efforts will help the process.

• Research Organization: Wheeler County Soil and Water Conservation District
• Sponsoring Organization: United States. Bonneville Power Administration. Division of Fish and Wildlife
• DOE Contract Number: 00009478
• OSTI ID: 897182
• Report Number(s): DOE/BP-00009478-2; R&D Project: 200203400; TRN: US200704%%602
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

13 HYDRO ENERGY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BUFFERS
CEDARS
CULTURAL RESOURCES
DOMESTIC ANIMALS
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
FSC APPROXIMATION
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS
HABITAT
MANAGEMENT
MANUFACTURERS
PLANNING
SITE CHARACTERIZATION
STREAMS
TRAINING
WATER
WATERSHEDS
Buffer zones (Ecosystem management) - Oregon - Wheeler County
Riparian ecology - Oregon - Wheeler County