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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 30, 2019)
NEWS Wallowa.com Wednesday, October 30, 2019 B9 Emily Jane Davis/OSU Extension A rangeland wildfi re burns in Wasco County. Private landowners train to fi ght rangeland fi res agencies, chiefl y the Bureau of Land Management, man- age about 70 percent of rangelands in the western United States, where they are responsible for man- agement as well as wildfi re suppression. A leasehold tenure system allows ranch- ers to graze cattle on fed- eral lands, so ranchers have a signifi cant stake in their management. Rangeland Fire Protec- tion Associations typically operate in rural and remote areas. By responding to fi res when they are small, RFPAs are intended to help prevent large, destructive range- land fi res that have become increasingly common in the Great Basin and surround- ing regions. The RFPA model is unique in that it incorpo- rates non-professional, non-governmental entities in wildfi re response, Davis said. RFPAs emerged due to desires of many ranchers to actively fi ght fi re and pro- Proving an eff ective partnership Chris Branam Oregon State University CORVALLIS, Ore. – The fi rst responders to wild- fi res in the remote areas of the Great Basin of Oregon and Idaho are increasingly volunteer groups of private landowners that have been authorized and trained in partnership with federal and state agencies. Rangeland Fire Protec- tion Associations, which started in the 1960s in east- ern Oregon but have pro- liferated in the region over the last 20 years, are now responsible for protecting 25.5 million acres of fed- eral, state, and private land in the Pacifi c Northwest. Prior to the formation of these groups, response to wildfi re was often marked by strife between ranchers and government offi cials. Historically, there were arguments about the author- ity of federal entities, lack of local community engage- ment, or disagreement about fi re response strategies and tactics. Now, a study led by Oregon State Univer- sity fi nds that these ten- sions have lessened– rap- idly in Idaho and gradually in Oregon. The study, published in the journal Disasters, comes at a time when wild- fi res in the Great Basin have become more destructive. The Long Draw fi re of 2012 in southeastern Oregon burned 557,648 acres before it was contained. These megafi res threaten and destroy working range- lands for cattle production, habitat for species such as the greater sage-grouse and ungulates, and other val- ues such as recreation and the western culture of the region. “These relationships are improving, and with time tect their livestock and for- age, as well as larger policy and management objectives including more effective wildfi re suppression for pur- poses including sage-grouse habitat conservation. As of 2019, Oregon had 24 RFPAs responsible for protecting 16.5 million acres of land. Idaho’s pro- gram, established in 2013, has nine RFPAs covering nearly 9 million acres.In Oregon, Idaho and Nevada, state laws defi ne and autho- rize RFPAs. Washington state has been considering a similar law. In January 2019, Davis presented the highlights of a Northwest Fire Science Consortium report on RFPAs to the Washington legislature’s House Rural Development, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. Although RFPAs aren’t yet in Washington, efforts to fi nd solutions for protect- ing unprotected and remote rangelands continue and studies such as this one may help, Davis said. The Joint Fire Science Program funded the study. BARGAINS OF THE MONTH ® While supplies last. Emily Jane Davis/OSU Extension YOUR CHOICE RFPA-trained volunteer property owners control a rangeland fi re near Jordan Valley this fall. they continue to improve,” said study lead author Emily Jane Davis, an assistant pro- fessor and Extension spe- cialist in OSU’s College of Forestry. “Every fi re where these folks work together, the ranchers learn more about fi re and how agen- cies operate and the agen- cies learn more about what ranchers know about the land, especially the terrain. That’s largely positive.” For their study, the research team comprised of Davis, Jesse Abrams, an assistant professor at the University of Georgia, and Katherine Wollstein, a Ph.D. student at the Uni- versity of Idaho, conducted a thorough examination and analysis of RFPAs in the Great Basin region of Ore- gon and Idaho. They compiled public documents, conducted 59 interviews with key RFPA, state and BLM leaders, attended state-level RFPA meetings in 2016 and 2017, and developed case studies of four RFPAs – two in Ore- gon and two in Idaho. Federal government 4.99 True Value® 10 lb. Sunflower Bird Food Attracts a wide variety of wild birds. L 106 118 1 20 lb. Wild Bird Food General-purpose mix. L 501 272 1 M-F 8AM-6PM • SAT 8AM-5PM • SUN 9AM-3PM Sale Ends 11/30/19 AARP Drivers Safety Class Friday, November 15 at the Community Connection Conference room from 9:00-4:00. Cost is $15.00 for AARP members, $20.00 for non-members. Lunch available at Senior Meals at noon. ® To sign up call Community Connection WALLOWA COUNTY 541-426-3840 Come join us for a social hour hosted by the local Wallowa County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited committee. Looking to meet other conservation minded folks or just learn a little more about Ducks Unlimited - this is your chance. We’ll pick up your first beverage and some snacks. No raffles or auctions, just great conversation! We hope you can join us! You’re invited to a social hour at Terminal Gravity Brewery & Pub Oct. 30th 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm More details & RSVP call Gene Bieraugel at 541-828-7795
