Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 14, 2019)
NEWS MyEagleNews.com Wednesday, August 14, 2019 A7 Burns Paiute tribal lands see restoration projects By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle Conservation programs on three separate tribal prop- erties in Grant and Har- ney counties have improved habitat for fish and wildlife on riparian, upland and for- est lands. The work was com- pleted thanks to partnerships between the Burns Paiute Tribe, which formed in 1897 on lands around Burns, and the USDA Farm Services, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Bonneville Power Administration. “There are a lot of mov- ing parts,” said Erica Maltz, the Tribe’s natural resource director. “They’ve been a great partner, enabling us to strike that balance between economic, cultural and nat- ural resource management.” Limited hunting oppor- tunities for waterfowl and game birds are provided on some of the lands through an agreement with the BPA, but tribal members have priority. Monitoring includes small mammal, bird and amphibian surveys and hab- itat surveys. Contributed photo Volunteers install a nesting box in Logan Valley on property owned by the Burns Paiute Tribe in 2018. Logan Valley The Tribe’s relation- ship with the USDA began in 2007 with the 1,760-acre property in Logan Valley it acquired in 2000. The prop- erty includes wet meadows, upland habitat and forest land. Using the Conserva- tion Reserve Enhancement Program, the Tribe imple- mented steps to stem stream- bank erosion on 345 acres along Lake and Big creeks and their tributaries. This included planting native species suitable to the site, such as Booth’s willow, Geyer’s willow, western dogwood, wild rose, golden currant and quaking aspen. Electric and laydown fencing were used to pro- tect the plantings from cattle and elk, but the short grow- ing season, browsing elk and incised streambanks left Lake Creek with marginal plant species. Big Creek, on the other hand, was a “poster child of success,” with lush growth of willows, wild rose and native grasses. The Tribe leases the grassy meadows to area ranchers and uses the Con- servation Stewardship Pro- gram to plan a rest and rota- tion grazing system. CSP assistance is also used for brush management and thin- ning in the forest area. “The various cost-share programs offered by NRCS provide an important local investment,” said Calla Hagle, the Tribe’s wildlife program manager. “They significantly expand what we’re able to do and a pri- mary source of conservation funding in Logan Valley.” The Logan Valley site is used by the Tribe for its annual weeklong culture camp. Youths from grade school to high school gather at the camp with tribal elders and staff from the Tribe’s natural and cultural resources departments for a variety of hands-on learning opportunities. These include GPS scavenger hunts, fish- ing, tribal history talks and crafts. “There’s a tremendous amount of work that goes into managing for the var- ious ages and planning age-appropriate activi- ties,” Hagle said. “However, there’s tremendous gratifi- cation in watching a young person, who refused to enter a stream for a fish count at the beginning of the week, then refuses to get out of the stream at the end of the week.” Beech Creek The Tribe’s most recent acquisition is a 2,400-acre property on Beech Creek north of Mt. Vernon, pur- chased with a traditional mortgage through the Indian Land Tenure Foundation in 2016. The site was in pretty good shape as the previous owners held conservation values that the Tribe agreed to continue, Hagle said. Some camping oppor- The Eagle/Angel Carpenter The Burns Paiute Tribe’s Beech Creek property near Mt. Vernon in 2017. Eagle file photo Eagle file photo Eagle file photo Gabe Portillo of the Burns Paiute Tribe spears a salmon in the Malheur River on June 15, 2016, at Malheur Ford near the Tribe’s property in Logan Valley. A member of the Burns Paiute Tribe spears a salmon that was transplanted in the Malheur River on June 15, 2016, at Malheur Ford near the Tribe’s property in Logan Valley. Deborah DeLaRosa of the Burns Paiute Tribe drags a salmon to shore after spearing it in the Malheur River June 15, 2016, at the Malheur Ford near the Tribe’s property in Logan Valley. tunities at the Beech Creek Ranch were provided during the 2017 eclipse event. A juniper removal project will begin this fall with the hope to see the harvested wood put to use, Hagle said. The Beech Creek prop- erty had been managed as agricultural working land. Fencing to protect the ripar- ian areas from overgraz- ing and streambank degra- dation will be implemented through CREP funding. In addition, Environmen- tal Quality Incentives Pro- gram funding through the Northside Mule Deer Win- ter Habitat Initiative will be used to enhance winter hab- itat by juniper removal, and CSP assistance will be used to enhance crop, pasture and range management. A big step for the Tribe was the reintroduction of adult chinook salmon in the Malheur River near the Logan Valley property in 2016 through negotiations with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. This pro- vided tribal members their first opportunity to harvest the ceremonial fish from the river since 1919. Jonesboro The Tribe acquired the 6,300-acre Jonesboro prop- erty in Malheur County in 2000, Hagle said. The prop- erty was not in as good shape as the other two and required more focus, she said. To improve this “oasis in the desert,” the Tribe imple- mented a 345-acre CREP project along the Malheur River with a focus on elim- inating weeds and provid- ing habitat for big game and birds. Native plants and grasses, including chokecherry, elderberry, Great Basin wild rye, western wheatgrass, Idaho fescue and blue bunch wheatgrass were planted along the streambank. Jonesboro’s remaining 6,000 acres include rugged canyons covered in juni- per and sagebrush that pro- vides good sage grouse hab- itat. Starting in 2013, the Tribe entered into an EQIP contract to remove juniper and enhance the sagebrush steppe habitat to promote sage grouse recovery. Hello Grant County, My gosh, I thought July was busy! Kudos to everyone who participated in the decorating contest for the 110th Grant County Fair! What great support from our communities! Great job! First off, there will be NO Chamber board meeting or membership luncheon this month due to the Fair. It’s a busy time and the board would like to encourage everyone to enjoy the fair! If you haven’t bought your fair passes, carnival tickets, or Parmalee tickets, we are selling them at the Chamber office also. The Chamber has elected a new Executive Committee for the 2019- 2020 year. Jerry Franklin (We affectionately refer to him as “Mr. Chamber of Commerce”) is President, Sherrie Rininger is our President-Elect and Taci Philbrook is our Vice President. Committees have been assigned and they will be meeting and bringing their recommendations to the Chamber board on an ongoing basis. Committees are: Budget, Marketing, Administration/Personnel, Community Outreach/Events, Membership and Facilities/Conestoga Wagon. If you just read the various committees, you will have noticed that the Chamber has assumed the responsibility for the management and maintenance of the Landmark Conestoga Wagon located at the Dixie Summit Viewpoint. We are in the process of contacting existing and potential advertisers about advertising in the enclosed entry beneath the wagon. This area receives a large number of visitors every day! So, if you aren’t currently advertising there, and would like to, please contact the Chamber office at 541-575-0547. See you at the Fair! Tammy Bremner Manager, Grant County Chamber of Commerce 135344
