Heppner gazette-times., February 28, 1980, ANNUAL REPORT 1979, Page Page Five, Image 21

Page Five
Morrow farmers paid $76,992 in cost-sharing benefits
The Morrow County Agricultural Stabilization and
Conservation Service Office paid out $76,992 in
cost-share to Morrow County farmers in 1979 through
the Agricultural Conservation Program. The practice
most used was terraces, but other practices such as
sod waterways, sediment dams, forestry practices,
and chemical fallow were also used. These are all
considered as high priority practices in the control of
soil erosion and reduce the pollution of water, air, or
land, from agricultural non-point sources.
The 1980 program in Morrow County is basically
the same as 1979 except for some limitations on lower
priority practices such as permanent mainline. It was
decided that this practice could only be cost-shared
once per farm, and a limit of $300 per acre was
established.
Another change is that Chemical Fallow may be
cost-shared on three times per person instead of just
once as was previously stated.
The total annual allocation for Morrow County for
1980 is $85,621.
We have a number of requests for Mini-Long Term
Agreements which are contracts signed by a producer
or producers, to treat a specified area with
conservation practices, over a period of from 3 to 5
years. The State ASC Committee has held the funds for
these agreements and will be deciding how much will
be allocated to each county at their March meeting.
The county committee feels that these mini-LTA's are
a good way to get the needed conservation work done,
as at the end of the contract period, the specified area
will be completely treated with conservation practices.
The funds for these agreements are paid through the
local ASCS Office and the technical work is done by the
. local SCS office.
Wildlife topic at annual meet
"Management Objectives" (M.O.'s) for elk and deer in
the Heppner, Fossil and Columbia Basin Wildlife Units will
be reviewed at the annual meeting of the Morrow Soil and
Water Conservation District at the Lexington Grange Hall
the evening of March 4. Dan Eastman, staff biologist with the
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, will provide
information packets for future study and an explanation of
the department's recommended numbers of elk and deer for
management.
The "Management Objectives" program has been
developing for over two years as a response to the demands
of land-use planning agencies, private landowners and others
in need of quantitative information on animal numbers and
plans for their management, Eastman said. Department
biologists recently completed reviews of their recommenda
tions with the four National Forests and Bureau of Land
Management districts associated with the Blue Mountains
plateau. Public involvement meetings are just starting.
Landowner meetings have been held in Wallowa County and
Grant County, with more invitations expected soon.
Eastman said department personnel are hopeful their
judgments on long-term supply of elk and deer in each
management unit will be considered objectively by all
interested persons. The obvious considerations relate to the
compatibility of the animal numbers with other resources on
public lands, conflicting uses on private lands, and the
awesome demand on the very valuable big game resource for
recreational hunting opportunities.
2 farmers meet conservation challenge
Aid to woodland owners
The Department of State
Forestry has worked with
many landowners and public
agencies in Morrow County.
The work ranged from giving
general forestry orientations
to doing forest management
plans. State Forestry has
provided input on the timber
portion of the Resource Con
servation Act for the Morrow
County Soil Conservaton Pro
gram. This coming year we'll
continue to provide assistance
to the private woodland own
ers. Our office location is in
Fossil.
Just keeping soil in the
fields along the flood prone
slopes of Hinton Creek is no
easy task, but Don and Jean
Bennett have met the chal
lenge. Since 1976, the Bennetts
have installed some 57,165 feet
of terraces, one acre of
grassed waterway, 16 sedi
ment dams and seeded 167
acres of steep cropland back
to grass. For these efforts,
Don and Jean are recognized
for the Morrow Soil and Water
Conservation District's con
servation award. They were
previously recognized as Mor
row County's Wheat League
conservation award winners
and last December they
reaped state honors for the
Oregon Wheat Growers
League.
Don Bennett was one of
leaders in organizing the
" Heppner Water Control Dis
trict. Through his efforts, a
special Resource Conserva
tion and Development Project
was made available to all
landowners within the Hepp
ner Watershed. It provided
cost sharing for terraces,
waterways, critical area seed
ing and debris basins designed
to control erosion and lessen
the flood threat to Heppner.
Both Don and Jean are
active in many community
and farm organizations. Don
is vice-chairman of the Hepp
ner Water Control District,
chairman of the Heppner
Rural Fire District, a member
of the Wheat League, Oregon
Cattlemen's Association and
Farm Bureau. Jean is a
member of the Morrow
County School Board, serves
as county brand inspector, is a
past president of the Morrow
County CowBelles and has
been active in 4-H work.
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