The Gaiette-Times, Hrppner, Oregon, Thursday, February 25. 1982-THREE
Reflections on the year that was
r i;' i - t'y'1 " Accomplished
ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR 1981
January 1 - June 30
4 Continued evaluation of Morrow County's resources in
USD As Multiresource Inventory.
Planning and implementation has progressed well in the
Jordan Canyon Special Project. Twelve out of fourteen
landowners participated in the project this year. Primary
emphasis has been in terracing; however, conservation
tillage is being widely accepted.
Long term agreements continue to be an important
element of achieving desireable land treatment. An
additional two LTA's were developed in this period of time.
The reduced tillage program using chemical aids has
L . . and projections for a prosperous 1982
MORROW SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT
ANNUAL WORK PLAN
July 1,1981 -June 30, 1982
SOIL EROSION - WATER QUALITY
1. Continue Jordan Canyon special project.
a Develop conservation plans on remaining coo per a tors
- (5)
b. Continue terracing program.
c. Evaluate resource management systems (stubble
mulch & terraces).
2. Support LTA program in Morrow County. Presently 10
on-going LTA's.
3. Continue to advance the reduced tillage program.
Evaluate the results of chemical treatment.
4 Submit application for a SWCC grant on annual cropping
and if approved, provide leadership in the development and
evaluation of the project.
5. Streambank fencing is being promoted by the Fish &
Wildlife Dept. Bob Krein to initiate project.
1 981 year of
The year 1981 was one of
challenge and change to the
Oregon State Forestry De
partment. The Fossil unit
office of the East Central
Oregon District which in
cludes much of Morrow Coun
ty, was no exception.
Liile spring rains delayed
the start of fire season but
high grass and long periods
of hot. dry weather quickly
brought fire danger to high
levels. In fact, seventeen days
of extreme fire danger, an
unusually high amount, were
recorded during fire season
1981.
Budget reductions exper
ienced in 1981 have resulted in
the loss of our Forest Practices-service
forester at the
Fossil unit. We have, as a
result reduced our Forest
I 'met ices oH"i alion inspection
AVIATION
MELBOYER.
Professional Aviation Services
SPRAYING SEEDING
FLIGHT INSTRUCTION AREIAL SURVEY
MAINTENANCE AIRCRAFT SALES
I'H: 989-8122 Lexington, Oregon 97839
This years objectives
challenge to
and switched our emphasis
from preventing damage to
responding to damage re
ports; although some preven
tion work, particularly on high
risk operations, will continue.
The loss of our service
forester has meant that we are
unable to assist private land
owners in timber manage
ment planning work. We are
continuing to service referrals
under the A. C P. program for
cost-shared timber thinning
and planting practices.
F.astern Oregon timbcrland
is facing, once again, a serious
threat from an insect pest ; the
Western Budworm. The 1981
aerial insect survey, flown
last summer, revealed a total
area of :W.:iW acres affected
compared to 5. Mil acres in
198H. The hudworm is a
defoliator affecting Douglas-
DUSTING FERTILIZING
-Sir
last year
heightened to a great extent.
Assisted the sixth grade Outdoor Classroom
Conservation Education Program.
Supported the National and Oregon association of
Conservation Districts.
t
OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
No.
Technical assistance
Individuals applying
conservation practices
Plans
Terrace systems
Chemical Tillage
422
50
3
44
IRRIGATION - DRAINAGE
1. With SCS special emphasis project, irrigation will bf an
important priority.
2. Highest priority will be placed on those using sprinkle
irrigation systems. Irrigation management evaluations will
be made.
3. Drainage is becoming an important element in northern
Morrow County. In many cases drainage will have to precede
before proper irrigation management.
RANGElMPROVEMENT
1. A project proposal of knapweed spraying and reseeding
range damaged by wintering elk will be developed by the
Oregon State Fish & Wildlife Department.
2. Limited assistance will be provided for range
improvements due to special emphasis programs in dryland
crop and irrigation.
3. Sagebrush spraying projects under A CP will include
management plans.
Forestry Dept.
fir, grand fir. and while fir. In
Morrow County. 17.057 acres
of privately owned timbcrland
is currently affected. The area
affected in the Umatilla Na
tional Forest is much larger.
The State Forestry Depart
ment. The Forest Service, and
private landowners affected
are cooperating jointly to
assess the damage, and deve
lop action plans based on
budwnrk populations, re
source losses, suppression
costs, and environmental im
pacts. The final course of
action, if any. will he deter
mined in the early spring of
t982. The alternatives include:
Field OfflceX"""
Agricultural
Part Time Farm
Rural Housing
1981
Amount
2,563 Acres
417.490L.F.
(1) doing nothing. (2) using
silvicultural means to reduce
host species or (3) using
biological and-or chemical
controls.
The East Central Oregon
District recently concluded a
detailed study of its fire
protection system. This pro
lection survey was designed to
point out areas where our fire
protection system can be
improved. One area of con
cern was the "Rural Forest
Interface" where increasing
numbers of homes are being
built on or very near forest
land. Although the State
Forestry Department protects
Continued, page 5
ft LOT
"" JJr 'TTTf
1 I M
SWCD ,
awarded
41,600
Nine Soil and Water Conser
vation districts in Oregon
including Morrow County will
receive grant money from
the Department of Agricul
ture. The grant money is being
used by these districts as
demonstration for erosion
control projects.
In Morrow County, a no-till
annual cropping program will
be demonstrated. The purpose
is (I) to determine if a no-till
program will significantly
reduce soil erosion and im
prove water quality: (2) to
determine if this program is a
practical management alter
native in the shallow soil, high
precipitation dryland farming
area: 3 to determine if this
program will provide an
adequate economic return to
growers: and (41 to determine
fertilizer requirements.
In Morrow County. 40.000
acres have greater than 12
percent slope, less than 30
inches of soil and greater than
12 inches of annual precipita
tion. Under these conditions,
soil loss is from 5 -10 tons per
acre greater than is permis
sahle. Soil conservation struc
tures are not always effective
in reducing soil loss to
tolerable levels.
Typically on these kinds of -soils,
the soil profile common
ly fills with moisture in one
winter. A fallow period nets no
additional soil moisture. Soil
erosion potential is increased
with a rain-fallow rotation
primarily due to repeated
tillage operations which re
duce surface residue and
degrade soil structure.
The program will thus
evaluate these conditions as
well as attempt to determine
the fertilizer requirements.
The fertilizer program will be
an integral part of the success
or failure of this project.
Recognizing the need of the
crop under annual cropping
conditions is very different
than tinder a wheat -summer
fallow program. Hopefully
this will he determined under
this project.
MuTOnlMIIWB
tbOLi
MfCHM
I TOW I
I iiiuiii ivw
HOCK
Hermitton
Every
Wednesday
567-7176
Heppner
Every
& h Tuesday
676-9951
Mm Offics
Pendleton
1 S.W. Nye
(West
of Rod Lion tnn)
276-7361
iimatii i k J