Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 26, 1997)
Page 2-MSWCD Supplemental to the Heppner Gazette-Times, February 26, 1997 Upland gamebi rds-Cooperative Access Program In 1994, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) developed the Upland Cooperative Access program (UCAP). The program was de- Alternative Crops Program at annual meeting The Morrow SWCD held its 1996 Annual Meeting on Wed nesday, January 15, 1997, in conjunction with Town & Country Day. Program speakers for the meeting were Jake Eaton, Potlach Corporation and Don Wysocki, Oregon State Univer sity (OSU) Extension, Agri culture Research Service. Eaton spoke about poplars as an alternative crop for the North west area and specifically the plantation near Boardman. Because of the Endangered Species Act and dwindling num bers of lumber mills, supplies of wood shavings and sawdust, needed by the pulp and paper industry, were becoming more scarce. Poplars were the logical choice, because the genetic material was available for trees adapted to the region and poplars produce bright wood that needs less bleaching and short fibers that help give paperboard strength. Wysocki, OSU Extension, reported on a breeding program for a late planted, winter canola variety. This breeding program is being financed in part by contributions from Morrow, Gilliam and Umatilla counties and also through a grant from Regional Strategies, Northcentral Regional Strategies and North east Alliance Regional Strategies Boards. A plant breeder from Idaho has been contracted with to develop canola vaneties to signed to provide hunter access to private lands in Eastern Ore gon to hunt upland gamebirds. During the first year of the program, approximately 22,000 acres of private land were made available for public hunting. In 1995, additional properties were added and in 1996, a total of 52,900 acres were open to public hunting of upland gamebirds. Skeleton weed on the move: Under the rules of the UCAP, several new sites of Rush ODFW signs agreements with skeletonweed were found in the landowners, provides signs, 1996. A couple of these sites closes roads as requested by the were much further south in landowners and patrols the Morrow County than those that properties during the upland had been treated in previous gamebird seasons. Landowners years. While the number of are reimbursed at a rate of plants treated this past year was 50/acre for suitable upland about the same as in the past gamebird hunting areas and have years, the fact that this weed's an option to use a "Hunting by range has extended further south Permission" or "Welcome to should be cause for concern to Hunt" format for their properties. dryland wheat farmers. Rush Funding for the 50/acre reim skeletonweed has been docu bursement comes from a portion mented to reduce wheat yields by of the Upland gamebird stamp as much as 70% in Australia and revenues earmarked for access. can be very difficult to control if To prevent overuse and over left undetected for several years. crowding of the areas, landowner It is very important for farmers names and maps of the areas are and ranchers to be on the lookout not given out. Hunters need to for and identify any plants that locate the hunting areas and if they do not recognize the hunter is required to obtain Puncturevine project started in permission to hunt, the land North Morrow County: due to owner's name is listed on the increased concern over the hunting by permission signs. spread of puncturevme in Irrigon and Boardman, the weed control district started working with the cities and the West Extension Irrigation District to control puncturevine along city streets and along the canal road. Improvement was noted in 1996, but more work still needs to be done. Homeowners can help by controlling this weed in driveway and parking areas and reporting any areas that are especially bad along public nghts-of-way. Homeowners needing informa tion about how to best control punturevine can contact the weed control district for more information Check CRP fields for noxious weeds: with the expiration of CRP contracts upon us, land owners need to be surveying their fields for noxious weeds so they can be treated and con trolled before they are returned to growing wheat It is evident that some CRP fields have not been maintained to contract standards when it comes to weed control. For this reason, the weed control district has started working with the Farm Services Agency and is doing random spot checks for noxious weeds. Those found out of compliance may face penalties if the weeds are left uncontrolled. If desired, landowners may also request the weed district to assist them with their own field surveys Member FCMC and weed identification Morrow County weed district tidbits east Alliance Regional Strategies Board. The canola project was sponsored by the Columbia Blue Mountain Resource Conservation and Development Area which includes county courts, ports and Soil and Water Conservation Districts in Morrow, Gilliam, Wheeler, Grant and Umatilla counties. provide diversification of crops, improve disease control for wheat planted in a canola rotation and improve the feasibi lity of a canola oil processing plant for the area. An agreement has been drawn up between Oregon State University and the Oregon Economic Development Department through the North- Iw. ■ . 1 • » is! M k*1 1 'S /. Don Wysocki, OSU Extension Jake Eaton, Potlach Corp. . .......... ir Beef s35 Cut and Wrapped i 280 Pigs s25 a pound Specialty Curing Additional Charge DAY’S MOBILE Our money stays here to help local growers. I nland Empire Bank is proud of the role it has played in making agriculture the comerstone of our local economy. No bank has done more in the past 49 years to help our local economy expand and prosper. In past years, about 30% of our loan portfolio has been dedicated to the agricultural com munity. Inland remains committed to helping local farmers with their financial needs, now and in the future. It’s a pledge we’ve kept for more than four decades. “Committed to People and Community" Inland Empire Bank A, Hermiston • Umatilla • Stanfield • Pendleton Boardman (541)481-9201 • Loan office in Condon (541) 384-3040 T t • . / ♦ .. u u - ♦ ’ « • S > » . . » (
