Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 26, 1997)
Page 8-MSWCD Supplemental to the Heppner Gazette-Times, February 26,1997 Rietmanns, leaders in water quality stewardship calving, branding, doctoring and feeding livestock. Cattle herds were once driven to summer grazing in the mountains, where they were only occasionally checked before being gathered again in the fall. Today, due to updated range management policies, permittees using Forest Service land must spend two person-days for each day of cattle grazing. This labor- intensive strategy allows these two ranching families, the Clarks and the Rietmanns, to continue to graze cattle for about three and a half months a year on the Hard man Forest Service allotment. Out of their herds, these two ranches are permitted to run 322 head of cows, with calves at side, on about 22,000 forest acres overlooking the North Fork John Day River. Within this allotment run small streams that contribute to the river's headwaters. Per mittees have developed off- stream watering places, while part of Wilson Creek has been permanently fenced and en hanced with fish weirs. To lessen the impact of cattle on the Hardman allotment, the area has been divided into units, and cattle are moved in a rotation system. To better utilize forage, riders make sure that cows are distributed. In a cooperative effort, the U.S. Forest Service provides fencing materials, while the permittees furnish labor Portable electric fencing is used to protect sensitive areas. Permittees move the electric fence in conjunction with cattle rotation. Barbed wire fencing costs about $5,000 per mile, while solar-powered electric fencing is estimated at $600 per mile. "These permittees are very forward-thinking," says Heppner District Ranger Delanne Fer guson. "They have learned the science and are willing to adapt to new technology ." Extensive monitoring and record keeping are paying off, according to Mike Borman, Oregon State Range Land Resources Extension specialist. Editor's Note: This article is reprinted and updated with author Merlyn Robinson's permission The hardships endured by pio neers within Morrow County's rugged area have bred a tenacity inherited by some of today’s ranching families. In 1853, the Albert Wnght family trekked westward from Illinois by wagon train. They settled near Oregon City. The family moved to the Hardman area m 1872, when the Willa mette Valley became crowded. A son, Anson, was 12 years old at the time. Through determination, hard work and the purchase of other homesteads, Anson Wnght's holdings eventually encompassed the area from below Ruggs to beyond Rock Creek. Before his death m 1936, he deeded separate parcels of his vast spread to seven of his children. Today, two ranches survive from the sales and consolidations of those seven legacies. Mc Kinney Creek is the home base for these ranches, now century farms owned by Anson's descen dants. On one ranch are Pat Ander son-daughter of Walter Wnght, one of Anson's sons-and her husband, Don. Their daughter. Tami, her husband, Mark Riet- mann, and their daughters, Shelley and Shanna, also live there. Close by, on the Horseshoe Hereford Ranch, live Beth Clark- daughter of Raymond Wnght, another of Anson's sons-her husband. Barton, their son, Ned, his wife, Kathy, and their children. Matt, James and Sarah. Great changes have impacted each generation-the Great Depression of the 1930's, cattle replacing sheep when the wool market crashed, improved roads and vehicles replacing horses for transportation and farm power In spite of the conveniences of modem technology, cattle ranch ing still requires hard, year-round labor. As stewards of the land, ranchers must focus on protect ing the environment, along with ■ Rodent i Insect [«termination " Gram Fumigation i 8m Checking * Tree lift Estimates r. Jepsen Pest Control Inc. Control - dba Oobyns " ‘ - Pest ------------ • H. ..I. ■ ,■ I ►* • E 1fl.»rnaMt. - < H 1 czs "O « • 1 r • tf . John Jepsen 4P? 71 HC) - o <_> Quality Workmanship 1 r.H . rq • A trflfa SpMy'FK) • R.r 1 Cont'ol a. »n • HetO'Cdes • CUP S|W"t P Q Bo. 7 lone Oregon 97843 We Fiaht Disease Through Pest Control and Sanitation Complete Residential and Industrial Pest Control Senrices CRT* Spraying ' Hert>icjdes__2_Weed_&__ftitalta__Spravrng_J_Bird_Control^ -< M ■er 3 eo 3 n o =3 3 He claims that under the new policies there has been an increase in forage, which benefits wildlife as well as cattle. However changes are not just happening on the summer ranges of the Forest Service lands. In 1993, the Oregon State Legisla ture passed Senate Bill 1010, that requires the Oregon Department of Agriculture to help reduce water pollution from agricultural sources and to improve overall conditions in a watershed. Senate Bill 1010 targets streams that are designated "water quality limited" by the Oregon Depart ment of Environmental Quality. This list contains over 900 of Oregon’s waterways, some of which flow through Morrow County. In response to this Senate Bill, and some of the recent ballot measures-such as Measure 38, the Rietmanns have taken a proactive approach on their private lands. With the same energy and "forward thinking” that they have addressed concerns on the Forest Service lands, they are addressing those concerns on their private lands. They learned that a rancher, by developing a Water Quality Management Plan, can become in compliance with the rules of Senate Bill 1010. But, with further research, they found that no one has ever developed a Watershed Water Quality Man agement Plan to comply with Senate Bill 1010. Just because it hasn't been done before never discouraged this pioneer family. They asked the help of the Morrow Soil and Water Conser vation District, Morrow County Extension Service and the local Natural Resources Conservation have just received an Environ Service to work with them and mental Stewardship award from the Oregon Department of Agri the Oregon Cattlemen Associa culture to develop the first tion for 1996. The award recog Watershed Water Quality Man nizes the Rietmanns for both and community agement Plan in Oregon. This individual plan is now in the works and stewardship and environmental most likely will be the example leadership. The future looks for most future Water Quality bright with people like the Rietmanns who are willing to Management Plans in Oregon. take on the challenges before For their leadership in conser vation efforts, the Rietmanns them. For Your Insurance Needs See Us lone 422-7410 WE STRONGLY SUPPORT SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION (WEKWIAHD) INSURANCE CENTER. INC.
