Heppnec Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, August 25, 2004 - THREE
Partnership formed to
2004 Fair and Rodeo Parade winners announced
enhance cooperation
between BLM and SWCDs
The
Oregon
Association of Conservation
Districts (OACD) and the
Bureau
of
Land
Management
(BLM)
Oregon State Office entered
into an agreement to
improve communication
and coordination to manage,
develop and protect federal
and private land and water
resources
in
an
environm entally
and
economically sound manner.
This agreement is a
local example of the
cooperative conservation
strategy that is being
discussed for sage grouse
habitat conservation at a
national level by the Western
Governors’Association, the
Western Association of Fish
and Wildlife Agencies and
the BLM.
While the BLM
manages 15.7 million acres
of public land in Oregon,
Soil and Water Conservation
Districts (SWCD) provide
leadership,
technical
assistance and cost share
services for conservation of
private lands in Oregon. In
many cases the BLM and
SWCDs work closely to
manage adjacent federal and
private
lands.
A
Memorandum
of
Understanding signed on
Aug. 11 formalizes the
working
relationship
between BLM and Oregon’s
SWCDs.
“I believe in the
motto, ‘When you’re
building something to last,
you don’t have to hurry.’ The
time and effort to build this
agreement will have great
benefit in the future,” said
Johnny Sundstrom, OACD
President. “We are very
satisfied with the results.”
“This agreement
will help SWCDs fulfill our
historic functions by
bringing together both
public land managers and
private landowners to
benefit
both
while
maintaining the strengths of
each,” said Sundstrom.
“SWCDs
have
always been the link
between
government
programs for conservation
on private working lands
and the owners and
managers of that landscape.
Now, we are moving ahead
to become partners in the
relationship between federal
lands and local citizens.
Working together for the
benefit o f both natural
resources and communities
requires commitment and
dedication, but what else has
such great potential to
enhance both?” he added.
“We are excited
about the on-the-ground
work this agreement brings
forward,” said Elaine M.
Brong, BLM State Director,
Oregon/Washington. “We
look for this to enhance our
existing
working
relationship and encourage
innovative collaborative
efforts between BLM and
the Soil and Water
Conservation Districts.”
Among the areas
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prioritized for cooperative
conservation efforts are
lands managed for sage
grouse habitat, drought
recovery,
coordinated
wildfire rehabilitation, and
management of noxious
weeds. A second priority
will be identification of
areas
for
enhanced
collaboration and capacity
building.
One partnership that
may be facilitated by the
Memorandum
of
Understanding involves the
Malheur SWCD and the
BLM Vale District. Malheur
County in Eastern Oregon
contains one of the largest
areas of upland range
vegetation that provides
vitally im portant sage
grouse
habitat.
The
proposed partnership would
focus
on
removing
encroaching
Western
Juniper and restoring native
grasses and shrubs. Results
of the project should reduce
catastrophic wildland fire
potential and improve
wildlife habitat.
To
facilitate
coordination the BLM and
SWCD will convene annual
meetings to identify goals
and priorities, identify
liaisons and technical
experts, initiate joint
planning studies and
demonstration projects and
conduct training’s and
conferences. Additionally,
the.ag en cies will seek
opportunities to apply of
new field technologies.
OACD’s purposes
include
providing
leadership, information and
state representation to
advance the interests of soil
and water conservation
districts for the conservation
and wise use of Oregon’s
natural resources. OACD
also informs and involves
the public in activities
enhancing soil and water
conservation,
flood
prevention, land use
planning,
economic
development, recreation
uses, fish and wildlife
habitat and other benefits by
collaborating with public
and private partners through
the 45 SWCDs. The main
purposes of SWCDs are to
identify local natural
resource concerns and then
provide technical assistance
and access to financial
resources
to
allow
landowners to focus
financial and technical
resources on recommended
conservation systems. More
information on OACD and
SWCDs is available at
www.oacd.org.
The BLM, an
agency o f the U.S.
Department of the Interior,
manages more land- 261
million surface acres- than
any other federal agency.
Most of this public land is
located in 12 western states,
including Alaska. The
Bureau, with a budget of
about $1.9 billion, also
administers 700 million
acres of subsurface mineral
estate throughout the nation.
The BLM’s multiple-use
mission is to sustain the
health and productivity of
the public lands for the use
and enjoyment of present
and future generations. The
Bureau accomplishes this by
managing activities such as
outdoor recreation, livestock
grazing,
mineral
development and energy
production
and
by
conserving
natural,
historical, cultural and other
resources on the public
lands.
Bank of Eastern Oregon float took 21"1 in the Community Floats.
Bus and 2nd- M orrow
County Grain Growers;
Community College and 2nd-
O th er-
l sl-
Bank o f Eastern Oregon;
Shamrockettes Dance Team
Commercial Floats- and 2nd- Nathaniel Roberts
l sl- Mid Columbia School and Rusty.
The newly formed Shamrockettes Dance Team took first place in the “Other’" category.
The 2004 Morrow
County Fair and Rodeo
Parade was held Saturday,
,Aug. 21 in Heppner.
Winners included:
Courts and Royalty-
l 5'- Morrow County Queen
and Court, 2nd- 1949 Queen
Shirley Rugg and Court and
3rd- Umatilla County Fair
Court;
Junior
Riding
a
G roup-
1st- M aK enzi
Hughes and Bobbie Correa
and 2nd- Jessica Hughes,
T aighler D ougherty and
Mary Rietmann;
S en io r
R iding
to hold
G ro u p -1 Drive You Crazy
and 2nd- Stars o f Cancer;
meeting
Musical Groups- Ist-
The Oregon Wheat
Main Street Cowboys;
C om m ission will hold a
Community Floats- regular m eeting Aug. 31
1*'-
Blue
M ountain through Sept. 1 at the Wheat
M arketing
C enter
C onference Room, 1200
NW Naito Parkway, Suite
240, Portland, OR at 1 p.m.
on Tuesday and 8:30 a.m. on
Wednesday.
The
m eeting
location is accessible to
persons with disabilities.
The
ADA
p ro h ib its
d iscrim in a tio n against
persons with disabilities. To
request an interpreter for the
hearing impaired or for other
acco m m o d atio n s
for
persons with disabilities,
please contact the Oregon
Wheat Commission office
48 hours in advance at (503)
229-6665 or TTY (503 ) 986-
4762.
The C om m ission
meeting is open to the public
and anyone w ish in g to
attend is encouraged and
w elcomed to do so.
ow e
f
I
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1
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continued from page one
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Heppner
Gazette-Times
6769228
>
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