A coalition of partners in Crook County, Ore. received notice that a shared project proposal covering more than 766,000 acres across the eastern half of Central Oregon has been chosen for funding by the US Department of Agriculture. The Upper Crooked River Restoration project was one of 16 projects nationwide to receive funding through the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership. The project will receive more than $1.5 million this year, with the expectation for continued funding over the coming years.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing more than $41 million this fiscal year through the Joint Chiefs’ for projects that mitigate wildfire risk, improve water quality and restore healthy forest ecosystems on public and private lands. Through the projects, USDA’s Forest Service (FS) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) are working hand-in-hand with agricultural producers, forest landowners and National Forest System lands to improve forest health using available Farm Bill conservation programs and other authorities.
“This is a great example of community partners working together to address their goals and concerns across a shared landscape,” said Ochoco National Forest Supervisor Shane Jeffries. “This group has developed an excellent project and this funding will mean they can put their plans into action over the coming years.”
The Upper Crooked River Restoration Project is the product of more than three years of collaboration between many different organizations and private landowners to mitigate wildfire risk across shared landscapes while restoring watersheds, improving wildlife habitat, and stopping the spread of invasive weeds. The project area includes privately-owned ranch and timber lands checkerboarded with BLM-administered sage steppe communities, surrounded by Ponderosa pine and mixed conifer forests on the Ochoco National Forest. The project area stretches from Big Summit Prairie south to Highway 20, and generally from Prineville, Ore. east to Paulina, Ore.
Partners for this project include Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Crook County, City of Prineville, Crook County High School, Crooked River Watershed Council, Crooked River Weed Management Board, Crook County Soil and Water Conservation District, Oregon State University Extension Office, The Nature Conservancy Juniper Hills Preserve, Ochoco Forest Restoration Collaborative, Discover Your Forest, and Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council. Additionally, Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden lent strong support for the project proposal.
Going forward, project partners will meet to work out which aspects of the project will get started this year, and which actions will take place in the coming years
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will invest more than $2 million this fiscal year in Oregon through the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership to improve forest health.
USDA’s Forest Service (FS) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will work together to improve landscape resilience and restore white oak habitat in Central Wasco county, as well as reduce fire risk and improve watershed conditions for at-risk species in Crook county.
The Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership allows NRCS and FS to collaborate with agricultural producers and forest landowners to invest in conservation and restoration at a big enough scale to make a difference. Working in partnership, and at this scale, helps mitigate wildfire risk, improve water quality and restore healthy forest ecosystems on public and private lands.
“We continue to work together and combine resources to restore Oregon’s natural landscapes,” said Oregon State Conservationist Ron Alvarado. “Improving the health of our forests ensures landscape-wide benefits for years to come.”
Nationally, FS and NRCS will invest more than $41 million this fiscal year through the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership. Funding for 36 projects includes $10.6 million for 16 new projects and $30.5 million to complete work on 20 projects previously selected in 2018 and 2019.
USDA has invested more than $225 million over seven years to Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership projects, which focus on areas where public forests and grasslands intersect with privately-owned lands.
This year’s selections bring the total number of Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration projects to 85. Since 2014, these projects have delivered important forest and rangeland funding to 40 states and Puerto Rico.
About the Projects
Oregon has two new projects:
- Central Wasco County All-Lands Project
- Upper Crooked River Restoration
Through the new three-year projects, landowners will work with local USDA experts and partners to apply targeted forestry management practices on their land, such as thinning, hazardous fuel treatments, fire breaks, and other systems to meet unique forestry challenges in their area. For more information, visit Oregon’s Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership website.
