Wallowa Resources
$9,200

Wallowa Resources and partners propose to use OCRF funding to engage rural youth in monitoring the impacts of USFS forest restoration on Oregon Conservation Strategy species and habitats in Northeastern Oregon. The goals of the proposed project are (1) to increase engagement of underserved youth in conservation science as part of a rural workforce development program; (2) to increase understanding of the impacts of forest restoration treatments on forest structure, composition, and fuel loads; and (3) and to use this learning to inform adaptive management decisions affecting Oregon Conservation Strategy species and habitats. Wallowa Resources‘ paid youth intern program, HAWK, will be expanded and extended to allow interns to collect forest stand structure and fuel loading monitoring data on ponderosa pine woodland restoration projects. Interns will learn about forest ecology and data collection while gaining fieldwork, teamwork and presentations skills. The data collected will be summarized and presented to the community as well as used by the USFS and the Northern Blues Forest Collaborative to inform future restoration actions.

Project Report