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AUGUST 2006
There is nothing more persuasive than a personal story. In fact, if Oregon 's Conservation Strategy is to be successful it will be built on a foundation of personal stories. We know individuals and dedicated groups are already implementing on-the-ground projects relevant to the Strategy. We want to capture that success and share it with others until the Conservation Strategy becomes a part of all Oregonian's lives. So please, send us your stories, your ideas or news of a project you've heard about, and we'll work to get it into the newsletter or appropriate media outlet.
Thank you for your interest and support,
Holly Michael , Conservation Strategy Coordinator
Meg Kenagy , Editor and Strategy Media Coordinator
Contents
Free Guidebook Helps Forest Landowners
Benton County 's Tree Farmer of the Year Delivers on Strategy
New Monitoring Team Gets to Work
Mapping Conservation Projects
Putting Invasive Species on the Map
Where Do Oregon 's Legislators Stand on Wildlife Funding?
Add your John Hancock to SWG Support Letter
Teaming With Wildlife in Oregon
Free Guidebook Helps Forest Landowners Support Strategy Species
Many of the imperiled species identified in the Oregon Conservation Strategy are found in privately owned forests and, while landowners are interested in providing habitat for Oregon 's plants and animals, they want to make sure they have up-to-date, comprehensive information. To meet this need, the Oregon Forest Resource Institute partnered with Oregon Department of Forestry, ODFW, OSU's Institute for Natural Resources and others to produce a beautiful identification guidebook, Identifying Priority Plants and Animals and Their Habitats .
This 100-page guidebook helps landowners identify priority species on their lands and guide their conservation efforts. It includes color photos, ecoregion and range maps, habitat descriptions and other information on 80 priority plant and animal species, including Strategy species and others identified under various state and federal wildlife protection measures. It is also ideal for secondary teachers for field and classroom use. To obtain a copy, visit Oregon Forest Resource Institute website's publication page.
https://www.oregonforests.org/content/researchResources.asp?section=20&content=42
Benton County 's Tree Farmer of the Year Delivers on Strategy
Karin and Ken Faulk were selected as Benton County 's 2006 Tree Farmer of the Year, in part, for work they have done restoring Strategy habitats on their property in the town of Wren . In following the recommended actions for the area, they have completed a 5-acre oak woodlands restoration and are hard at work on a 3-acre upland prairie enhancement. The Faulk's Wren property is located in the WV-19 ( Corvallis ) section of Willamette Valley Conservation Opportunity Areas.
https://www.dfw.state.or.us/conservationstrategy/document_pdf/b-eco_wv.pdf
To benefit from the Faulks' knowledge, the public is invited to a field tour of their properties in Monroe and Wren on September 1 from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The tour begins on the Faulk's Monroe farm at 1:00 p.m. where Ken will discuss forest management (plantations, thinning, etc.) and then moves to his Wren property at 4:00 p.m. where Ken and a representative from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will discuss the Conservation Strategy. A catered dinner begins at 6:00 p.m. Dinner is free to Benton County Small Woodland Association members. There is a $10.00 fee for non-members. For more information, visit the Benton County OSU Extension Service website. RSVP for dinner.
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/benton/forestry/for_events.htm
New Monitoring Team Gets to Work
Dedicated to the goal of making the Oregon Conservation Strategy actionable, ODFW staff has pulled together a statewide Fish and Wildlife Monitoring Team whose mission is to provide oversight to monitoring activities related to the Strategy. About 40 people from around the state representing conservation groups, education, tribes and state and federal agencies bring broad species and habitat monitoring expertise to the table.
According to Audrey Hatch, ODFW Conservation Strategy Monitoring Coordinator, "This team is made up of innovative individuals who want to take advantage of advancements in information technology to share knowledge and information so monitoring activities can become more focused." The team's third meeting is September 12 at ODFW headquarters in Salem . The core team meets quarterly; smaller subgroups meet more regularly. For more information, contact Audrey via email. Audrey.C.Hatch@odfw.oregon.gov
Mapping Conservation Projects
Log on to the ODFW website and check out the Conservation Opportunity Area Explorer, a new Web application that provides an interactive way to explore the maps presented in the Strategy. To get started, you may want to click on the Help button in the upper right-hand corner of the map. https://nrimp.dfw.state.or.us/coaexplorer
For more information contact Matt Lawhead via email, Matthew.A.Lawhead@odfw.oregon.gov
Putting Invasive Species on the Map
"To have a fighting chance at controlling them, we have to know where they are and how many of them there are," says Jim Gores speaking about Oregon 's invasive species. As ODFW's Invasive Species and Wildlife Integrity Coordinator, Jim is currently walking the walk as he travels around the state, working with district biologists to create a map of invasive species infestations in Oregon . Species being mapped include nutria; opossum; feral populations of swine, goat and sheep; bullfrogs; crayfish; and goldfish. Fallow, axis and sitka deer that have escaped from captivity are also being mapped.
The goal is to put this information into a Geographic Information System (GIS) and Web-friendly format that can be shared with partners and overlaid onto the Strategy's Conservation Opportunity Areas map. Oregonians can then see what control and eradication projects are needed in their area.
Some of Jim's initial findings include:
- Feral swine are not nearly as prevalent in Oregon as believed, which means we have a good chance of keeping them from spreading-and maybe even eradicate them.
- Nutria are thick throughout the Willamette Valley and are beginning to spread south to Roseburg and Medford .
- Feral sheep, goats, and escaped fallow, axis and sitka deer are emerging as a significant threat to wildlife habitat in Oregon .
For more information on invasive species, contact Jim via email, James.K.Gores@odfw.oregon.gov .
Where Do Oregon 's Legislators Stand on Wildlife Funding?
Who signed Teaming with Wildlife's "Dear Colleague" letter supporting $85M nationally for State Wildlife Grants in FY 2007?
Answer: In Oregon : Senator Gordon Smith, Senator Ron Wyden, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, and Rep. Darlene Hooley. For more information, visit https://www.teaming.com/2006_signers.htm .
Add Your John Hancock to SWG Support Letter
On June 29, the Senate Appropriations Committee announced that funding for the State Wildlife Grants Program in FY07 will hold steady at last year's level, $67.5 million. This is an increase from the $50 million suggested in May by the U.S. House of Representatives. A final figure will be determined in a House/Senate conference.
Please join the Teaming With Wildlife Coalition in calling on Congress to support the Senate's higher funding level. To include your organization or business on Teaming's letter, please send your name, title, organization and state to teaming@fishwildlife.org by September 25. For a copy of the letter, contact Meg Kenagy , meg.b.kenagy@odfw.oregon.gov
Teaming With Wildlife in Oregon
Dedicated to increased funding for wildlife conservation, Teaming With Wildlife staff work at a national level to keep conservation concerns in front of Congress and ensure that the issues remain a priority. At the state level, Oregon 's Teaming efforts will be led by a core group of individuals including Cathy Macdonald, Nan Evans , Dennis Richey, Esther Lev, Lori Hennings, Bob Sallinger, Sara Vickerman, Dave Wiley, Bruce Taylor, Martin Nugent , and Holly Michael .
The group is currently working to obtain endorsements from conservationists, hunters, anglers, birdwatchers, nature-based businesses, and others who support the goal of increased funding for conserving our nation's wildlife. The goal is to have 100 coalition members in Oregon by Labor Day. For more information, contact Martin Nugent via email, Martin.Nugent@.state.or.us
Contact Information
Meg Kenagy
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Information and Education
503-947-6021
meg.b.kenagy@odfw.oregon.gov
www.dfw.state.or.us
Note: The use of trade, firm, or corporation names and links in this publication is for the information of the reader. Such use does not constitute an official endorsement or approval by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
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