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ODFW News Release
For Immediate Release
March 6, 2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forest Landowners Awarded for Outstanding Practices That Benefit Fish and Wildlife
SALEM — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife honored six private landowners for exceptional forest stewardship that benefits fish and wildlife at an award ceremony on Wednesday, Mar. 5 at the Board of Forestry meeting in Salem. The Fish and Wildlife Steward Awards for Forest Lands are annual awards given cooperatively by ODFW and Oregon Department of Forestry.
"These winners are exemplary private landowners whose voluntarily actions or management decisions resulted in significant habitat improvements on their forest lands, some with considerable financial investment," said Jon Germond, ODFW Forest Practices Program Coordinator. "Some landowner efforts are contributing to salmon recovery and watershed health under the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds, and others have increased access to the public for recreational opportunities."
ODFW and ODF field personnel nominated landowners for each of the state's three Forest Practices Regions: Eastern, Northwest and Southwest Oregon. Awards were given to two categories of winners: non-industrial forest landowners with 5,000 acres or less and industrial forest landowners with over 5,000 acres. Criteria used by Regional Selection Committees to choose award winners included the overall effort to benefit fish and wildlife, the degree of difficulty to implement the stewardship actions and the financial investment required relative to the financial ability of different landowners to contribute.
ODF also presented Operator of the Year awards at the Board of Forestry meeting to selected operators in each of the three Forest Practices Regions.
Eastern Oregon winners:
Lorna Williamson and Mark Tipperman of McCoy Meadows Ranch west of LaGrande received the Non-industrial Forest Lands in Eastern Oregon Award. Williamson and Tipperman developed a stewardship plan for integrated wildlife and forest management that includes identifying and protecting undisturbed areas that provide habitat for forest wildlife, tree planting, and building and vegetating ponds. They also entered 555 acres into the Wetlands Reserve Program resulting in the reconstruction of wetlands and improvements to five miles of stream that had been previously straightened and channelized. In addition, they have replanted riparian areas, installed solar powered riparian fences, and controled invasive noxious weeds.
"In the spirit of the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds, Williamson and Tipperman involved many local, state and federal partners in projects," said Germond. Partners include: the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Environmental Protection Agency, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Union County Soil and Water Conservation District, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Department of Forestry, Grande Ronde Model Watershed Program and the La Grande School District.
"It should be noted," said Germond, "that Lorna and Mark have invested large out-of-pocket and in-kind labor expenses in these improvement projects. They practice a strong stewardship ethic and have foregone immediate financial returns from potential commercial timber harvest in favor of long-term sustainable integrated management."
The Eastern Oregon Industrial Forest Lands Award was presented to Gary Cremer, Herb Nash, Bill Swartz, and Jeff Pearson of Crown Pacific Limited. The company was recognized for stewardship activities on approximately 33,000 acres of their Timbers Block and Spring Butte properties in northern Klamath County. Activities include managing their forestlands to create multi-layered stands, prompt reforestation after wildfire, and implementing harvest practices that reduce the risk of catastrophic fire.
"The company has also contributed to the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds," said Germond. Crown Pacific has closed or obliterated about 60 miles of roads that significantly reduced vehicle traffic, planted a wildlife forage seed mix on obliterated road areas, and upgraded remaining roads by installing effective drainage structures to improve water quality.
By participating in a Cooperative Travel Management program, the general public has gained access to recreation on portions of Crown Pacific Limited timberlands. In return, the company receives enforcement patrols by Oregon State Police to improve the safety and security of its properties.
Northwest Oregon winners:
Pete and Linda Hrebec, owners of 172 acres in the Oakridge area southeast of Eugene, were honored with the Northwest Oregon Non-industrial Forest Lands Award. The couple enrolled their property in the state's Wildlife Habitat Conservation and Management Program with the goal of removing livestock grazing and restoring wetlands and white oak woodlands. Their stewardship practices include removing conifers to restore 30 acres of white oak woodlands, enhancing existing wetlands and wet prairie, restoring native vegetation to pastures, and promoting native plant and animal use of ponds. The Hrebecs obtained water rights to ensure the future of restored ponds and wetlands on their ranch. They have also controlled invasive exotic plants and installed hundreds of feet of water line to provide water for livestock away from waterways.
"As contributors to the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds, the Hrebecs promote watershed restoration activities and landowner incentive programs to neighbors and the Oakridge community," said Germond. The Hrebecs receive some funding from a Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program grant from the Natural Resource Conservation Service, but they are also absorbing some of the costs themselves according to Germond. In addition, the couple sponsored a local Oregon State University student who majored in Fisheries and Wildlife, and they offer their property for student projects and research.
Eric and David Evenson accepted the Industrial Forest Lands Award for Northwest Oregon on behalf of Evenson Timberland Agency and Evenson Logging Company in Clatskanie. The family-owned companies have 25,000 acres of industrial timberlands and consistently manage their lands to benefit fish and wildlife resources, habitat, and recreational opportunities with great out-of-pocket expense.
They recently removed a culvert that blocked approximately one half mile of fish habitat in Perkins Creek, a tributary of the Clatskanie River. The project required the removal of a 70 foot fill and necessitated the purchase and rental of extra machinery to accomplish the job within the in-water work period. The project cost more than $100,000, was not legally required and was done without any grant aid, according to Germond.
"The Evensons have shown leadership in the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds by leaving many more trees than required by the Forest Practices Act in riparian areas along streams and by placing large wood in streams to benefit fish habitat and water quality," said Germond.
The companies have demonstrated local leadership in watershed restoration by being active in the local watershed council and setting an example for others to follow. Future land management plans include working with state and local agencies to reopen eight more miles of core coho habitat by replacing three culverts and abandoning an additional culvert. The Evensons have also participated in controlled hunt programs and have kept many acres of their land open for hunters and anglers.
Southwest Oregon winners:
Bill Hillman of Oakland was awarded the Southwest Oregon Non-industrial Forest Lands Award for his efforts to improve Norton Creek, a tributary of Calapooya Creek which drains into the Umpqua River. Long before the existence of the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds, Hillman worked with the local Soil and Water Conservation District to install off-channel ponds and some initial riparian fencing on Norton Creek. For the last five years, he has worked with ODFW and spent thousands of dollars of his own money to convert hundreds of acres of former poison oak pasture into conifer forest while still retaining oak and madrone stands.
According to Germond, Hillman is constantly looking for ways to improve his 800-acre property to benefit fish and wildlife habitat and encourages his neighbors to do the same. "His eagerness to improve fish and wildlife habitat has been nothing short of extraordinary," Germond said.
Hillman's accomplishments include placing logs in Norton Creek and planting the riparian area to provide fish habitat and hiding cover, and replacing culverts to re-open more than two and a half miles of spawning and rearing habitat in Norton Creek to coho salmon, winter steelhead and cutthroat trout.
Several employees of the Medford office of Boise Cascade Corporation were recognized with the Southwest Oregon Industrial Forest Lands Award. Tim Burnette, Ken Cummings, and Russ McKinley were acknowledged for their stewardship practices and partnerships with a variety of state agencies and sportsmen's organizations to implement habitat projects.
The Medford office manages 142,000 acres of forestlands in southwest Oregon and the company continues to be a local leader in the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds. They consistently exceed the minimum requirements of the Oregon Forest Practices Act and effectively manage their lands with the goal of long-term sustainability.
Stewardship practices include leaving large riparian buffers, wildlife trees, and non-commercial trees during logging operations, installing in-stream structures to enhance fish habitat, and managing for a variety of wildlife species. Boise was instrumental in establishing the Jackson Cooperative Travel Management Area that restricts motor vehicle access on 43,000 acres of sensitive deer winter range in the Shady Cove area of the Rogue River basin. The company has also been a major financial contributor to the Oregon State Police for area patrols, and has cooperated in many wildlife habitat enhancement projects.
For Immediate Release
March 6, 2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forest Landowners Awarded for Outstanding Practices That Benefit Fish and Wildlife
SALEM — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife honored six private landowners for exceptional forest stewardship that benefits fish and wildlife at an award ceremony on Wednesday, Mar. 5 at the Board of Forestry meeting in Salem. The Fish and Wildlife Steward Awards for Forest Lands are annual awards given cooperatively by ODFW and Oregon Department of Forestry.
"These winners are exemplary private landowners whose voluntarily actions or management decisions resulted in significant habitat improvements on their forest lands, some with considerable financial investment," said Jon Germond, ODFW Forest Practices Program Coordinator. "Some landowner efforts are contributing to salmon recovery and watershed health under the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds, and others have increased access to the public for recreational opportunities."
ODFW and ODF field personnel nominated landowners for each of the state's three Forest Practices Regions: Eastern, Northwest and Southwest Oregon. Awards were given to two categories of winners: non-industrial forest landowners with 5,000 acres or less and industrial forest landowners with over 5,000 acres. Criteria used by Regional Selection Committees to choose award winners included the overall effort to benefit fish and wildlife, the degree of difficulty to implement the stewardship actions and the financial investment required relative to the financial ability of different landowners to contribute.
ODF also presented Operator of the Year awards at the Board of Forestry meeting to selected operators in each of the three Forest Practices Regions.
Eastern Oregon winners:
Lorna Williamson and Mark Tipperman of McCoy Meadows Ranch west of LaGrande received the Non-industrial Forest Lands in Eastern Oregon Award. Williamson and Tipperman developed a stewardship plan for integrated wildlife and forest management that includes identifying and protecting undisturbed areas that provide habitat for forest wildlife, tree planting, and building and vegetating ponds. They also entered 555 acres into the Wetlands Reserve Program resulting in the reconstruction of wetlands and improvements to five miles of stream that had been previously straightened and channelized. In addition, they have replanted riparian areas, installed solar powered riparian fences, and controled invasive noxious weeds.
"In the spirit of the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds, Williamson and Tipperman involved many local, state and federal partners in projects," said Germond. Partners include: the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Environmental Protection Agency, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Union County Soil and Water Conservation District, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Department of Forestry, Grande Ronde Model Watershed Program and the La Grande School District.
"It should be noted," said Germond, "that Lorna and Mark have invested large out-of-pocket and in-kind labor expenses in these improvement projects. They practice a strong stewardship ethic and have foregone immediate financial returns from potential commercial timber harvest in favor of long-term sustainable integrated management."
The Eastern Oregon Industrial Forest Lands Award was presented to Gary Cremer, Herb Nash, Bill Swartz, and Jeff Pearson of Crown Pacific Limited. The company was recognized for stewardship activities on approximately 33,000 acres of their Timbers Block and Spring Butte properties in northern Klamath County. Activities include managing their forestlands to create multi-layered stands, prompt reforestation after wildfire, and implementing harvest practices that reduce the risk of catastrophic fire.
"The company has also contributed to the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds," said Germond. Crown Pacific has closed or obliterated about 60 miles of roads that significantly reduced vehicle traffic, planted a wildlife forage seed mix on obliterated road areas, and upgraded remaining roads by installing effective drainage structures to improve water quality.
By participating in a Cooperative Travel Management program, the general public has gained access to recreation on portions of Crown Pacific Limited timberlands. In return, the company receives enforcement patrols by Oregon State Police to improve the safety and security of its properties.
Northwest Oregon winners:
Pete and Linda Hrebec, owners of 172 acres in the Oakridge area southeast of Eugene, were honored with the Northwest Oregon Non-industrial Forest Lands Award. The couple enrolled their property in the state's Wildlife Habitat Conservation and Management Program with the goal of removing livestock grazing and restoring wetlands and white oak woodlands. Their stewardship practices include removing conifers to restore 30 acres of white oak woodlands, enhancing existing wetlands and wet prairie, restoring native vegetation to pastures, and promoting native plant and animal use of ponds. The Hrebecs obtained water rights to ensure the future of restored ponds and wetlands on their ranch. They have also controlled invasive exotic plants and installed hundreds of feet of water line to provide water for livestock away from waterways.
"As contributors to the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds, the Hrebecs promote watershed restoration activities and landowner incentive programs to neighbors and the Oakridge community," said Germond. The Hrebecs receive some funding from a Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program grant from the Natural Resource Conservation Service, but they are also absorbing some of the costs themselves according to Germond. In addition, the couple sponsored a local Oregon State University student who majored in Fisheries and Wildlife, and they offer their property for student projects and research.
Eric and David Evenson accepted the Industrial Forest Lands Award for Northwest Oregon on behalf of Evenson Timberland Agency and Evenson Logging Company in Clatskanie. The family-owned companies have 25,000 acres of industrial timberlands and consistently manage their lands to benefit fish and wildlife resources, habitat, and recreational opportunities with great out-of-pocket expense.
They recently removed a culvert that blocked approximately one half mile of fish habitat in Perkins Creek, a tributary of the Clatskanie River. The project required the removal of a 70 foot fill and necessitated the purchase and rental of extra machinery to accomplish the job within the in-water work period. The project cost more than $100,000, was not legally required and was done without any grant aid, according to Germond.
"The Evensons have shown leadership in the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds by leaving many more trees than required by the Forest Practices Act in riparian areas along streams and by placing large wood in streams to benefit fish habitat and water quality," said Germond.
The companies have demonstrated local leadership in watershed restoration by being active in the local watershed council and setting an example for others to follow. Future land management plans include working with state and local agencies to reopen eight more miles of core coho habitat by replacing three culverts and abandoning an additional culvert. The Evensons have also participated in controlled hunt programs and have kept many acres of their land open for hunters and anglers.
Southwest Oregon winners:
Bill Hillman of Oakland was awarded the Southwest Oregon Non-industrial Forest Lands Award for his efforts to improve Norton Creek, a tributary of Calapooya Creek which drains into the Umpqua River. Long before the existence of the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds, Hillman worked with the local Soil and Water Conservation District to install off-channel ponds and some initial riparian fencing on Norton Creek. For the last five years, he has worked with ODFW and spent thousands of dollars of his own money to convert hundreds of acres of former poison oak pasture into conifer forest while still retaining oak and madrone stands.
According to Germond, Hillman is constantly looking for ways to improve his 800-acre property to benefit fish and wildlife habitat and encourages his neighbors to do the same. "His eagerness to improve fish and wildlife habitat has been nothing short of extraordinary," Germond said.
Hillman's accomplishments include placing logs in Norton Creek and planting the riparian area to provide fish habitat and hiding cover, and replacing culverts to re-open more than two and a half miles of spawning and rearing habitat in Norton Creek to coho salmon, winter steelhead and cutthroat trout.
Several employees of the Medford office of Boise Cascade Corporation were recognized with the Southwest Oregon Industrial Forest Lands Award. Tim Burnette, Ken Cummings, and Russ McKinley were acknowledged for their stewardship practices and partnerships with a variety of state agencies and sportsmen's organizations to implement habitat projects.
The Medford office manages 142,000 acres of forestlands in southwest Oregon and the company continues to be a local leader in the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds. They consistently exceed the minimum requirements of the Oregon Forest Practices Act and effectively manage their lands with the goal of long-term sustainability.
Stewardship practices include leaving large riparian buffers, wildlife trees, and non-commercial trees during logging operations, installing in-stream structures to enhance fish habitat, and managing for a variety of wildlife species. Boise was instrumental in establishing the Jackson Cooperative Travel Management Area that restricts motor vehicle access on 43,000 acres of sensitive deer winter range in the Shady Cove area of the Rogue River basin. The company has also been a major financial contributor to the Oregon State Police for area patrols, and has cooperated in many wildlife habitat enhancement projects.
