Oregon s Access & Habitat Board News Summer 2000 The Access and Habitat Board was created by the 1993 Oregon Legislature and is funded by a $2 surcharge on hunting licenses. The Board identifies and recommends funding for projects that improve wildlife habitat and facilitate public hunting access on private lands. RETURN TO NORTH POWDER Five years after North Powder Ranchers Chris and Donna Heffernan received an A&H Program grant, board members gather to review the results of their handiwork On a fine morning this past May, surrounded by ranch land and mountain vistas of the Powder River Valley in northeast Oregon, members of the Access and Habitat Board, along with other visiting dignitaries, listened as Eddie Miguez outlined some recent history. In the early 90s, explained Miguez, manager of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife s Elkhorn Wildlife Area, the elk used to come down into this farm ground and right up to the highway. And that posed a number of problems. For area ranchers, that meant herds of elk in their fields eating hay crops intended for livestock along with damaged fences as the big animals crashed their way through. And because so many elk up to 400 head were gathered near the roadway, elk hunters congregated as well, creating a dangerous situation as they fired their rifles too close to traffic and homes. People were shooting them from the highway, related A&H board member and former Oregon State Police wildlife officer Bob Lund. The effect this had on OSP was that you spent the first few days of elk season patrolling here instead of up in the mountains where most of the hunters were. Chris and Donna Heffernan are local ranchers whose 2,000-acre ranch is a natural corridor for the elk that were coming By Jim Yuskavitch off the Wildlife Area on their way to the valley floor below. We knew that the property came with a large population of deer and elk, says Chris Heffernan. That s one of the reasons we bought it. But, since they, too, were experiencing elk damage to their crops, the Heffernans thought they could kill two birds with one stone by getting the Access and Habitat Program to cost share some improvements to their land which would both mitigate for elk damage while diverting the animals from farm ground in the valley. So in 1995 they submitted an A&H Program grant proposal requesting $55,000 over a five-year period to plant an extra field of alfalfa and put in a solar-powered pump to provide water for wildlife and livestock. The idea was that the additional field would make up for some of the hay crops the Heffernans lost to elk, while at the same time providing more forage for the animals to discourage them from travelling down onto other agricultural lands in the Powder River Valley. Water development in the uplands would allow both livestock and big game to utilize more of the upland areas. Their grant was approved, with this year marking the completion of the total $77,000 project. The A&H grant money was used for developing power, pumps and the irrigation equipment about $24,000 of which went for the solar pump. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation donated $5,000 for seed, while the Heffernans did the farming. The Heffernans have gone well beyond the original project planning, substantially upgrading their irrigation system for more efficient use of water and putting up lay-down fence to make it easier for deer and elk to get access to the fields. But the bottom line is that the project is working in its goal to keep elk out of the valley, much to the relief of local ranchers and state wildlife officers. Says Miguez: From my perspective, it s a win-win program. We have potatoes, mint and other high cash crops in the valley. The elk don t need to be here. This project is doing what it s supposed to. North Powder rancher Chris Heffernan shows off his solarpowered pump to the A&H Board. The pump provides water for both livestock and wildlife. Photo by Jim Yuskavitch
What s New? Matt Buhler Appointed New A&H Program Coordinator Matt Buhler has been hired as the new Access and Habitat Program coordinator. A Wyoming native, he was born and raised in Powell. Most recently, he worked for the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. Here, he was involved in wildlife projects and studies focusing on mule deer, black bear, black-tailed prairie dogs and reptiles and amphibians. Buhler has also spent time in Oregon as a wildlife technician in 1990 and from 1993 to 1995 working for a consulting firm on the Starkey Experimental Forest near La Grande. He has also worked in Texas and New Mexico. He officially began working as A&H Program coordinator in late May. 10 Lucky Hunters Win This Year s A&H Raffle Hunts Ten lucky hunters had their names drawn from a pool of more than 40,000 and won an A&H raffle hunt for deer or elk during the Oregon Hunters Association annual convention held in Portland on May 20. Here are this year s winners: Hart Mountain Mule Deer Hunt Ansel Roberts, Newport, WA Western Oregon Deer Hunt Troy Rodakowski, Eugene, OR Northeast Oregon Deer Hunt R.M. Bernards, McMinnville, OR Southeast Oregon Deer Hunt Brian Wager, Medford, OR Central Oregon Deer Hunt Kipp Nelson, Milwaukie, OR Northeast Oregon Elk Hunt James O Brien, Alsea, OR Southeast Oregon Elk Hunt Dale Dietzel, Turner, OR Central Oregon Elk Hunt James Holmes, Klamath Falls, OR Western Oregon Elk Hunt R.M. Bernards, McMinnville, OR Statewide Elk Hunt Todd A. Erickson, Carlton, OR Deer and elk raffle winners will be able to hunt over several management units between September 1 and November 30, 2000. Proceeds from the deer and elk raffle and auction hunts will be used by the Access and Habitat Program to fund wildlife habitat and hunter access projects throughout the state. @@@@@@@@e? @@h? @@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@ To receive a free subscription to Oregon s Access and Habitat Board News just fill out this form and mail it to: Access and Habitat Program, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Post Office Box 59, Portland, OR 97207 Name Street/P.O. Box City/State/Zip Code @@ @@ @@g @@@@@@@@?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?@@@@@@@@ Calendar of Events July 21 Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission Meeting, Baker City (503) 872-5268 August 11 Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission Meeting, Portland (503) 872-5268 August 25 Tag purchase deadline for deer and elk bow (503) 872-5275 September 1 Forest grouse and mourning dove season begins (503) 872-5268 September 29 Tag purchase deadline for western Oregon deer rifle and general black bear and cougar season (503) 872-5275 August 1 Black bear and cougar general seasons begin (503) 872-5268 August 7 A&H Board Meeting, The Dalles (503) 872-5260 August 26 Deer/elk bowhunting season begins (503) 872-5268 Errata An article in the Spring 2000 Access and Habitat Board News on the impending acquisition of Coffin Butte by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife neglected to mention that $15,500 is being contributed by the Oregon Hunters Association towards the purchase of the parcel. The property is slated to be added to the E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area just north of Corvallis.
Program Update Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission Approves 11 Access And Habitat Program Grants At Its May 19 Meeting In The Dalles 1 North Coast Travel Management Area A $79,336 grant was awarded to ODFW s North Coast Watershed District to continue an ongoing project to provide Oregon State Police patrols on approximately 1,800 square miles of lands in Clatsop, Tillamook and Columbia counties. This project has been very successful in maintaining public hunting access to private forest lands. This grant is the first of a five-year project proposal. 2 Forster Field Fencing Project Tillamook County landowners Bob and Charlotte Forster have received a $9,625 grant to construct a big game fence around a pasture on their property for the purpose of reducing elk damage. The landowners allow hunting on their land on a by-permission basis. 3 Willamette Private Lands Law Enforcement Project A coalition of Benton, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Polk and Marion county timberland owners have been granted $85,294 per year over a five-year period to hire retired Oregon State Police officers to patrol 1.25 million acres of private industrial forest lands. This project has been instrumental in keeping private lands open to public hunting access by reducing illegal activities. 4 Linn Private Lands Law Enforcement Project A two-year $8,000 grant was awarded to a group of private timberland owners and agencies to provide additional law enforcement on 378,000 acres of industrial forest lands and 108,000 acres of public lands. Begun in 1997, this program has been successful in maintaining public hunting access to these lands by reducing the incidences of illegal activities. 5 Catching Creek Habitat Project The Rural Outdoor Education Program has received a $6,500 grant to install five wood duck boxes and nesting platforms along Catching Creek, near Myrtle Point. Hunting access will be allowed on a by-permission basis by the owner of the 67-acre parcel. 6 Rogers Property Purchase The Malheur Watershed District of ODFW has been given a $60,000 grant to go towards the purchase of 81 acres of land near the Owyhee River in Malheur County. Wildlife habitat will be restored on the property which will also provide long-term hunting opportunities for the public. The land is being offered for $210,000 well below its appraised value. 7 Cow Valley Elk Hazer Malheur County rancher Ray Belnap has received $13,500 to haze elk off his property, which have been causing damage to his crops. As many as 300 elk utilize his land during the course of each year. 8 Pokegama Fencing and Meadow Enhancement Project U.S. Timberlands of Klamath Falls has been awarded a $27,750 grant to control livestock on its property by reconstructing a fence around a sensitive meadow and planting native vegetation. Lay-down fencing will also be constructed on several other meadows on the property. 9 Timbers Block Road Closure and Enforcement A $21,038 grant to Crown Pacific Ltd., ODFW and the Oregon State Police will be used to obliterate excess roads and provide law enforcement on 300,000 acres of Crown Timber s forest lands in Klamath County. This project will allow continued public recreational access to these private lands. 10 Coombs Canyon Regulated Hunt Area Wolfe Hereford Ranch and Forth Ranches, Inc. have received a $22,450 grant to implement a Conservation Reserve Program wildlife habitat plan on 3,000 acres of their lands as part of the Coombs Canyon Regulated Hunt Area in Umatilla County. 11 Heppner Regulated Hunt Area An $84,176 grant will be used by ODFW to pay Grant and Morrow county landowners $1 per acre for their participation in the Heppner Regulated Hunt Area during the 2000 hunting season. The RHA provides 84,176 acres of public hunting access. 5 2 1 3 Salem Portland 4 Medford 8 Bend 9 11 10 Burns Pendleton 7 6
Access & Habitat Board Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Post Office Box 59 Portland, OR 97207 Get Involved For information on applying for an Access and Habitat grant contact Matt Buhler, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, P.O. Box 59, Portland, OR 97207 (503) 872-5260 ext. 5349 Oregon s Access & Habitat Board News, Summer 2000, Vol. 5, No. 3 Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, P.O. Box 59, Portland, OR 97207 James W. Greer, Director Matt Buhler, A&H Program Coordinator J. Yuskavitch Resources, Editing and Design Access & Habitat Board Chuck Smith, Chairman... Medford Monty L. Montgomery, Vice Chair... Portland Ward Armstrong... Salem Theo Tik Moore...Vale Jim Markman... The Dalles Kelly Smith... Bend Robert Lund... La Grande A&H Advisory Councils North Willamette Dave Johnson, Chairman... Forest Grove Kevin Van Dyke... Forest Grove Kent Boring... Forest Grove Bill Perry... West Linn Wendell Locke... Gaston Nicholas Berg... Birkenfeld Bill Bogh...... Portland South Willamette David Wiley, Chairman... Salem Michael S. Hicks... Monmouth Dave Riddell... Monmouth Ron O Neal... Veneta Jess Stalcup... Lebanon Max Smith... Junction City Lonnie Woosley... Florence Southwest Frank Lehto, Chairman... Medford Stan Hendy... Roseburg Bill Drewien... Medford Landowner Representative... Vacant Hedge Jarvis... Winchester Mike Kaiser... Eagle Point Lee Sutton... North Bend Deschutes/Klamath Ken Johnson, Chairman... Bend John Ward... The Dalles Bill McCormack... Prineville Chris Sokol... Klamath Falls Jerry Fauglid... Redmond Gary Nichols... Klamath Falls Rocky Liskey... Klamath Falls Malheur Chair... Vacant Van Decker... Burns Earl Tiller...Burns Charles Oakes...Ontario Paul Zinie...Vale Dave Ganskopp... Burns Robert Williams... Vale Northeast Bob Coulter, Chairman... Cove Steve McClelland... Cove Ty Hansell... Hermiston Dr. Mike Mehren... Hermiston Eldon Buck Buckner... Baker City Daryl Hawes... Hereford Sharon Sweeney... Mt. Vernon