Past Accomplishments of Wallowa Resources
Wallowa River McDaniel Restoration Project
Final Project Report
Post Implementation Status Report
Salt Creek Summit
Salt Creek Summit Multi Purpose Building
After years of planning and fundraising efforts, construction on the Salt Creek Summit Multi-Purpose Building was officially opened in the winter of 2007. This 2,500 square foot building provides a focal point for winter recreation, and help expand the seasonal use of tourism infrastructure (hotels, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, sports shops, other services). In the summer, the facility will cater to hikers, bikers and ATV enthusiasts, and provide a base for forest management and education activities.
The project is a joint activity of the USFS, Wallowa County, Wallowa Resources, Oregon State Snowmobile Association and its local chapter, Eagle Cap Ski Club, Wallowa County Search and Rescue, Wallowa Valley Trail-riders Association, Oregon Department of Parks and Recreation, and the National Forest Foundation. The USFS Forest Products Laboratory, with the assistance of a Beaudette Consulting Engineers, Inc, produced the building plans.
The building includes a visitor information and warming room, a base for search and rescue operations, and separate garages to store snowmobile and ski trail grooming equipment. Development of this facility responds to needs identified in the existing County and USFS winter recreation plans, and complements the ongoing promotion of winter recreation opportunities by the USFS, Wallowa County Chamber of Commerce and local businesses.
Click here for more about this project.
Bear Gulch Watershed Restoration
In recognition of the impacts of livestock concentrations around watering points during the mid and late summer, and the increase of such impacts during the current long-term drought, the USFS and Wallowa Resources have been working together to protect these sensitive and confined habitats while ensuring the provision of quality water for livestock use. Impacts from animal concentrations around watering points include degraded water quality (which affects animal growth), stream bank and spring source instability, lake and pond shore degradation, and a decline in riparian and wetland vegetation. The Bear Gulch Watershed Restoration Project was designed to address these point problem areas within the Bear Gulch and Big Sheep Allotments, and on adjoining private land.
Since the initiation of the project in 2000, thirteen site-specific restoration activities have been completed. Each activity was designed to enhance water quality, improve capture, storage and safe release of water, and to increase riparian and wetland vegetation. Associated benefits will be realized by the restoration of wetland emergent and deciduous habitats essential to blue, ruffled and sharp-tailed grouse, mountain quail, wild turkeys, waterfowl and shorebirds, Rocky Mountain elk, mule deer and other wildlife.
Another long-term goal of this project is to establish a cooperative system of long-term stewardship of rangeland and riparian restoration. The project was one of the first cooperative projects of the USFS and Wallowa Resources. This partnership has grown significantly since the initiation of this project – with cooperation extended to a range of restoration work (wetlands, Aspen, noxious weeds, fuel reduction, watershed planning, etc.). The Nature Conservancy, Oregon Youth Conservation Corps, and the Buhler, Browder and Hockett families have all contributed to this project. Permittees are recognizing the value of this work, and are now seeking additional assistance for similar types of projects in other areas.
The partners are committed to the continued improvement and maintenance of ecological condition of the Bear Gulch Watershed Area (including Clear Lake Ridge and Dead Horse Ridge) and the evolution of ecologically sustainable economic uses of the entire area.
Click here for more on this project.
Wallowa Lake Fuels Reduction
From 2003-2007, Wallowa Resources worked with the Oregon Department of Forestry, USFS, and private landowners, to reduce fire danger around homes and other structures at Wallowa Lake and along Alder Slope, particularly in the Demosh and Hurricane Creek developments. Phase I targeted ground bordering the Eagle Cap Wilderness on the southwest side of Wallowa Lake. Fuel reduction treatments were conducted across 48.4 acres on 3 landowners. Phase II moved to the southeast side of Wallowa Lake treating 61.5 acres on 14 landowners. Phase III involved 32 landowners along Alder Slope and treated 135 acres.
Buck Stewardship
WR worked with the Forest Service to develop the first USFS Stewardship Contracting Pilot, awarded to a local contractor in 2001. This contract, known as Buck Stewardship combined several tasks in the management of a 115 acre unit in Wallowa Whitman National forest. The contract was successfully completed in March of 2004.
Objectives and Activities:
Buck Stewardship's ecological objective was to reduce stand densities and adjust species composition to move existing stands towards historic conditions. Meeting this objective included removing much of the existing fuels, pre-commercially thinning existing thickets, and release thinning around certain trees. 880 acres of thinning was completed as designed.
The contract also included treating existing slash piles, reconstructing 6.8 miles of road and closing 19.6 miles of road. Slash was mechanically treated on the 115 acres. Both commercial and non-commercial trees were removed and much of the existing slash was yarded to the nearest log landing. Some of this material was chipped and hauled as hog fuel. Roads were reconstructed and closed as designated.
Finally, the contract specified providing approximately 4,000 million board feet (mbf) of commercial timber to local communities. In the end, the project sold approximately 3,700 mbf of commercial timber. Additionally, the project generated approximately 1,600 bone dry tons of hog fuel material, which had not been previously done in Wallowa County. It appears to be a viable solution to landing slash and air pollution.
Outcomes and Benefits:
All project objectives were met. From the perspective of the Forest Service, combining activities in one contract saved both time and money.
The project benefited the local economy by increasing employment for the period of the contract. The contractor hired 2 local subcontractors. One unexpected outcome is the use of private foresters being hired to write project proposals. Sawmills and loggers are hiring professional foresters to write technical papers as part of the proposals.
In addition, Wallowa Resources facilitated awarding an additional contract to a local soil scientist to assess activity related soil disturbance. Outcomes of this project also contributed to the creation of an entire watershed assessment process performed collaboratively (Upper Joseph Creek Watershed Assessment).
Haypen III
WR worked with the Forest Service to develop this service contract, which combined three operations into one contract: fuels reduction, timber harvest and thinning for a 69 acre unit in the Peavine Creek Drainage of the Wallowa Whitman National Forest . A local contractor was awarded the bid in xxxx and work was completed in xxxx. Wallowa Resources has been conducting the monitoring for the project.
Objectives and Activities: The were three main objectives for this project, the primary one being fuels reductions, with timber harvest and thinning secondary. The objective was to treat the stand in one operation, so that no further treatments would be necessary for approximately 15-20 years.
Outcomes and Benefits: Encourage utilization of suppressed substandard timer by providing the material to the contractor at no cost as salvage material and by working in partnership with Wallowa Resources to locate potential markets for this material and promote development of new markets. Provide employment to local contractors who can help stimulate the local economy by investment in wages, equipment and expertise to utilize a local resource. Accomplishing stand treatments which meat multiple objectives in a single integrated operation.
Wood Products Fair
In March 2004 Wallowa Resources and partners held a wood products fair in La Grande, OR. Over 200 people gathered at this event to share information and discuss ecosystem restoration, wildfire risk reduction and wood products utilization. Learn more!
Small Diameter Wood
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| Wallowa Resources and partners built this kiosk from small diameter roundwood. The building served as an information center at the 2002 Winter Olympics. |
Wallowa Resources is always looking for ways to add value to our natural resources. When our forests were filling up with small diameter wood, largely considered waste material by logging companies focusing on large diameter trees, we asked, can we find a use for this abundant small diameter wood? Working with a local log home company and the Forest Products Laboratory in Wisconsin, we developed a small diameter roundwood kiosk that served as an information center at the 2002 Winter Olympics and generated interest in other such structures. For more information visit Community Smallwood Solutions.