Post by Billybob on Mar 8, 2009 12:09:59 GMT -8
January 6, 2009
Providing access to 316,000 acres of private forestland in northeast Oregon
Hunters, anglers and other outdoor recreationists can access 316,000 acres of private forestland in northeast Oregon year-round, thanks in part to hunting license dollars.
While the property is mostly used during the spring and fall months, increasing numbers of hunters are also pursuing predators and small game animals during the winter. In addition to hunter access, anglers have access to waterbodies on the private forestland in Baker, Umatilla, Union and Wallowa counties.
The access comes through a five-year partnership between ODFW’s Access and Habitat (A&H) program, which is funded by license dollars, and Gallatin Northeast Oregon Land and Timber, LLC/Forest Capital Partners LLC (FCP). A&H grants totaling $745,000 over five years are also funding wildlife habitat improvement, a law enforcement presence on timberlands involved in the program, and biological data collection.
Portions of FCP lands have been involved in Access and Habitat projects as part of the Sled Springs Management Demonstration Area (MDA) in Wallowa County for over 20 years. These lands are part of the Noregaard and Shamrock/Whisky Creek Cooperative Travel Management Areas (see map). A&H is contributing $345,000 over a 5-year period (through 2012) to continue this public access. A&H grant funds will be used to patrol private timberlands owned by FCP, collect biological data, and determine harvest success. The increased enforcement provides an incentive to FCP to continue to allow hunting access.
FCP currently expends $80,000 annually on noxious weed control activities. A&H dollars will contribute an equal amount each year for 5 years (total of $400,000). Noxious weeds like rush skeltonweed and scotch thistle destroy critical wildlife habitat and are difficult to control. The project will increase FCP’s existing noxious weed control program and improve and enhance critical big game winter range habitats on all FCP lands in Baker, Union, Umatilla and Wallowa counties. Grant monies will also be spent for noxious weed control in the Sled Springs MDA, which previously had no funds available to do this type of work.
FCP is an independent investment firm that acquires and manages large-scale investment grade forests across North America. Owned and managed by principals who are professional foresters, FCP is a pure timber company. FCP’s approach to forest management blends the needs of people for both forest-based products and environmental resource values in such a way that their timberlands represent a diverse, healthy, productive and sustainable forest ecosystem
ODFW’s Access and Habitat Program (A&H) was created in 1993 when the Oregon Legislature passed a law creating an incentive-based program to improve public hunting access and wildlife habitat on private lands in Oregon. Funding for the Access and Habitat Program comes directly from hunters through $2 surcharge on all hunting licenses, the annual auction and raffle of 10 deer and 10 elk tags, and from the Green Forage and Deer Enhancement and Restoration programs. To date the Access and Habitat Program has funded more than 360 access and/or habitat projects improving more than one million acres of wildlife habitat and providing over 7 million acres of public hunting access to private land
www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/odfw_at_work/2009/providing_access.asp
Providing access to 316,000 acres of private forestland in northeast Oregon
Hunters, anglers and other outdoor recreationists can access 316,000 acres of private forestland in northeast Oregon year-round, thanks in part to hunting license dollars.
While the property is mostly used during the spring and fall months, increasing numbers of hunters are also pursuing predators and small game animals during the winter. In addition to hunter access, anglers have access to waterbodies on the private forestland in Baker, Umatilla, Union and Wallowa counties.
The access comes through a five-year partnership between ODFW’s Access and Habitat (A&H) program, which is funded by license dollars, and Gallatin Northeast Oregon Land and Timber, LLC/Forest Capital Partners LLC (FCP). A&H grants totaling $745,000 over five years are also funding wildlife habitat improvement, a law enforcement presence on timberlands involved in the program, and biological data collection.
Portions of FCP lands have been involved in Access and Habitat projects as part of the Sled Springs Management Demonstration Area (MDA) in Wallowa County for over 20 years. These lands are part of the Noregaard and Shamrock/Whisky Creek Cooperative Travel Management Areas (see map). A&H is contributing $345,000 over a 5-year period (through 2012) to continue this public access. A&H grant funds will be used to patrol private timberlands owned by FCP, collect biological data, and determine harvest success. The increased enforcement provides an incentive to FCP to continue to allow hunting access.
FCP currently expends $80,000 annually on noxious weed control activities. A&H dollars will contribute an equal amount each year for 5 years (total of $400,000). Noxious weeds like rush skeltonweed and scotch thistle destroy critical wildlife habitat and are difficult to control. The project will increase FCP’s existing noxious weed control program and improve and enhance critical big game winter range habitats on all FCP lands in Baker, Union, Umatilla and Wallowa counties. Grant monies will also be spent for noxious weed control in the Sled Springs MDA, which previously had no funds available to do this type of work.
FCP is an independent investment firm that acquires and manages large-scale investment grade forests across North America. Owned and managed by principals who are professional foresters, FCP is a pure timber company. FCP’s approach to forest management blends the needs of people for both forest-based products and environmental resource values in such a way that their timberlands represent a diverse, healthy, productive and sustainable forest ecosystem
ODFW’s Access and Habitat Program (A&H) was created in 1993 when the Oregon Legislature passed a law creating an incentive-based program to improve public hunting access and wildlife habitat on private lands in Oregon. Funding for the Access and Habitat Program comes directly from hunters through $2 surcharge on all hunting licenses, the annual auction and raffle of 10 deer and 10 elk tags, and from the Green Forage and Deer Enhancement and Restoration programs. To date the Access and Habitat Program has funded more than 360 access and/or habitat projects improving more than one million acres of wildlife habitat and providing over 7 million acres of public hunting access to private land
www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/odfw_at_work/2009/providing_access.asp
