This prioritization is designed to provide strategic focus for tidal wetland conservation and a restoration actions undertaken in partnership with willing landowners. The study highlights locations in the Siuslaw River estuary where tidal wetland restoration or conservation action may offer the biggest ecological "bang for the buck" - this is,...
This prioritization is designed to provide strategic focus for tidal wetland conservation and restoration actions undertaken in partnership with willing landowners. The study highlights land areas in the Smith River Watershed (within the Umpqua River estuary) where tidal wetland restoration or conservation action may offer the biggest ecological “bang for...
This prioritization is designed to provide strategic focus for tidal wetland conservation and restoration actions undertaken in partnership with willing landowners. The stufy highligts land areas in the Umpqua River Estuary where tidal wetland restoration or conservation action may offer the biggest ecological "bang for the buck" - that is,...
This prioritization is designed to provide strategic focus for tidal wetland conservation and restoration actions undertaken in partnership with willing landowners. The study highlights land areas in the Nehalem River estuary where tidal wetland restoration or conservation action may offer the biggest ecological “bang for the buck” – that is,...
This project surveyed and prioritized 36 tidal and freshwater wetland sites totaling 733 ha (1811A) in the Elk and Sixes River basins of Curry County, Oregon. Sites surveyed included emergent, scrub-shrub, and forested wetlands. The goal was to prioritize these wetland sites for voluntary conservation and restoration actions by willing...
The Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) breeds along the coast of the Pacific Ocean in California, Oregon, and Washington and at alkaline lakes in the interior of the western United States (Page et al. 1991). Loss of habitat, predation pressures, and disturbance have caused the decline of the coastal...
Various mollusks, including small bivalves and gastropod snails, are a common food source for intertidal crabs. Prey opening techniques used on hard-shell prey are dependent on claw size and morphology. For example, large, strong claws can crush a snail outright while smaller, weaker claws leave characteristic peels, pulls and upper...
This project was part of the Siuslaw Watershed Restoration Initiative. We designed and established a monitoring program at five sites totaling 319 A: two tidal wetland restoration sites (97A) and two reference sites (205 A) in the Siuslaw River estuary, and one 17 A reference site in the Yaquina River...
"This guidebook is intended to serve as a reference to help local governments plan for the protection of wetlands and meeting the requirements of statewide planning goals, particularly Goal 5. This guidebook does not create any new policy; it only seeks to explain existing statutes and administrative rules. Background and...
The United States is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, yet accessing enough healthy, fresh food to meet basic nutritional needs is a critical issue faced by millions of Americans. There are a number of reasons for food insecurity in the United States, the primary causes being lack...
HARNEY COUNTY HISTORY PROJECT
AV-Oral History #469
Interviewee: Eileen O'Keeffe McVicker
Interviewer: Karen Nitz
Subject: Homesteading on the South End of Steens Mountain
Date: October 16, 2008
Place: Chester & Helen Felt Recording Room, Harney County Library, Burns, Oregon
INR’s long-term goal with this and other projects is to help revitalize rural economies and contribute to rural sustainability, while increasing ecosystem restoration and thoughtfully developing ecosystem services markets. To assist in meeting these goals, this project aims to understand and overcome a significant hurdle on the supply side of...
The purpose of this report is to characterize the December 2007 storm and long-term storm variability along the Oregon and Washington coast, present the results of a rapid assessment of randomly selected OWEB restoration projects (restoration activities including large wood placement, fish passage, and riparian planting), and based on the...
The Oregon Built Environment & Sustainable Technologies Center (Oregon BEST), an independent nonprofit organization, is a catalyst for research and university-industry collaboration in green building and renewable energy to create business opportunities and jobs in Oregon. Oregon partnered with the Institute for Natural Resources (INR) to conduct a series of...
From 3 April – 23 September 2009 we monitored the distribution, abundance and productivity of the federally Threatened Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) along the Oregon coast. From north to south, we surveyed and monitored plover activity at Sutton Beach, Siltcoos River estuary, the Dunes Overlook, North Tahkenitch Creek,...
The Vital Signs Indicators Project incorporates multiple goals, most particularly:
1. Provide a tool upon which to base statutory assessment of the effectiveness of the Management Plan in implementing the Scenic Area Act;
2. Increase performance accountability and tie Commission actions to the purposes of the Act;
3. Foster dialogue...
The project focuses on nonequilibrium ecosystem dynamics, a body of scientific research that characterizes and interprets ecosystem change. INR summarizes knowledge from this field, describes ways in which the current management framework may be inconsistent with scientific findings, and helps identify options for future management. This paper is designed to...
The research reported here was conducted to identify interests and needs among various sectors of the Oregon agricultural community regarding sustainable agriculture. The study also sought to gauge potential for establishing a program in Oregon to serve those needs.
This chapter is divided into three main sections. The first section discusses land cover map development. It begins by providing background information on the regional division of labor and the regional land cover legend. It then focuses on our land cover mapping methods, including a description of data sources, the...
The purpose of the study is to gauge the scope of bioenergy opportunities by identifying and profiling bioenergy projects and potential projects in Oregon, and learning directly from developers the key challenges and issues this nascent sector faces. Bioenergy projects are defined as projects that would produce biofuels (ethanol and...
ORNHIC maintains extensive databases of Oregon biodiversity, concentrating on rare and endangered plants, animals and ecosystems. The program is managed by OSU, but has been a
cooperative project, with significant support from The Department of State Lands, The Nature Conservancy in Oregon, USFWS, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the...
The Oregon University System, working in partnership with the Oregon Economic & Community Development Department, commissioned a bio-fuels industry readiness survey for Oregon. This report serves as one component of the readiness survey. The report has three primary sections:
• An overview of the current forest products industry in Oregon...
From 3 April – 21 September 2007, we monitored the distribution, abundance and productivity of the federally Threatened Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) along the Oregon coast. From north to south, we surveyed and monitored plover activity at Sutton Beach, Siltcoos River estuary, the Dunes Overlook, North Tahkenitch Creek,...
This classification lists the native plant associations known to occur in Oregon, and includes both successional and climax vegetation types that were an important part of the presettlement landscape of Oregon. It serves as an index to the diversity, distribution and relative rarity of the state's native plant associations, and...
This guide provides keys, descriptions, and stand tables for 122 native freshwater plant associations (14 forest and woodland, 28 shrub, 78 herbaceous, 2 nonvascular) in northwestern Oregon, based on analysis of data from 1,992 plots distributed throughout the study area. Descriptions are provided for eight other plant associations for which...
The structure and components of riparian areas influence the rate, amount, and timing of water, nutrients, organic debris, and inorganic materials that enter streams and rivers. The energy of floodwaters and their ultimate volume, timing and erosive power is influenced by the soils, vegetation and geomorphology of fluvial surfaces within...
The Governor’s Advisory Group on Global Warming developed this Oregon Strategy for Greenhouse Gas Reduction.1 Governor Ted Kulongoski appointed the Advisory Group early in 2004 to perform this task. This Strategy, if implemented, will complement the agenda of the West Coast Governors’ Global Warming Initiative undertaken by the governors of...
This field guide combines classifications of common streamside plant communities and native freshwater wetland communities in Northwest Oregon. It is a condensed version of two separate works which are both available on the CD that accompanies this book. The information is also available for reference or to download as a...
From 2 April – 14 September 2006, we monitored the distribution, abundance and productivity of the federally Threatened Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) along the Oregon coast. From north to south, we surveyed and monitored plover activity at Sutton Beach, Siltcoos River estuary, the Dunes overlook, North Tahkenitch Creek,...
Once lost, a species can never be recovered, and there is no way of knowing how useful it may have been. We do know that human beings and many of their industries depend on plant and animal products. About 50% of all pharmaceuticals have a natural component as an active...
The Department of Administrative Services (DAS) and Oregon State University (OSU) are collaborating to develop an orthoimagery portal application to allow for the distribution of digital aerial imagery for the State of Oregon. The near-term objective of this project is to develop an Imagery Portal that serves the
2005 half-meter...
The Biodiversity Monitoring Workgroup (Appendix 1)—which consists of federal, state, university, NGO’s, and private landowner stakeholders who are involved in aspects of monitoring biodiversity in the states of Oregon and Washington—conceived of the idea of exploring the possibilities of creating a Regional Biodiversity Monitoring Partnership. The Workgroup’s idea of hosting...
This report examines the Bridge Program efforts undertaken, methods used, obstacles encountered, accomplishments, and lessons learned. It is not a performance evaluation; it is a case study focusing on the social, organizational and institutional dynamics of transforming a vision for environmental streamlining into a working program. The Bridge Program is...
This report documents an Oregon Department of Forestry pilot project conducted through the Institute for Natural Resources at Oregon State University on a science synthesis method known as systematic review- a rigorous, transparent literature review technique developed and now widely used in clinical medicine. A systematic review focuses narrowly on...
In 2008, the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) asked the Institute for Natural Resources (INR) to assess whether the Oregon Land Use Program, as designed, is helping the state meet its land use goals. More specifically, this intensive but highly time-limited research effort set out to answer the...
The purpose of this project was to conduct a preliminary examination of the environmental use of plants in Oregon by gauging the breadth of opportunities and challenges faced by growers, users, and researchers who are involved in the general area of the environmental uses of plants. More specifically, the project...
In order to reduce long-term idling along the Oregon I-5 corridor, the US Environmental Agency entered into a collaborative research and implementation program with Oregon State University, the Oregon Climate Trust, and Shurepower (producers of truckstop electrification equipment) to install Shurepower stations at truck stops in Oregon. This research component...
The purpose of this briefing document is twofold: (1) to provide a general overview of key environmental issues at the global, regional, and local levels; and (2) to provide examples of long-term environmental goals that have been adopted by businesses, governments, and other organizations. This document is not meant to...
INR’s mission is to provide Oregonians with ready access to current, science‐based information and methods for better understanding resource management challenges and developing solutions and after the 2004 release of the Governor’s Advisory Group on Global Warming (GAGGW’s) extensive report, The Oregon Strategy for GHG Reductions, INR recognized the need...
A systematic review of evidence was conducted concerning the effects of large wood placement on salmonids. In contrast to a general literature review, a narrowly focused question was targeted. The question was formulated before the review commenced and specified the subject, treatment, and outcomes of interest. The primary review question...
The purpose of this study is to summarize the technical information on aggregate mining in Oregon including updates of supply and demand since the last comprehensive forecasting of aggregate demand completed by Whelan (1995). Aggregate is a term that numerous definitions, but as used herein, aggregate is sand, gravel, and...
The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) has established two new research programs – the Surface Transportation Environment Planning (STEP) Cooperative Research Program and the Future Strategic Highway Research Program II (F-SHRP II). The creation of these new programs provides an opportunity for transportation...
Over the last 25 years numerous approaches, understandings, and perceptions about natural areas have changed – changes which affect the relevance of programs such as the Heritage Program. As one participant stated, “the complexity of science in general has been humbling”. The last 25 years has shown many assumptions and...
Development of the prototype website is an integral part of OWEB’s strategy for information systems development. Specifically, the Board, INR, and the Department of Administrative Services Information Resources Management Division (DAS) were directed by the Legislature to develop a statewide information system for natural resources. In addition, the Oregon Geographic...
From 1 April – 24 September 2008, we monitored the distribution, abundance and productivity
of the federally Threatened Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) along the Oregon
coast. From north to south, we surveyed and monitored plover activity at Sutton Beach, Siltcoos River
estuary, the Dunes Overlook, North Tahkenitch Creek,...
"This report summarizes the preliminary ideas of Oregon’s Big Look Land Use Task Force for reforming Oregon’s Land Use Planning Program. The Task Force was formed to evaluate Oregon’s Land Use Planning Program and make recommendations for how it should be adapted to address the challenges of the future...
"The...
"This interim report of the Big Look Task Force synthesizes the research and conclusions made by the
Task Force in Phase I (identifying major issues) and Phase II (framing the issues) of its work program.
Work has begun on Phase III (targeted outreach), which is anticipated to coincide with Phases...
"Oregon's waters are an integral part of sustainable communities, a viable state economy and a healthy environment - and they are fundamental to our quality of life. Oregonians recognize the need to manage our waters in a way that protects the unique natural resources of the state in balance with...
This is a response prepared by Henry R. Richmond of the American Land Institute to the SB 82/"Big Look" Task Force report, "Big Look: Choices for the future" (issued, May 30, 2008). It appear was written on July 11, 2008 and consists of three files: comments, updated cover page for...
Archival information about fish and water in the Umpqua Basin can be found in reports housed in disparate locations (e.g., offices of various State and Federal agencies and local organizations). A comprehensive bibliography of grey literature, important or uncataloged reports, and published reports is one means of recording what research...
This white paper seeks to provide facts about the history of land use planning in Oregon while
also identifying some of the key challenges facing planning in the future. It also includes useful
information about the work of the Oregon Task Force on Land Use Planning (the “Big Look”
task...
The Oregon Conservation Strategy is an ambitious effort to synthesize the best available data, science, and knowledge into a broad vision and conceptual framework for long-term conservation of Oregon’s native wildlife. It is intended to be a dynamic, living approach that will be adjusted as new information and insights are...
Bird conservation plan prepared by Oregon / Washington Partners in Flight containg strategies for the long-term maintenance of healthy bird populations in the Columbia Plateau of Eastern Washington and Oregon.
This Environmental Assessment (EA) will address the Klamath Falls Resource Area proposal to
upgrade the existing concrete stream ford on the CCC road (no. 41-14E-11) where it crosses Barnes
Valley Creek at T39S, R14 ½ E, Sec. 22 (see attached map, figure 1).
The proposed construction project would be done...
The BLM bridge team inspects bridges identified as part of the BLM transportation infrastructure every two years.
Bridges identified as needing repair or replacement are placed on deferred maintenance lists and ranked based on
condition and need for action. Upon the last inspection of Rock Creek bridge the buttresses were...