County: Grant  

Primary Resource Concern Addressed:

• Degraded plant condition - Plant productivity and health
• Fire management - Wildfire hazard from biomass accumulation
• Terrestrial habitat - Terrestrial habitat for wildlife and invertebrates

Project Description
The objective of this strategy is to improve the overall rangeland health and plant species composition on sites that have invasive annual grasses. Future conditions will have a more diverse community that both domestic livestock and wildlife species can utilize on the rangeland, pastureland, and forestlands in the county while also reducing wildfire risk from fine fuels accumulation. Sites with good exiting deep rooted perennial bunchgrass will be prioritized.

Conservation Practices Offered

• Herbaceous Weed Treatment (315)
• Prescribed Grazing (528)
• Pest Management Conservation System (595)
• Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (645)
• Range Planting (550)
• Pasture and Hay Planting (512)
• Fence (382)

Project Partners

• Grant Soil and Water Conservation District
• Grant Soil and Water Conservation District Weed Control
• Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Oregon Department of Forestry
• Monument Soil and Water Conservation District
• South Fork John Day Watershed Council
• North Fork John Day Watershed Council
• Bayer Cooperation
• NRCS Oregon
• Private landowners

Application Questions
NRCS uses prioritization questions to evaluate applications for this initiative. See the list of workload prioritization questions on the Oregon EQIP page. Ranking questions below will also apply.

Ranking Questions

Answer either option 1A or 1B, not both:
1.)
1A. What is the current perennial vegetation on the site that has not been chemically treated?
    i. Perennial bunchgrasses make up the majority of the vegetation 
    ii. Perennial bunchgrasses and annual grasses are roughly equal
    iii. Annual grasses make up the majority of the vegetation but perennial bunchgrasses are present
    iv. Annual grass dominates the site and there is no evidence of perennial bunchgrasses

1B. After the herbicide treatment at least 1 year post spray, what is the current perennial vegetation?
    i. Perennial bunchgrasses make up less than 25% of the current vegetation on the site
    ii. Perennial bunchgrasses make up between 25 - 49% of the current vegetation on the site
    iii. Perennial bunchgrasses make up between 50 - 74% of the current vegetation on the site
    iv. Perennial bluegrasses dominate the site and additional seeding is not needed

2.)
What is the site potential (Lbs./acre) for a normal year based on the soil data?
    a. Greater than 1,250 lbs./ac 
    b.1,000 to 1,249 lbs./ac 
    c.750 – 999 lbs./ac 
    d. Less than 750 lbs./ac 

3.)
When looking at the treatment area, the amount of the pasture sprayed and the ability to control livestock access and grazing is important. Select the answer that is most applicable: 
    a. The entire pasture will be or has been sprayed and there are fences to allow full management flexibility and deferred grazing for the treatment area. 
    b. Part of the pasture will be or has been sprayed and there are temporary fences provided by the producer to allow full management flexibility and deferred grazing for the treatment area. 
    c. Part of the pasture will be or has been sprayed and a cross fence will be installed to allow full management flexibility and deferred grazing for the treatment area.
    d. Part or all of the pasture has been sprayed but no management flexibility to defer grazing for the treatment area exists. 

4.)
Is the treatment area accessible to equipment and a range drill?
    a .Both equipment and a range drill 
    b. Just equipment 
    c. Neither 

How to Apply
If you're interested in applying for this Program, please contact:

Hannah Smith, Natural Resource Conservation Service, District Conservationist
541-575-1274,116
hannah.r.smith@usda.gov