Skip to main content

Ritter Upland Management

County: Grant

Primary Resource Concern Addressed:

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

Project Description
Private lands within Ritter Land Management Team project area is located in the northern portion of Grant County have identified western juniper encroachment as a threat to sustainable agricultural productivity, a cause of wildlife hazard, and detriment to wildlife species habitat.  Primary conservation activities will include juniper removal, precommercial thinning, and aspen stand restoration on rangeland and forestland.  Secondary conservation actives within these treatment areas may include noxious weed control and range planting to ensure perennial grasses are present on the site.  Partners and additional funding sources will help develop of offsite watering sources to lessen impacts on riparian areas and help facilitate riparian corridor fencing.

Conservation Practices Offered

  • Brush Management (314)
  • Herbaceous Weed Control (315)
  • Forest Stand Improvement (666)
  • Woody Residue Treatment (384)
  • Range Planting (550)
  • Access Control (472)
  • Fence (382)
  • Prescribed Burning (338)
  • Prescribed Grazing (528)
  • Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (645)

Project Partners

  • Ritter Land Management Team
  • Oregon Department of Forestry
  • Grant Soil and Water Conservation District
  • Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
  • Sustainable Northwest
  • Business Oregon
  • Western Juniper Alliance
  • North Fork John Day Watershed Council
  • 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

  1. If juniper will be treated, what is the juniper canopy cover:
    a. Juniper canopy cover is between 0 and 19%
    b. Juniper canopy cover is between 20 and 29%, OR is an aspen stand needing juniper removal
    c. Juniper canopy cover is greater than 30%
    d. Juniper canopy = N/A
  2. If the site is forested, what is the stocking rate to be removed?
    a. The stocking rate to be removed is greater than 300 stems per acre OR is an aspen stand needing conifer removal
    b. The stocking rate to be removed is between 200 and 300 stems per acre
    c. The stocking rate to be removed is less than 200 stems per acre OR N/A
  3. Has the landowner completed the Landowner Discovery Tool?
  4. Is the potential normal range site production 1000 lbs./ac./year or greater?
  5. What is the condition of the understory vegetation?
    a. The condition of the understory vegetation within the project area is mostly desirable forage species
    b. The condition of the understory vegetation within the project area is a mixture of invasive species and desirable forage species
    c. The condition of the understory vegetation is primarily invasive and undesirable forage species

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