County: Grant

Primary Resource Concern:

• Terrestrial habitat - Terrestrial habitat for wildlife and invertebrates
• Degraded plant condition - Plant structure and composition 
• Concentrated erosion - Bank erosion from streams, shorelines or water conveyance channels 

Project Description
This project will focus on upland improvement conservation practices in the South Fork John Day Watershed to address multiple resource concerns including: Concentrated Erosion, Degraded Plant Condition, Livestock Production Limitation, Source Water Depletion, and Terrestrial Habitat. The suite of practices offered will not only have a positive impact for the landowners within the boundary but will have a positive impact on the wildlife species including Mule Deer and provide positive benefits down river for the anadromous fish. Juniper removal will help maintain and improve native perennial grasses, shrubs and forb and reduce soil erosion, forest thinning will promote desirable tree species, reduce stocking densities, and reduce fuel loads in the forest, stock water developments will draw cows away from the riparian area and help facilitate better utilization across the pastures, and cross fencing will provide management flexibility and better pasture utilization with the goal of maintaining and improving rangeland health. Other secondary practices such as herbaceous weed control, range seeding, and prescribed grazing maybe be used alongside the primary practices to address additional resource concerns and provide the greatest benefit for the treatment area. This funding along with the numerous other partners working in the area will be used to build on the work that the South Fork John Day Watershed Council and landowners have been doing in the area for years.

Conservation Practices Offered

• Brush Management (314)
• Fence (382)
• Forest Stand Improvement (666)
• Herbaceous Weed Control (315)
• Prescribed Grazing (528)
• Pumping Plant (533)
• Range Planting (550)
• Spring Development (574)
• Watering Facility (614)
• Woody Residue Treatment (384)
• Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (645)
• Livestock Piping (516)
• Water Well (642) 

Collaborating Partners:

• South Fork John Day Watershed landowners
• South Fork John Day Watershed Council
• Natural Resource Conservation Service
• Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Grant Soil and Water Conservation District Weed Control
• Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board
• Oregon Department of Forestry
• 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 Criteria

1. Has the landowner completed the landowner needs assessment with the SFJDWC?
    
2. Will the application address the priority resource concern of Terrestrial habitat – Terrestrial habitat for wildlife and invertebrates on the land offered under this application?
    
3. Select only one: A,B, C or D. 
   A. Juniper units are predominantly scored high from the SFJDWC juniper prioritization map or forest stand density of trees per acre to removes is greater than 500. 
   B. Juniper units are predominantly scored medium priority from the SFJDWC juniper prioritization map or forest stand density of trees per acre to remove is between 400-499.
   C. Juniper units are predominantly scored low priority from the SFJDWC juniper prioritization map or forest stand density of trees per acre to remove is between 300-399. 
   D. Juniper units are predominantly scored NA priority from the SFJDWC juniper prioritization map or forest stand density of trees per acre to remove is less than 300.
    
4. Select only one: A,B or C. 
   A.  Current property conditions include good to excellent native or introduced range conditions with little to no noxious weeds or a forest stand with little to no noxious weeds in the understory.
   B.  Current property conditions include fair to good native or introduced range conditions with some noxious weeds but no monoculture pastures or a forest stand with some noxious weeds but mostly desirable understory species.
   C.  Current property conditions in dominated by annual grasses with pastures that are a monoculture of undesirable plant or a forest stand with mostly undesirable  and noxious weed species.
    
5. Is the pasture deferred from grazing for a full year at least once every five years and managed to promote rangeland health?
    
6. Select only one: A,B, C or D.
   A. There is currently no developed water in the pasture that can be used by livestock but there is potential to develop a system.
   B. There is currently developed water in the pasture that can support livestock throughout the year but distribution within the pasture is limited by size, topography or other barriers.
   C. There is currently developed water in the pasture that can be used by livestock but is dependable only during a portion of the year and is located away from the riparian zone, but additional sources or storage could be developed to extend the use period of the pasture.
   D. The resource concerns are currently being met.
7. Select only one: A,B, C or D.
   A.  Currently the riparian areas are fenced off or will be fenced off before the completion of the RCPP contract and cross fencing will future enhance grazing management flexibility to improve pasture utilization?
   B.  Cross fencing will reduce pasture size, limit access to unfenced riparian areas and promote pasture utilization.
   C.  Cross fencing will improve grazing strategies flexibility both in season of use and duration of livestock in each pasture. 
   D. Cross fencing is not considered under this application.

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

Amy Stiner, South Fork John Day Watershed Council Executive Director
541-792-0435
astiner@outlook.com

Aaron Roth, Natural Resource Conservation Service, District Conservationist
541-575-0135 ext. 113
aaron.roth@usda.gov