The field tour began with a stop near Rimrock Ranch, land owned by the Deschutes Land Trust and currently the focus for the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council’s restoration work. The overview presented by UDWC Executive Director, Kris Knight, highlighted the importance of long-term relationships, identifying win-win-win opportunities for partners involved, and utilizing the strengths and capacities of each partner to meet the needs of the project. The discussion also highlighted the opportunity to link in-stream restoration work with up-slope work, ensuring a watershed-focused approach.

Portland General Electric has funded work in this area to address the densification of western juniper due to fire suppression and changes in the historical fire regime. The large trees remained to provide thermal cover needs for deer, but small trees (8″ or less) were thinned and then lopped and scattered to reduce fuel depth. Where needed, these materials could also serve as a slash mat for heavy equipment to limit ground disturbance.

The slash matt has also proven helpful, given that bare soils left exposed post-treatment are fertile ground for invasive annual grasses that are more fire-prone and create additional fuels risks.

Small diameter trees may hold little value at the mill, but they carry a high value for instream restoration. The Upper Deschutes Watershed Council repurposed these smaller logs to provide essential woody debris for instream restoration. The use of woody debris in floodplain and channel restoration provides valuable stream stability, fish habitat, beaver dam analogs, and areas for silt and debris to deposit until vegetation can establish.

Key successes emerged from leveraging partners’ capacities and strengths. The FS relied on partners’ fiscal and administrative support to receive and disburse funding, rather than utilizing the more cumbersome fiscal processes required by the federal government. The Forest Services delineated the stands, identified treatments, and worked with the nonprofit to identify, secure, and pay contractors to do the work.

Aligning partners’ timelines is often difficult in Shared Stewardship, cross-jurisdictional work. For example, within the Forest Service, dollars must be obligated to a contract before the contract can be awarded, which may take until the end of the fiscal year. Using a partner’s nonprofit infrastructure allows for more budgetary and timeline flexibility.

Relationship-building is a crucial component of Shared Stewardship. The opportunity to carpool and have lunch together while in the field created relationships building and informal networking opportunities.

The day’s final stop was to a fire scar where an array of ecological values are present. The focus of the project was the removal of small juniper. Additional efforts included treating invasive species (such as medusahead) and planting bitterbrush. An inmate crew from Deer Ridge Correctional Institute assisted in hand piling.