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| Restoring Rare Willamette Habitats Brings Jobs to the Region |
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March 18, 2009
News media contacts:
- Jonathon Soll, Project Manager, The Nature Conservancy, (503) 802-8100 x129, jsoll@tnc.org
- Stephen Anderson, Director of Communications, The Nature Conservancy, (503) 230-1221, standerson@tnc.org
- Carolyn M. Devine, OWEB Communications Coordinator, (503) 986-0195, carolyn.devine@state.or.us
$315,722 Prairie and Oak Savanna Restoration Grant will Translate into Jobs
Salem, OR— The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) has granted The Nature Conservancy $315,722 to restore two of Oregon's rarest habitats – translating into potential new jobs and habitat improvement.
The Conservancy will use these funds to restore some of the rarest ecosystems in Oregon, prairie and oak savanna. With less than two percent of the Willamette Basin's native prairie habitat remaining, saving what remains has become a priority for numerous conservation groups. The Conservancy will contract with local workers to remove Douglas firs and other woody plants that have grown up in the absence of fire. They'll spray and mow to remove invasive weeds, and plant native wildflowers and grasses. Seventy-four percent of the direct costs of the grant are budgeted to be spent on contracts to accomplish these kinds of tasks, translating into 4,000-7,000 hours of skilled labor assuming average costs to the project of between $30 and $80 per hour. Much of the work is living wage kind of jobs: heavy equipment operators, logging, weed spraying that in turn helps drive demand for the production of durable goods like bobcat tractors and chainsaws. This work also supports rural economies, including the nursery industry which is especially hit by the drop in home construction.
Last and certainly not least, this work will help protect and restore two regionally important examples of prairie and savanna habitats that are gravely imperiled throughout the region. By returning native vegetation to the area, the work will directly support the recovery of at least two endangered species as well as help prevent future listings of other species.
This is just one of the more than 100 projects the OWEB Board voted to support at a recent Board meeting held in Salem. Across the state, their investment is over $10 million. According to the University of Oregon's Ecosystem Workforce Program (EWP), these projects have considerable economic impact and job creation potential in addition to their environmental benefits. Every dollar invested in watershed restoration multiplies through the economy and helps sustain local communities. The EWP analysis concludes that the average impact of each $1 million invested by OWEB results in 15 jobs and an additional $1.86 million in total economic activity that stays in Oregon. Examples of other projects follow.
On a tributary of the Umpqua, a helicopter will be used to place 120 trees along two miles of a creek, employing the helicopter pilot as well as on-the-ground crew. These restoration workers will purchase goods and services from the community.
Along the coast, the MidCoast Watershed Council will contract with local workers to restore a tributary of the Alsea River. Local contractors will plant 13,600 trees, install 8,399 feet of fencing to keep livestock out of the creek, and simulate natural log jams by placing 62 large logs in the creek. They will also replace two culverts that impede fish passage. Their work will help restore over three miles of a stream improving it for fish habitat.
Not far from Hood River, the Hood River Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) will remove a washed-out forest road that runs along Neal Creek for the benefit of fish, downstream landowners, and the economy. "The positive impact of removing the road is huge. We'll be creating better habitat for fish such as winter steelhead, we'll be protecting property and helping people downstream, and we'll be hiring people from the local community to do the work. They live here, they shop here. The money they earn stays in the area," said Anne Saxby, District Manager of the Hood River SWCD.
The Wheeler Soil Water and Conservation District (Wheeler SWCD) will receive funding for the second phase of the Middle John Day / North Fork restoration project. The majority of OWEB funding will go directly for project management and on-the-job engineers. "All of the contractors that we hired to do this work are from Central Oregon and a lot of the money they earn goes right back in to their communities. In addition, 75% of the materials used for these projects come from Oregon," according to Gabe Williams, Project Manager at the Wheeler SWCD.
The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) administers a grant program funded from the Oregon Lottery as a result of a citizen initiative in 1998. These funds will support the capacity of local citizen groups to carry out a variety of restoration projects; promote understanding of watershed needs; provide technical skills to those working to restore urban and rural watersheds, and monitor the effectiveness of these investments. OWEB fosters collaboration and partners with citizens, local governments, state and federal agencies, tribes, and industries.
For more information, visit the OWEB web site at www.oregon.gov/OWEB.
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