Hibbs-Karr tour focuses on wildlife habitat
Hibbs-Karr tour shows steps toward improving forests for wildlife
By Lee Peterman
Linn County Small Woodlands Assoc. president
Linn County Small Woodlands Assoc. president
When asked what they want of their forests, many family landowners list things like improving their forest’s health, increasing wildlife and resistance to wildfire.
Many young forests, however, suffer from “production-plantation” style of reforestation. As a result, they are too uniform and dense for those benefits. Steps needed to create a more diverse and healthy forest can be expensive.
The Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) has rolled out new cost-share funds to help landowners improve the conservation value of conifer forests in western Oregon.
On the cool and damp morning of Oct 19, a hardy group of about 25 individuals in rain gear and mud-boots assembled in the parking lot of the ODFW* field office in Adair Village.
OSU Extension Agent Brad Withrow-Robinson took the roll and then herded the participants into a caravan car-pool and through intermittent squalls, used the brilliant rainbow as a beacon to make the short drive to the property of Dave Hibbs and Sarah Karr in Airlie. They have actively managed their woodland to create a more diverse, healthy and wildlife-friendly forest.
After the caravan was parked and attendees disembarked, those inclined were directed to the hot coffee and coffee cake provided. Now fortified against the cool and damp, all assembled in a staging/landing which was somewhat open to the ominous sky.
As with most events, round-the-circle introductions were made and after initial opening remarks and the acronyms of NRCS, EQIP* and OWEB* were cleared up, (with crowd assistance) by Brad W-R and Amy Kaiser; Dave Hibbs and Sarah Karr gave a presentation, complete with rain-proofed photos enlarged to show the 'before' appearance of the property, circa 1992. They also gave the history and overview of the work which was done since their acquisition of the property in the mid-1990s. During the tour, their work provided a good illustration of many potential conservation opportunities supported by the new NRCS funds. These practices, most of a 'cost-share' nature, include thinning dense young stands, some of which was evidenced by the small diameter woody-debris scattered on the forest floor. Other topics discussed and witnessed were diversifying stand density and structure, controlling invasive weeds and more.
After discussion on early-successional stages of forests and viewing a small open clearing with hardwood and shrubby species like Scouler's Willow, Hazel and Madrone, the group moved to a mixed Oak/conifer stand.
Color-coded ribbons on conifers near the oaks showed which were for immediate thinning/culling which could be turned into snags for wildlife trees or those which could be left untouched. Round-the-group discussion on “favoring the oaks” over all other species as opposed to a large oak dominating a half-acre of otherwise planted Doug-fir producing ground, took up a few minutes. The NRCS agents Amy Kaiser, Lexi Swenson and Wallace Jennings made pitches for the programs and incentives possible through their office which could help defray costs associated with just such projects. Similar pitches were made by folks involved with area watershed councils and county soil and water conservation districts. All these entities work toward the same over-arching goals; keep the soils from eroding, keep the forests healthy and wildlife habitat intact and thriving.
In the midst of the discussion, a particularly aggressive grey squirrel nearly beaned Dave Hibbs with detritus dropped from the overhead branches of a venerable oak. Immediately following the cascade of debris, a sudden and intense downpour with nearby rumblings of thunder prompted most of the participants to retreat, at speed, to the waiting vehicles for warmth and shelter from the rain. Thanks and goodbyes were shouted from vehicle windows as the caravan reembarked and headed back to the OFDW parking lot.
In summary; good information with regard to NRCS programs was put forth and some examples of those programs were evidenced during the tour.
Thanks and appreciation must be expressed to Sarah Karr and Dave Hibbs for their gracious hosting and supplying of coffee and cake, as well as the support and efforts of the OSU Extension, Brad Withrow-Robinson and Jody Einerson. Finally, special thanks and cheers for support to the Linn-Benton NRCS Conservationists Amy Kaiser, Lexi Swenson and Wallace Jennings.
They were on hand to discuss funding and technical assistance available to help forest landowners improve their woodland’s condition.
Thought for today: Copying from one source is 'plagiarism'; Copying from many sources is 'research.'
*NRCS - "Natural Resources Conservation Service"
*ODFW - "Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife"
*EQIP - "Environmental Quality Incentives Program"
*OWEB - "Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board"
*OSWA - "Oregon Small Woodlands Association"
Sources for follow-up information for forest landowners:
Amy Kaiser, Lexi Swenson or Wallace Jennings; NRCS District Conservationists for Benton and Linn Counties can be reached at
Brad Withrow-Robinson can be reached at OSU Extension extension.oregonstate.edu/linn
Linn, Benton or Polk County OSWA chapters can be reached by searching for County name added to "Oregon Small Woodlands Association." Ie; (Linncountyswa.com)
Similarly, area watershed councils can be searched for under Mary's River WC, Luckiamute WC, Calapooia WC or the North or South Santiam River WC's, Long Tom WC, etc.
Benton Soil and Water Conservation District: https://www.bentonswcd.org/
Linn Soil and Water Conservation District: 541-926-2483
Submitted by:
Leland (Lee) Peterman
Pres. Linn County Chapter OSWA
Pres. S. Santiam Watershed Council
*Currently enrolled in two NRCS EQIP programs; White Oak/Wet Prairie restoration.
*Also Forest Resilience, Fire Resistance and Wildlife Habitat restoration program on an 80-acre former woodlot, "Bogwood."
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