Join us for a free Thanksgiving dinner to celebrate the community and the holiday season!
Feel free to help out by bringing a dessert or shelf-stable food to donate to the local food bank!
Those who need transportation to the dinner can call Jessie at 541-398-8052 to arrange a ride.
We are excited to announce the fourth Annual Conference of the Northern Blues Restoration Partnership held at Churchill School in Baker City, OR. This event aims to increase our appreciation of monitoring efforts and adaptive management while improving our understanding of the current state of the science.
We will discuss our roles in adaptive management and how to incorporate traditional knowledge into our projects. There will be opportunities to learn about a wide range of topics and put our knowledge to the test with an adaptive management scenario.
Please join us for the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) Community Meeting! Wallowa County is revising its 2017 CWPP in order to be consistent with current policies, state and local hazard and risk maps, as well as addressing Fire Response, Fire-Adapted communities, and cross-boundary resilient landscape efforts. In order for the CWPP to reflect the concerns and needs of our communities, we are hosting this county-wide community meeting to get your feedback!
The goals of our Community Meeting are:
Introduce community members to the CWPP writing process and decision-making framework.
Discuss accomplishments in the previous CWPPs and new information going into the current revision.
Gather input and map out challenges and opportunities within each of the Wallowa County communities.
Dinner will be provided!
For more information about the CWPP and future community meetings, please email Katy Nesbitt at knesbitt@co.wallowa.or.us
Can’t make the meeting? Fill out our Community Survey at tinyurl.com/7vudwtx7
Join us for a career fair with local companies, agencies, and organizations in the natural resources sector followed by a workshop where attendees can learn how to navigate and apply for federal employment positions on USAJobs.gov.
Food and drinks will be provided! Please RSVP at: https://www.signupforms.com/registrations/39002
5 pm: Career Fair
6 pm: USAJobs Workshop
Join us for the Northeast Oregon Small Woodlands Association (NEOSWA) Fall Tour, hosted by local landowners here in Wallowa County who have been active stewards of their property since 2008. See first-hand the work they have accomplished and learn from invited speakers. The event will also include a catered lunch, and we will cap off the event with live music by a local bluegrass band!
Attendance is FREE, but registration is REQUIRED by October 18th. Tour will be held outdoors, rain or shine, and will require moderate walking/hiking. Please dress accordingly. Visit the event website or check out this flyer for more information.
Register at https://beav.es/pbZ
For more information, see the event flyer or email NEORWoodlands@gmail.com
The Northern Blues “All Lands” Restoration Partnership supports cross boundary, cross jurisdictional ridgetop-to-ridgetop projects in effort to restore, create and sustain healthy, fire resilient landscapes and communities across the Northern Blue Mountains. Once a year our Partnership comes together to visit a project that is underway or being planned on the landscape. Our Fall 2024 Annual Tour will be hosted by OSU Extension and the Northern Blues Prescribed Fire Council to explore the role of utilizing prescribed fire on private lands.
Carpooling is highly recommended as there is limited parking.
Our tour goals are to:
Make connections between landowners, contractors and agency staff who could potentially work together in the future to implement private land and cross boundary burning
Have familiarity with who the players are and come to a common understanding of prescribed fire and the risks and how we can work together to have more beneficial fire on the ground
Better understand how different agencies and groups perceive and perform prescribed and cultural fire and the different obstacles and limitations each has
What to bring:
Sack lunch, water, all terrain/weather gear and footwear, hard hat, leather gloves, good boots, cotton/non flammable long-sleeved shirt and long pants, eye protection.
Fire PPE is encouraged as we are hoping to see a prescribed fire in action during the tour. If you do not have access to PPE please ask a friend in fire or please let us know and we can bring extra for you!
Wallowa County, Wallowa Land Trust, and Wallowa Resources are co-hosting a work party on the East Moraine Community Forest. We will be removing old fencing and trash, as well as painting the Green Gate green again. The workday will be followed by beer and pizza in Joseph for those who’d like to join! More details will be added as we get closer to the day. Please email Kel at kelwallowalandtrust@gmail.com or Asch at ahumphrey@wallowaresources.org if you’d like to volunteer at the event and thank you!
On behalf of the Northeast Oregon Firewise Community Coalition, we would like to invite you to a Firewise community meeting on September 15, 2024, at 6pm at the Hurricane Creek Grange.
The intent of the meeting is to learn about and discuss living in an environment that supports fire prone ecosystems. The meeting is aimed at providing insight into several ways to join the efforts to improve defensible space on your properties, in your local community, and understand efforts being taken within Wallowa County as a whole.
If you have any questions prior to the meeting, please contact the Wallowa County Firewise Coordinator, Jenny Reinhardt.
Join us for a tour of the Crawford Creek Levels-of-Growing-Stock (LOGS) Study Site, hosted by the Southern Blues Partners. The event will include several stops at the study site, within the Malheur National Forest, where we will learn how forest density influences tree growth, forest health, fire resilience, plant diversity, and wildlife habitat. We will also discuss topics such as prescribed fire, regeneration, and more. Meet with professionals, landowners, and contractors, and enjoy a great day in the woods!
Crawford Creek Forest Density Tour
When: Friday, September 13th, 9:00am - 1:00pm
Where: We will meet at the Blue Mountain Work Center (76027 US-26, Bates, OR) around 8:30am
Bring: Sturdy Boots/Shoes, Lunch, Water Bottle
RSVP: Contact Jacob Putney by email (jacob.putney@oregonstate.edu) or by phone (541-523-6418)
The tour will require moderate hiking along rocked and dirt roads, and forested areas, however the terrain is relatively gentle. Carpooling to the tour starting location may also be available. The final agenda and logistical details will be available as the date approaches. Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions or for more information.
Regenerating Life is a 2023 documentary that explores the influence of the water cycle on climate change — and by proxy the way plants, soil, and soil cover influence climate conditions. The film is broken into three distinct parts. 1- Water Cools the Planet. 2- Life Sustains the Climate. 3- Small Farms Feed the World. Join us at the Josephy Center for Arts and Culture for a free screening of part 3 - Small Farms Feed the World and an introduction by Peter Donovan, a founding member of WR. RSVP here.
Join us at the Blue Barn Farm on Tenderfoot Valley Road on Saturday, August 24th, 2024. Festivities begin at 4 pm with a social hour followed by a BBQ featuring local beef and sides. Enjoy a live auction of wonderful items and adventures from local businesses and artists, then dance the night away to live music in the barn. All of the proceeds from this event will support Wallowa Resources to advance its vision of a stewardship economy that invests in the land and the community.
This is more than just a fundraiser, this is a celebration of our community, both near and far, and everything that we have accomplished together.
Join us in discussion at this free event! What role has fire had in our landscapes in Northeast Oregon? How has our community’s perception of fire changed over time? What are some of the resources we have to make our landscape more fire-resilient? Bring your friends and an open mind for a screening of the short documentary, Neighbors Helping Neighbors: The Lostine Firewise Film and a lively discussion that explores a variety of perspectives on fire and the role it plays in our forests, grasslands, and communities in Union County.
In recognition of our community’s valuable natural and cultural resources, the Woodlands and Watersheds Festival is a combined effort to celebrate, play, listen, and learn about what makes our little corner of Oregon a wonderful place to live. Wallowa Resources partners with Maxville Heritage Interpretive Center, Wallowa Valley Music Alliance, and Naz Perce Tribe to bring the community the 20th Annual Woodlands & Watershed Festival. Our goal is to enhance the experience our community loves and make the day even more enjoyable by adding new exhibitors and levels of engagement.
This family-focused event provides opportunities for locals and visitors to learn directly about our streams, rangelands, and forest and community programs and the organizations that help people take care of their lands, water sources, and each other. This is a free educational event, making it affordable for travelers, locals, and many nonprofit organizations that have educational booths to participate in. As attendees travel from booth to booth, they can ask questions about what the organization does and participate in a hands-on activity, allowing them to learn first-hand the work each organization does. For example, at the Nez Perce Tribe Fisheries Booth, kids have the opportunity to catch fish from their ponds, pick up traditional fishing equipment, and talk with them about what they do. After visiting the booths, visitors can enjoy a Dutch oven lunch while listening to local musicians organized by the Wallowa Music Alliance. This festival celebrates this unique area and the people who live and work here.
Visitors leave the Watershed Festival with a greater sense of the diversity of work, people, cultures, and natural history of the region. It also encourages them to learn, play, explore, and celebrate this amazing place. Over 25 local and regional organizations, like the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Building Healthy Families, and the Nez Perce Tribe Fisheries, participate each year. This family-oriented event provides opportunities for all ages to learn about our county and surrounding region through fun and engaging hands-on activities. Join us on Friday, June 28th, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Wallowa County Fairgrounds in Enterprise.
WR's Annual Whitewater Rafting Trip sign-up is open! Join Wallowa Resources on this unique three-day guided river trip through the Wild & Scenic section of the beautiful Grande Ronde River in Northeastern Oregon. Float the river and run the rapids by day, sit by the campfire, listen to live music from Wallowa County artists, and engage in thought-provoking conversations about this place, the land, and history at night. We'll also share updates about exciting new strategic initiatives from WR and partners.
This year's trip will happen from May 31st to June 2nd, 2024. The cost of the trip covers transportation, all meals, tents, comfortable cots, and thick sleeping bags. Seventy-five percent of your trip cost will go toward Wallowa Resources.
Join us for a FREE dual film screening of "The West is Burning" and the release of "Neighbors Helping Neighbors: The Lostine Firewise Community", followed by a panel discussion at 5:00 pm on May 8th at the OK Theater in Enterprise!
5:00-6:00pm
Screening of The West is Burning
A powerful documentary shedding light on forest conditions all over the Western United States.
6:10-6:30pm
Break
6:30-7:15pm
Premiere of Neighbors Helping Neighbors: The Lostine Firewise Film
A short documentary showcasing the motivations and efforts of the Lostine Firewise Community and the effect they had on reducing their community wildfire risk.
7:15-8:30pm
Panel Discussion
Following the screenings, a panel of local landowners and agencies will discuss the impacts of wildfire on local communities and how they can best prepare.
View the Lostine Firewise Film Trailer here:
https://vimeo.com/927807949
View the West is Burning Trailer here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbLlLUfL56k
Join us on Saturday, August 26th for the 15th Annual Barn Dance Benefit at the Blue Barn Farm on Tenderfoot Valley Road. Festivities begin at 5:00 pm with a social hour followed by a dinner of local BBQ with fresh sides., Enjoy a live auction full of wonderful items and adventures from local businesses and artists, then dance the night away to the music. There will also be opportunities to raise your paddle to support youth programs, and provide more capacity to further implement and scale WR's nationally recognized stewardship economy model for rural communities in northeast Oregon. Stay tuned for more information!
Visit us at the annual Woodlands & Watersheds Festival on June 30th at the Wallowa County Fairgrounds! This year, we are excited to announce our newest partners, Wallowa Valley Music Alliance and the Nez Perce Tribe. Join Wallowa Resources, Maxville Heritage Interpretive Center, Wallowa Valley Music Alliance, the Nez Perce Tribe, and more than 30 other exhibitors to play, listen, celebrate, and learn about our county's natural and cultural resources. We can't wait to see you there!
How do we learn from our past management actions to best inform a future vision of our watersheds - and the forests and rangelands that surround them - that meet the needs of our people, fish, wildlife, and the land? Join us to chat with local and regional experts and landowners to learn about watershed restoration and how it can contribute to maintaining the health of our watersheds and the communities living within them.
You're invited to our Workforce Housing Town Hall on Tuesday, June 27th, at the Hearts for Health building in Enterprise, OR. Hear directly from local businesses and organizations on how housing is affecting our economy, and hear the results of our workforce housing survey. This is an opportunity to learn more about Wallowa Resources' workforce housing initiative, Working Homes LLC, ask questions, and share your opinion.
