Land Manager's Guide to Aspen Management in Oregon
Type: Nomination of a group, possibly including the nominator
Category: Educational Material - Long Publication
Target Audience
“Land Manager’s Guide to Aspen Management in Oregon” was developed as an educational and assessment tool to reach two target audience segments, private range and forest owners in Central and Eastern Oregon, and technical professionals (e.g. soil and water conservation biologists, Oregon Department of Forestry Stewardship foresters, private consultants and loggers) who serve these private landowners or manage public lands within the distribution of aspen.
Issues Addressed
Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) is one of the few iconic trees that symbolize the spirit of the West. Ecologically, this forest type is extremely important to wildlife and biodiversity. However, quaking aspen has disappeared through much of its range in Oregon and is in peril of local extinction due to fire suppression, conifer encroachment, and over-grazing. Prior to this project, very little outreach or assistance had been offered regarding Aspen restoration and management. This 79-page manual was designed to help private and public land managers better understand aspen ecology, demonstrate how to easily assess stand/clone conditions and health, and ultimately make sound science-based management decisions that will restore or enhance aspen stand health on their properties. Local case studies on active aspen restoration are highlighted, which enrich the content and provide relevance and context for the reader.
Resources Involved
This project was funded through a Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Innovation Grant. Oregon State University Extension and the Forest Restoration Partnership took the lead for this manual, but brought in expertise from USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Wallowa Resources, Agriculture Research Service, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and National Park Service.
This manual relies heavily on illustrations, flowcharts, forms, and other graphics to ensure that it is easy to read, and provides a useful decision-making and management tool for a wide array of educational and scientific backgrounds. Local case studies are highlighted, which enrich the content and provide relevance and context for the reader.
Distribution
Over 300 manuals have been distributed during eight full-day workshops and field tours. An additional 200 copies have been distributed through OSU Extension and NRCS offices, and the manual is available on-line for download at http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/handle/1957/18399/. As of June 13, 2001, the on-line manual had received 1,002 views.
Evaluation Results
Demand for manuals and workshops regarding aspen restoration have been strong. In addition to offering classroom sessions and field tours in local communities, the Oregon Chapter of The Wildlife Society dedicated a full day workshop on Oregon aspen restoration prior to their 2011 annual conference to Oregon aspen restoration, highlighting this manual as a management tool to 37 wildlife biologists and other scientists. As a result of this project, federal and state agencies have had opportunities to learn how to better assist private landowners, and to exchange experiences in restoring this important habitat type. Private landowners have been able better understand aspen ecology and importance to wildlife, forage, and water quality, utilize tools that help them assess aspen health, select appropriate management strategies for their land management goals, and access local technical and financial assistance to help them meet those goals. As stated by one landowner and workshop participant, “Thank you again for the Aspen Management manual. I appreciate the example of the filled out assessment form as well as the numerous photographs showing examples of fence types and stand conditions. The flow charts are nice to help you along as well as having a glossary in the back, which I use. This has proved to be a useful resource.”
Implications for Future Programming
Oregon State University Extension will continue to offer field tours and workshops regarding aspen restoration throughout the region, utilizing this manual as key part of these events. Participants of workshops who received manuals from 2010 - 2011 will be surveyed in 2012, to assess manual utility and resulting aspen management that occurs on-the-ground as part of educational events. Results of this survey will inform revision and re-printing, which is scheduled to occur in 2014.
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