After large parcel of private land is acquired by Wallowa County in Oregon, new managers seek usage input from the public
The East Moraine Community Forest (inside yellow border), the largest privately owned and contiguous parcel on the East Moraine of Wallowa Lake in northeastern Oregon, was purchased from the Ronald C. Yanke Family Trust and conveyed to Wallowa County in January 2020. Photo by Leon Werdinger
By Phil Wright, The Observer. March 5, 2021. Cooperation from recreationists and local land managers are helping guide the management of Wallowa County’s recent acquisition of the Wallowa Lake East Moraine.
More than 450 people responded to an online survey last spring that asked about their interests and concerns for the future management of the land, now in Wallowa County ownership. County and Wallowa Land Trust staff followed up the survey last summer with focus groups to gain further information on the moraine’s many uses, according to a press release from the trust.
Eric Greenwell, the trust’s conservation director, said the data is helping the Wallowa Lake Moraines Partnership, which includes the county, the trust and Wallowa Resources, develop a multiple-use management plan, particularly as it relates to recreation.
“In developing the management plan the partnership is seeking to keep all uses in balance and keep people safe,” Greenwell said in the press release. “The survey and focus group questions were designed to gather input regarding specific values and uses, which the partnership has already acquired funding for and committed to preserving.”
The majority of respondents stated they use the property for recreation, but input came from people who grazed, hunted, gathered roots and harvested timber on the property in the past.
Balancing all uses may not be possible
Of the survey respondents, 63% were full-time residents, 16% part-time residents. The remaining 21% were visitors. Approximately 35 people participated in the seven focus groups—all but one live in the county full-time.
For the focus groups, recreation was broken down into equestrian, pedestrian and mountain bike uses.
Katy Nesbitt, Wallowa County natural resources director, said the focus group members gave insight into not only the popular uses of the moraine when it was in private ownership as well as some of the potential conflicts. She said the feedback also showed little conflict among users.
While the management plan is in development, the partners agree educating the public will be an ongoing endeavor. Not all respondents were convinced that balancing multiple uses was achievable.
“Setting clear expectations with the community and following through will be critical especially in the beginning,” Greenwell said. “This is a huge community achievement, but again and again respondents echoed the sentiment, ‘keep it as it is,’ or expressed concerns for a future of increased use, use conflicts and overdevelopment.”
The East Moraine Community Forest Survey results are on the Campaign for the East Moraine website, as well as links to the survey report and the full raw data.
Columbia Insight is publishing this story as part of the AP StoryShare program, which allows newsrooms and publishing partners to republish each other’s stories and photos.
Having visited this beautiful part of our state my first reaction to this article was ‘Oh No!’ Please don’t change anything! My age might be showing – we like things we love to stay the same.