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Wallowa Resources
Case description
In northeastern Oregon, the natural-resource based economy of Wallowa County was hit hard by timber harvest reductions in the 1990s. Service contracts replaced traditional harvests on adjacent national forest system lands, and it became increasingly difficult for residents of local communities to secure these jobs. In response to the emerging instability of the local economy, leaders within the community joined together to form a grassroots, non-profit corporation called Wallowa Resources. Led by former Land Use Planning and Building Department Director Diane Snyder, the staff of Wallowa Resources focus on collaborating with land management agencies, local residents and other partners to address the community's economic needs and ecosystem health. In recent years, they have worked to utilize the existing workforce to benefit the environment and move the community and its precious natural resources together towards sustainability.
What is fostering progress?
- Information Sharing: There is a great deal of information sharing between Wallowa Resources, the Forest Service, and local contractors. For example, Wallowa Resources made an effort to learn about the kinds of ecosystem management projects being contracted by the Forest Service. Subsequently, staff from Wallowa Resources found out what skills the local contractors needed and then provided that technical assistance to the contractors.
- Engaging Partners in all Projects: Wallowa Resources is committed to collaboratively engaging community partners in the planning and implementation of every field project. This distributes project responsibilities more evenly across the community and provides the opportunity for shared learning.
- Focus on Learning thorough Experimentation: Local contractors work on experimental projects, such as aspen stand regeneration, so that Wallowa Resources can determine the best way to implement a large scale project.
- Advancing from a Baseline Assessment: Wallowa Resources has been tracking and analyzing 10 years worth of socioeconomic information to better understand community needs. This baseline data established a solid foundation from which to inform their strategic project choices.
- Using Small Projects to Build Understand and Support: Wallowa Resources has the capacity to collaborate with the community on small projects, such as weed free hay certification. This builds community awareness and partnership support for the program.
What challenges were faced and how were they overcome?
- Local Communities Lacked Benefits: Local contractors were having difficulty being awarded service contracts, which contributed to the economic downturn within the area. Wallowa Resources targeted this problem by working with the Forest Service to package contracts in a way that provided better access for the local workforce. They also identified the contractors' skill gaps and provided technical assistance to them. These efforts resulted in an increased success rate in job capture for local residents.
- Policies Reworked to Benefit Local Communities: No incentives existed within the system to award contracts to local communities surrounding the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. Wallowa Resources has worked with groups including the Pinchot Institute and American Forests to influence policy affecting community-based forestry. They have also helped to establish language for the National Fire Plan that benefit to the local community should be a criteria for decision-making.
What lessons can be drawn?
- Develop Baseline Data: Making choices about the community's future is best informed by solid baseline data including socioeconomic criteria and biological indicators, in order to track and evaluate trends over time.
- Involve Community Members: Partnering within the community creates the capacity for shared understanding of the situation.
- Target Policy Development: A key strategy for improving local economic health while addressing ecological sustainability was working to influence contracting policies, specifically performance standards.
- Foster Communications: Developing a bridge between the Forest Service and local residents improved the economic and ecological health of the area.
Learn more about related lessons from a broader set of partnerships
Related Links
This site was developed by the Ecosystem Management Initiative through a partnership with the US Forest Service and the US Department of Interior. Read more.
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