Parts of the Harney Basin are experiencing significant groundwater declines. The Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) initiated a rulemaking for the Greater Harney Valley Groundwater Area of Concern to update how groundwater is managed to better balance uses with how much groundwater is available. That update will include reductions in groundwater withdrawals. In late 2023, … Read more
The Partnership for Lake Abert and the Chewaucan (PLACe) formed in spring 2023 to address water management issues in the area. At the request of a group of local producers and environmental organizations, Oregon Consensus and Oregon State University conducted an assessment with a number of interested parties to find ways to sustain livelihoods, get … Read more
This collaborative is discussing opportunities for increased collaboration and improved communication to improve fire prevention, suppression, and restoration. Agreements have been reached on suppression, and the team is implementing wildfire prevention and restoration strategies in several high-risk locations. These pilot projects will provide valuable information for partners in understanding and managing fire risk across Eastern … Read more
The High Desert Partnership, a rural nonprofit that strives to advance collaborative relationships between Harney County residents and government, convened the Youth Changing the Community (YCTC) initiative with assistance from Oregon Consensus. High Desert Partnership brought together a group of leaders from education, health, justice, natural resources, and other fields to coordinate and take strategic … Read more
OC worked with a representative stakeholder work group convened by Oregon Parks and Recreation District to assist in developing an alternative for managing Bates Pond that meets multiple objectives, focusing on maintaining cultural and historic values and addressing fish passage and habitat needs.
The Harney County Watershed Council asked Oregon Consensus to facilitate place-based water resource planning for the Malheur Lake Basin, per a pilot grant from Oregon Water Resources Department. A water availability work group looked at sprinkler irrigation technologies and conservation practices that could be among several strategies for sustainable water management in the basin. Potential … Read more
The Sage-Grouse Conservation Partnership (SageCon) is an unprecedented collaborative effort among federal, state, and private stakeholders to address landscape-scale threats to greater sage-grouse while acknowledging rural economic and community interests across eastern Oregon’s sagebrush range. Resulting from the SageCon process, the 2015 Oregon Sage-Grouse Action Plan details voluntary and state-regulated conservation measures to preserve habitat … Read more
Bates Pond, located in Bates State Park on the Middle Fork of the John Day River, is the last remaining feature of the historic mill town of Bates, Oregon. For several years, area stakeholders have grappled with issues related to restoration of Bates Pond and fish passage for threatened steelhead and bull trout populations. The … Read more
OC facilitated a working group that explored collaborative approaches to public land management and ecological preservation on the 500,000 acre Beatys Butte Common Allotment located between Hart Mountain and Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge in Lake County, Oregon. Stakeholders involved in the process included Beatys Butte Grazing Association, the Oregon Natural Desert Association, cattle grazers, conservation … Read more
Since 2014, Oregon Consensus has provided facilitation support to the Harney Basin Wetlands Collaborative (HBWC), which is convened by the High Desert Partnership. Initially, Oregon Consensus worked with local landowners, non-governmental organizations, and federal and state agencies to help design and implement a collaborative effort to combat invasive carp and preserve important bird habitats at … Read more
The Renewable Energy and Eastern Oregon Landscape Conservation Partnership was convened by the Oregon Governor’s Natural Resources Policy Director and the Deputy State Director for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to address renewable energy development and habitat conservation across Eastern Oregon. The group addressed sagebrush and sage grouse issues, and developed criteria for identifying … Read more
The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge working group, with more than 30 diverse members, developed a draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement to guide refuge management from 2012 until 2027. From 2008 through 2011, Oregon Consensus provided facilitation and collaborative governance training to Malheur Wildlife Refuge staff and other stakeholders. The group strengthened working … Read more
In 2009, Antelope Ridge Wind Energy Project LLC (Antelope Ridge) submitted to the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) a Notice of Intent to build a 300 megawatt wind-powered electric generating facility in Union County, Oregon, near the Cities of Union and La Grande. Approval in the form of a Site Certificate from the Oregon Energy … Read more
In 2004, Oregon Consensus helped parties in a land use dispute involving potential development on culturally-sensitive lands near Wallowa Lake access mediation services from the Federal Community Relations Service. The mediation did not resolve all issues, but did address options for protecting the land, which were being pursued.