A Note from Dave:
Hope you all enjoyed the holiday season. It was a wet December here in Burns with some rain and a good start to the snowpack in the mountains. The 2 primary SNOTEL sites relevant to our spring runoff, Snow Mountain and Rock Springs, show we are at 302% and 288% (Snow Water Equivalent), respectively, of the 1991 to 2020 Median as of January 13, 2025.
The last few months have been busy!! EOARC faculty attended the annual Oregon Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) meeting in Pendleton. In addition, EOARC participated in the Oregon Beef Council’s annual research meeting that was held in Corvallis and organized the 2024 Research Report that highlights Oregon Beef Checkoff funded research projects. Some other outreach events that EOARC Burns has participated in include the OSU Extension Livestock and Natural Resources Agents Work group planning meeting in Prineville, attending the Extension Annual Conference in Corvallis, wrapping up the 4th edition of RancHER, participating in Harney County’s second annual Science Night at the Library, donating to the Burns Elks Lodge Christmas Food Baskets Program to help local families in need, and helping Grant County 4H members learn more about feeding market steers and selecting replacement heifers.
EOARC Burns donated a steer to the OSU Steer-a-Year program that is advised by Animal and Rangeland Sciences Faculty member Matt Kennedy and managed by the ANS 405 students. In addition, Skip Nyman, EOARC Burns Ranch Manager, helped collect and haul calves to Corvallis from other central and eastern Oregon ranches that also support the Steer-a-Year program. These ranches included Roaring Springs Ranch, Treetop Ranches, Daam Beef, Taylor Westside Ranch, and Eagle Valley Ranch.
I want to acknowledge the great work done by EOARC scientists (Vanessa Schroeder, Dustin Johnson, Stella Copeland, and Chad Boyd) and our multiple collaborators that serve of the Sagebrush Habitat Team which was recognized by OSU Extension with an Excellence in Communications and Marketing Award for 2024. The content that was recognized included “Threat-based Management for Creeks, Streams and Rivers” and the “Sagebrush wildflowers: From bloom to seed” poster. These are great resources and have been well received by stakeholders!
Our Stakeholder Spotlight for this issue is Mike Hale, Rangeland Specialist with The Nature Conservancy who manages the Zumwalt Prairie Preserve Grazing Program and collaborates with EOARC faculty on multiple projects. Be sure to checkout out his bio later in this newsletter.
If you have any comments or suggestions about what you would like to see in future editions of the newsletter, please feel free to contact Shellie Tiller ([email protected]) and she will work with us to get requests addressed.
I wish you all a great 2025 year!
David Bohnert
Director, Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center (Burns and Union Stations)
Oregon State University
A Note from Chad:
Greetings from Burns. I hope you had a great holiday season and that you and your families are doing well. It was great to see many of you at the Oregon Cattleman’s Association meeting in Pendleton last month.
After this past summer’s wildfire season, I’m appreciating the colder and wetter conditions a bit more than usual, and winter is definitely upon us in the Harney Basin. As David points out in his write-up, we’ve had excellent precipitation and mountain snow accumulation, not just locally, but generally throughout eastern Oregon. Add to that the already saturated soils in the valley and the outlook for next year’s hay crop is looking good for now…fingers crossed the precip keeps up.
Much of the winter at EOARC is spent compiling/analyzing data and writing publications. That said, we’ve got a full slate of outreach and professional development activities from now through spring. Staff at EOARC are involved in a science support role with a growing list of natural resources collaboratives including the Harney County Wildfire Collaborative, the Harney County Forest Restoration Collaborative, and the Tri-Corners Collaborative that covers portions of both Lake and Harney counties. Last month we started preparations for Science in the Sagebrush Steppe 2025. This 3-day rangeland ecology and management field workshop will be held in late April at our Northern Great Basin Experimental Range and is attended by university students from across the Pacific Northwest.
On January 29 EOARC is helping sponsor a virtual fence workshop that can be attended either virtually or in person at Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario. This workshop will focus less on the technical and more on the practical side of virtual fencing, including Q&A with ranchers and agency personnel who have been using the technology. See details on free registration for that event at further down in this newsletter. In February, many of the EOARC staff will travel to the annual meeting of the Society for Range Management in Spokane to present research, conduct workshops, and participate in SRM committee meetings. This is a great opportunity to spread the word about EOARC’s research, interact with stakeholders, and meet others working on similar rangeland management issues.
A big shoutout to Lori Ziegenhagen, our ARS employee spotlight for this edition of the newsletter. Lori has worn many hats over the years including managing lab facilities, student and stakeholder outreach, and is a critical component of field and lab data collection. Lori is also a truly gifted field botanist and has a knack for teaching field botany at outreach events in a manner that is understandable to a broad range of audiences. She recently teamed up with Vanessa Schroeder to compile a publication entitled “Year-round field identification of common northern Great Basin grasses” (see link at the end of this newsletter), which is hands down the best grass ID guide I’ve ever used. Thank you for all you do Lori!
Thank you, Shellie for all of your work in getting the newsletter together, and as always, please feel free to reach out to me any time we can be of help.
Chad Boyd
Research Leader, Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center, Burns
USDA-Agricultural Research Service
A Note from Cameron:
I hope that this winter has been treating you well so far. A growing snowpack, a season of excellent bird hunting, and days that are already getting noticeably longer has made braving the cold much easier for me.
Our TNC field crew has successfully installed all planned field trials for this year, implementing herbicide and carbon seed coatings at four sites across eastern Oregon and northern Nevada. Despite a warm and wet fall, it seems that we were able to avoid early germination of both seeded species and an early flush of cheatgrass, allowing us to properly evaluate restoration outcomes at a practical scale. Special thanks to Corinne and India for dealing with excessive carbon dust and post pounder blisters to make it happen!
This month EOARC is in the process of preparing an Emergency Stabilization & Rehabilitation (ESR) workshop for the Society of Range Management meeting next month in Spokane. Participants will get hands on experience building postfire planning maps in ArcGIS to prioritize management actions based on urgency and likelihood of successful intervention to address annual grass spread, postfire bunchgrass mortality and the preservation of intact habitat and forage resources. The workshop is Wednesday, February 12 from 10:20 to 3:00. Hope to see you there!
Management planning at Oregon Desert Land Trust’s Trout Creek Ranch property is in full swing. With the addition of much-needed capacity and expertise from folks at the EOARC, we are in the process of refining Potential Operational Delineations (POD) for the greater Trout Creek landscape. Besides serving as a baseline for fire suppression efforts, PODs create a logical and manageable decision space to inform management of priorities and guide prefire vegetation management in service of ecological and economic resilience. Within the PODs framework Trout Creek Ranch will also be using virtual fence starting this fall on ~200 head of cattle to perform targeted fine fuels reduction, vary season of use within large pasture boundaries, and exclude sensitive springs and riparian corridors from excessive grazing pressure.
That’s all for now, and please feel free to reach out with any questions!
Cameron Duquette
Rangeland Scientist, The Nature Conservancy
A Note from Bryan:
Greetings from Union, and Happy New Year! It has not quite felt like winter much around Union yet, but we will see what the new year brings.
The Station has had a productive end to 2024. As we wrapped up the busy summer field season, bringing the cows home and preparing for calving, we also actively engaged with stakeholders in different ways. In November, we hosted a free Beef Quality Assurance workshop led by Will Price and Pete Schreder (OSU Extension) for local producers. The BQA program guides producers towards continuous improvement using science-based production practices that assure cattle well-being, beef quality, and safety. Also, in November, the Union Station Advisory Council met to discuss our programs and provide much-valued feedback and suggestions as we continue to grow our outreach and research efforts here in Union. We genuinely appreciate their support and guidance.
I also wanted to highlight the great work of some of our partners. Partnerships and collaborations are the glue that connects the agricultural and natural resources community together and are integral to meeting the needs of the communities and places we serve.
NRCS recently funded a project led by a coalition of groups, including Wallowa Resources, The Nature Conservancy, NRCS, Oregon State University, and others focused on increasing the availability of climate-smart technical assistance, as well as skill-building and networking opportunities for ranching communities in northeastern Oregon. This Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative project has several goals: 1) increase the number of rangeland properties operating with sound and durable management plans that incorporate landscape context and climate resiliency goals, 2) deliver high-demand ranching skillsets directly to livestock operators with specific emphasis on financial accessibility for underserved audiences, and 3) convene local and regional rangeland managers and stakeholders via an in-person summit to foster relationship building and knowledge exchange. As this project ramps up in 2025, I am sure you will hear more about the effort, including workshops, ranch management planning activities, and the inaugural “Northeastern Oregon Rangeland Summit.”
Attending the 2025 All Lands Annual Conference, February 26-27 in Baker City, provides a great opportunity to learn more about the effects of the Northern Blues Restoration Partnership. Working together across public, private, and tribal land boundaries, the Northern Blues Restoration Partnership facilitates the implementation of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy’s goal of restoring and creating healthy fire-resilient landscapes and communities in the Northern Blue Mountains area. Numerous public and private individuals, agencies (e.g., USFS, ODF), Tribes (Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Nez Perce Tribe), non-profits (e.g., Wallowa Resources), and universities (e.g., Oregon State University) are a part of this effort. The conference will focus on the partnership's monitoring efforts, local research, and attendees will have the opportunity to learn from peers about the value of local and traditional knowledge. More information can be found here. I encourage you to attend- it is a great time to connect, engage, share experiences and learn.
These are just two examples of many where people have come together and combined skillsets, knowledge, energy, and expertise to address current and emerging challenges facing the region's agricultural and natural resources communities. The willingness to partner is a strength of our community, and we at EOARC-Union appreciate and are grateful to those committed to strengthening the ecosystems, communities, and region we call home.
I hope you all have a wonderful winter. Please don’t hesitate to reach out anytime.
Bryan Endress
Assistant Director EOARC - Union
Stakeholder Spotlight - Mike Hale
In 1992, after spending a decade working on remote ranches in northeastern Oregon, I decided to take some range classes at Oregon State University (OSU) to answer questions I had about livestock-plant interactions. As an older, non-traditional student, married with a family, I was impressed enough with the program to earn a degree in Rangeland Resources in La Grande and later an MS in Rangeland Ecology at the University of Idaho. These experiences shaped my career working with pastoral systems in Central Asia and the Western US.
When I joined The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in 2017 as a Rangeland Specialist, it felt like a perfect career fit. I had worked on the Zumwalt Prairie property under various private ranch ownerships, managed our own cow/calf herd and grass-fed beef operation on Imnaha Canyon and upland prairie pastures, and spent many years in international consulting. I felt confident in my knowledge of and relationship with the landscape.
As a Rangeland Specialist, I manage the Zumwalt Prairie Preserve Grazing Program, which includes all aspects of grazing by large ungulates. I oversee the grazing leases of six local ranchers, aiming to provide secure, healthy landscapes for their cattle while maintaining high-quality habitat for wild grazers, primarily elk and deer, as well as other native species dependent on these uplands and canyons.
Since my undergraduate days, I have been involved in numerous grazing management and research projects, with OSU and the Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center (EOARC) playing a crucial role in supporting project design and implementation. This relationship continues with my work for TNC on the Zumwalt Prairie. One current project with EOARC studies the effects of herbicide treatments for invasive annual grass on First Foods. TNC hosts First Foods gatherings for Nez Perce tribal members, making an understanding of this interaction critical. TNC has strong relationships with OSU and the University of Idaho, providing learning opportunities through field trips, workshops, and field classes related to rangelands. We strive to keep learning about the Prairie's resources and the ecological and social interactions in a rapidly changing world.
Congratulations to the Sagebrush Habitat Team!
The Sagebrush Habitat Team, composed of EOARC scientists (Vanessa Schroeder, Dustin Johnson, Stella Copeland, and Chad Boyd) and multiple collaborators, was recognized by OSU Extension on December 5 with a 2024 Excellence in Communications and Marketing Award for their work on outreach materials associated with “Threat-based Management for Creeks, Streams and Rivers” and the “Sagebrush wildflowers: From bloom to seed”.
ARS Employee Spotlight - Lori Ziegenhagen
Iyla helping hand out the Northern
Great Basin Grasses book at the
Science in the Sagebrush Steppe.
I grew up in Central Oregon and attended Redmond High School when Redmond only had 7,000 people. I spent a lot of time with my family camping and hunting in the High Desert and during high school I worked for OSMI’s Hancock Field Station as a camp counselor teaching science, ecology and helping lead backpacking trips throughout Oregon’s mountain ranges. I attended Central Oregon Community College (now OSU Cascades), spent a little over a year at Universitaet Tuebingen in Germany before getting my Bachelor’s Degree in Botany with a minor in German at OSU in Corvallis. I moved to Burns full time in 2003 after spending several summers at EOARC working on my Masters Degree with Rick Miller (OSU Rangeland Resources). I counted growth rings on over 2500 sagebrush and bitterbrush collected from Oregon, California and Nevada to determine shrub reestablishment patterns following large scale historic fires. In my time here as a technician I have officially worked for 4 different scientists on projects ranging from watershed-level juniper removal to analyzing photosynthesis on individual bunchgrass leaves. I really enjoy how the field work and lab work shifts and changes from season to season and from year to year. I don’t even mind the endless days counting and sorting. I honestly see research as a form of art; keeping it all uniform and organized. However, I am happy to not be doing as much seedling demography using toothpicks anymore!!!! One of my favorite parts of the year is when I get to help with different outreach programs teaching field botany and vegetation monitoring techniques. I am proud of how well received the “Year Round Field Identification of Common Northern Great Basin Grasses” has been and love that it has been made available for free.
Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my husband, Ryan Day and our 7 year-old daughter Iyla Day. We enjoy outside adventures, visiting our families who are all luckily still in Oregon, and as many arts and crafts as I can fit in. As Iyla gets older I hope to get back into my many hobbies and be able share them with her. I enjoy weaving, needle felting, dying Ukrainian Eggs, acrylic paint pouring, tie-dying, ceramics, beading and gardening. Iyla and I just started leather stamping this Christmas and hope to have a custom belt finished for her father before his old one wears out. We had better hurry!!!
Upcoming Events:
Virtual Fence Workshop, Ontario, OR (or online) - January 29, 2025
Society for Range Management, Spokane, WA - Feb 9-13, 2025
EOARC Burns Advisory Committee Meeting - February 28, 2025
Cattle AI School - March 25-27, 2025
Science in the Sagebrush Steppe - April 24-27, 2025
EOARC Field Skills Camp - May 19-20, 2025
The Oregon Wildlife Society Field Skills Camp - May 22-26, 2025
VIRTUAL FENCE WORKSHOP
OSU, ARS, and Vence are hosting a free in-person and online Virtual Fence Workshop on January 29, 2025 from 12:30-4:00 MST. This workshop is for producers and managers thinking about trying virtual fencing, or those looking for more information on what it is and how it works. Hear directly from livestock producers, agencies, local government organizations, scientists, and industry representatives about: What should you know about virtual fencing? How have producers been using it? How have producers been working with agencies and other organizations to leverage opportunities presented by this technology? Looking ahead, what can we expect from programs supporting the use of virtual fencing?
Register here: beav.es/VF. All registrants will receive a unique link to attend online, and the in-person program will be held in Weese 110 at Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, OR.
2nd Annual Science at the Library
Office Trick-or-Treat Parade
Outreach, Educational Activities & More
Ranch Academy Module 7, Environment and Cattle Production - October 11, 2024 Dr. Juliana Ranches and Jenifer Cruickshank lead a course providing participants with the latest information on wildfire smoke exposure and its impact on cattle health and production. The course also covered greenhouse gas emissions and agriculture's role in this issue.
Ranch Academy Module 8, Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Training - November 8, 2024 Dr. Juliana Ranches and Sergio Arispe led a course that covered all BQA modules, followed by the exam and certification.
Trick-or-Treat Parade - October 31, 2024 EOARC's office trick-or-treat parade was a huge success! See additional pictures above.
“Balancing Nutrition and Health for Stocker Cattle Success”
“Importance of Forages in Equine Nutrition and Welfare”
“Nutritional Strategies for Pregnant Heifers and Cows”
“Strategies for Preparing Low Parity Heifers and Cows for Their Next Breeding Season”
“Micro Minerals Contribution to Sustainable Dairy Systems”
“Building Resilience Through the Lens of Sustainable Beef”
Growing as Individuals (personal and professional development and training)
Growing for Impact (program growth, evaluation/data, advocacy, and sharing impact externally)
Growing Together (getting to know each other’s work, cross-program collaboration, and building community partnerships).
Recent Publications
Evaluating Different Rates of Activated Carbon in Commercially Produced Seed Coatings in Laboratory and Field Trials
Baughman, Owen, R. Rios, C. Duquette, C.S. Boyd, C. Riginos, M. Eshleman, O. Kildisheva
https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.14132
Evaluating Performance of Three Types of Carbon Seed Coatings on Seedling Development
Duquette, Cameron, R. Rios, O. Baughman, O. Kildisheva, M. Cahill, C.S. Boyd
https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.14118
Ecological Benefits of Strategically Applied Livestock Grazing in Sagebrush Communities
Davies, Kirk W., C.S. Boyd, J.D. Bates, L.N. Svejcar, L.M. Porensky
https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4859
Dryland Restoration Needs Suggest a Role for Introduced Plants
Davies, Kirk W., D.D. Johnson
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03005
Weather Effects on Herbaceous Yields: Wyoming Big Sagebrush Steppe, Southeastern Oregon
Bates, Jon D., S.M. Copeland, S.P. Hardegree, C.A. Moffet, K.W. Davies
https://doi.org/10.3398/064.084.0108
Effects of Trace Mineral Injections on Measures of Growth and Trace Mineral Status of Primiparous Cows and their Calves
Hernandez, Gracia P., M.F.L. Ferreira, A.C.R. Santos, D.W. Bohnert, J. Ranches
https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txae068
Post-fire Management Decisions have Consequences: Drill-Seeding Disturbance and Effects of Co-Seeding Introduced with Native Bunchgrasses
Davies, Kirk W., C.S. Boyd, L.N. Svejcar, T.E. Martyn, J.D. Bates
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03021
Weak Effects of a Soil Contrast on Wyoming Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis) Transplant Survival in a Northern Great Basin Case Study Suggest Importance of Microsite Selection and Non-soil Factors
Copeland, Stella M.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rala.2023.12.003
Activated Carbon Seed Technology Protects Seedlings from Two Pre-emergent Herbicides Applied in Tandem
Svejcar, Lauren N., D.R. Clenet, C.H. Guetling, K.W. Davies
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2024.05.006
Spotlight
It’s always good to be thinking about preparing for wildfire. Check out the Extension Fire Program’s webinars, readiness checklists, and other resources related to wildfire preparedness here.
Social Media:
sagehabitatteam & thecattlecorner
Publications:
