Oak Observations November 2024
How do we protect what we don’t understand? Management uncertainties in a complex and changing landscape combined with a lack of academic and scientific study focused on the East Cascades create a challenging environment for land managers. That’s where the Current Condition Assessment tool comes in!
ECOP has been working for years to address gaps in understanding and create standardized tools that help steward our beloved East Cascades oak habitats. Working collaboratively with partners including the NRCS and WA DNR, we’ve tested and refined Ecological Site Descriptions which give us an idea of what conditions and plants we can expect a site to support. These descriptions serve as an integral part of the Current Condition Assessment tool.
This summer, we incorporated partner feedback into the tool and released an updated version that’s ready to deploy!
Users draw an assessment area polygon and use a built-in key to discover their Ecological Site. The survey guides users through a series of questions that prompt the user to contemplate past and current land use, emerging stressors, impacts from grazing and fire, unique ecological features, and plant communities.
The goals of the Current Condition Assessment Tool are to:
Help users interpret oak system condition
Identify stress in oak systems that may indicate a need for stewardship
Think critically about site response to past and future management
Assist users with planning and prioritization across multiple units
From smaller private landowners to agencies managing our public lands, the tool helps diverse users prioritize and identify restoration opportunities. You can access the tool now as a Survey123 form!
As we’ve worked together to refine and develop the tool, partners gathered for training and field testing, including a field day at the White Salmon Oaks NRCA. Together, through collaborative learning, we continue to build and adapt useful tools for stewards of oak systems.
A special thanks to partners in the Current Condition Assessment Tool working group for helping develop and deploy this tool.
TOOL IN ACTION! This fall, with funding from OWEB, a contractor used the tool to assess over 7,000 acres on the White River Wildlife Area. Chase Brown, ODFW Wildlife Area Manager, and ODF Forester, Brian Reel, are using those results to inform future restoration priorities and funding opportunities. The tool was also adapted for and deployed on the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (CTWS) Reservation this fall. CTWS staff, elders, and partners gathered to discuss the assessment results, demonstrating how data can be considered through multiple cultural lenses. The results from the assessment and discussion are being utilized by staff to prioritize future restoration sites.
The Current Condition Assessment Tool is available for download and full instructions can be found here. Please reach out to oaks@columbialandtrust.com if you have questions.