Increasing capacity of County faculty and staff is the objective
of the seminars designed to be offered in Washington, Oregon,
Idaho, and Alaska. In March of 2003, day-long seminars will
be offered at four sites along the Interstate 5 corridor of
Oregon and Washington. The Suburban Salmon seminar will include
Best Management Practices that can be suggested to homeowners
to lessen the affects of urbanization on wild salmon runs.
The interface between proper riparian function, hydrology,
and land use practices are the main themes of the day. Also
on the agenda is a brief overview of the federal, state, and
local regulations that affect landowners. In preparation for
a field trip to habitat restoration projects will be a primer
on the key considerations, such as soil type, slope and drainage,
desirable and undesirable vegetation, and how to best mimick
natural areas.
Surveys were circulated in the Cooperative Extension Service
systems of the four states, to ascertain the specific information
needs and desires of County personnel. The burgeoning growth
of the West side of the Cascade Mountains poses questions
of how to continue economic growth while protecting wildlife
habitat and sustaining the quality of life that is so highly
valued in the Pacific Northwest.
In planning agendas for the East side of the Cascades and
the Intermountain West, issues to be addressed include variable
cropping systems, problems associated with irrigated agriculture
and water quality, forestry and mining issues, and TMDL implementation
planning. The diverse ecosystems of the region, ranging from
desert-like irrigated orchards, rain forested slopes, rolling
wheat fields, and tundra allows for varied approaches to be
used in the training agendas.
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