03/07/07 Farmer Help Fish

Farmers help improve fish habitat. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. Farmers along the Oregon Coast are stepping forward and taking measures to improve fish habitat. The effort could be extended statewide in the future. With the development of a State of Oregon conservation plan for coastal coho salmon, agricultural landowners are being asked to voluntarily find ways to help the fish. That means more on-the-ground projects that enhance the habitat necessary for coho in the lowland coastal areas. EDWARDS: I think there are a lot of willing landowners. I think there is some frustration in the fact that the process tends to be fairly long to both get funding for very complex projects. Sometimes there`s a lack of that technical support that they need- the engineering that they need. And the permitting process tends to be fairly cumbersome. Karla Kay Edwards has been hired by the Oregon Department of Agriculture to help coastal farmers find opportunities to make a difference for the coho. She`ll be taking concerns back to other state agencies and will advocate for resources to help create more projects. Whether it`s erosion control along a stream bank or providing off-channel ponds to help fish during flood events, the partnership between landowners and agencies could be a formula for other parts of the state where fish populations are struggling. EDWARDS: We hope this does turn into a model because voluntarily getting landowners to participate in this is much better than having to go through a regulatory process. The coho conservation plan will be presented to the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission for official adoption, but the effort has already gained support of the State Board of Agriculture, which last week passed a resolution endorsing ODA`s role. Edwards says by stepping forward proactively and voluntarily to help coho salmon, farmers can help avoid a federal listing of the fish, which would trigger federal mandates. EDWARDS: The ultimate benefit to agriculture is still being able to dictate ourselves on the land what we are doing. That`s the ultimate goal. For Oregon to maintain control of these species is vitally important because then we dictate what those processes are rather than having the federal government come in and tell us what we have to do. Edwards has been hired by ODA to act as a conduit between agricultural landowners along the coast, and state agencies and coastal communities. EDWARDS: So that we can help implement more projects- both that are going to be beneficial to the fish and wildlife there, but also to the economics of the base of that landowner`s operation. The last thing we want to do is hinder that economic productivity of that that farm. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.