Meandering between Local and National Control - Finding the Balance with Wallowa Resources - September 8, 2004
by Laura Fletcher

     It started simple enough; a dream to return the original meanders to a channelized stream. The childhood fishing memories of Doug McDaniel, a fifth generation Wallowa County rancher would be recreated by restoring fish habitat with meanders on the portion of the Wallowa River next to his ranch. The project was an undertaking that would improve the watershed and was hoped to be economically sustainable by selling the Agricate rocks from the curvy cuts. We were able to visit McDaniel's ranch and as a result of much work and collaboration with the local organization, Wallowa Resources, we saw the final stage of the meander stream project and visited with Gale Hammack, McDaniel's wife and Nils Christofferson from Wallowa Resources.

     The stream restoration project fit Wallow Resource's three part mission: to promote forest, community and watershed health while maintaining family wage jobs and broadening people's awareness of the value and environmental importance of land. The organization was formed to promote economic opportunities due to the closure of three local sawmills in 1996. Before 1996, the sawmills were the largest non-agriculture employer of Wallowa County. When the sawmills closed and the community took a great economic hit. Community members collaborated to organize a community buy of a local sawmill. Unfortunately the sale was a flop, but the unsuccessful attempt led to the formation of the Wallowa Resources.

     Now, Wallowa Resources provides local leadership of complex issues in order to have more local control over issues that affect the 7,200 people of Wallowa County. At first the organization started out with small demonstrations and education programs, for example, a demonstration of economizer mobile mill from California. Now Wallowa Resources does more ground work and Nils was excited to talk to us about the various projects, such as the Aspen Restoration Projects that used all local supplies and labor. Projects of Wallowa Resources range from community based forestry initiatives, a noxious weed program on 10,000 acres of Bureau Land Management land, a post and pull operation, watershed and fish restoration programs, small diameter log processing and wildlife surveys. Education programs are a pivotal to the community; because of education budget cuts the school week runs Monday through Thursday. To fill in the lack of school on Friday, Wallowa Resources runs a 10-week education program on Fridays with seven weeks of education and research and the last three weeks of salary work for high school students.

     Wallowa Resources provides local leadership and empowerment to a community with strong bonds and identity, but with a lack of economic independence or national power. The debate between local versus national control is compromised with Wallowa Resources. Local leadership from a community or county brings people together to plan and propose management. The organization provides an opportunity for a public voice and finds customized solutions to federal regulations from within. Although skepticism and questions of "how green" the organization was in the initiation were raised of Wallowa Resources, in less than 10 years it is now well established, accepted and supported by the community. The mission statement of Wallowa Resources focuses on the greater ecosystem health of Wallowa County that includes human prosperity balanced with environmental prosperity. This balance between the two is tricky and many legal and political battles are fought that end with disappointing solutions. After meeting with Nils and Gale, I believe in Wallowa Resources, they find solutions for community challenges through local collaboration and support.

     This sort of community development will be necessary in the future as rural areas continue to be overlooked and overrun by policies and economics that are out of their control. I struggle with how resource management should be controlled and how communities can be empowered while federal legislation sets policies. I was inspired by the undertaking of the stream restoration to return the original meanders. While we tromped around in the new future riparian area, I could envision the habitats and soon to be restored balance to the ecosystem. Somehow a power balance has to be restored to small communities that empower them without taking away federal sovereignty.