ENTERPRISE, Ore. — Although foresters and farmers often work in harmony, Peter Schreder, an Oregon State University professor and extension agent in Wallowa County, said he sees room for more overlap between them.

“I just think we haven’t considered on a larger scale the relationship between livestock management and forest management,” said Schreder. “How can we manage forests and livestock together to benefit both? There is room for more integration.”

Schreder and his colleagues are teaching classes to help land mangers fuse farming and forestry. He invites ranchers to attend OSU’s Tree School East in Baker City, Ore., on June 30.

Schreder also encourages ranchers to seek support as they create forestry-farming integration plans. Schreder advises ranchers to talk with staff at their local soil and water conservation district and Natural Resources Conservation Service offices about how to get funding and advice.

As ranchers create plans for integrating forestry and grazing, Schreder said there are many factors to take into consideration, including water, fencing, forest health, livestock nutrition and wildlife goals.

Schreder said ranchers may benefit from talking with SWCD or NRCS staff about how to ensure their livestock have sufficient water access in the forest. Ranchers may even may able to get funding to set up water infrastructure.

Potential solutions may include setting up tanks, fencing around riparian areas, installing solar pumps and using remote sensors that can alert a rancher when a pump malfunctions.

Ranchers may also need to strategize about using fencing to keep cattle in a particular area.

One growing area of research is virtual fencing, which involves putting collars on livestock. The collars communicate with reception towers and GPS networks to form a virtual fence. If a cow leaves the “fenced” area, it gets a mild electric shock.

Schreder said Wallowa County is applying for grants for a pilot project that would start in 2024 to test virtual fencing in the county’s East Moraine Community Forest. The plan is to put virtual fencing around sensitive areas.

“We’re quite confident that we’ll get it funded,” said Schreder.

Schreder said livestock can also be managed to benefit forest health. For example, livestock can remove noxious weeds or overgrown sections of the understory to reduce wildfire risk.

Schreder advises foresters and farmers to map out the ideal grazing timing. For example, if a forester removes portions of the canopy, allowing sunlight, water and nutrients to reach the understory, that can benefit forest health. But the understory can become overgrown if livestock are not brought in to eat down brush before it becomes a fire hazard.

“It’s important to get the timing right,” said Schreder.

For the health of the landscape and long-term forage quality, he said it is also important to get the stocking rates right and let the land rest after rotations.

Some livestock also need access to salt, and Schreder said ranchers can use that to their advantage. For example, a rancher could lure cattle into an area with annual invasive grasses they want the cattle to graze by placing salt there.

Livestock and forests can also be managed with wildlife goals in mind. For example, a land manager might graze cattle in the forest during times that do not disrupt elk calving.

Oregon State University’s Extension, Forestry & Natural Resources Program will host a “Tree School East” on June 30, 2023 at Baker High School in Baker City, Ore. The all-day workshop will feature classes in forestry and natural resource-related topics.

Visit the website: https://beav.es/5KK 

For more information, contact Jacob Putney at 541-523-6418 or jacob.putney@oregonstate.edu.