What are Natural and Working Lands? (from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife)
In Oregon, natural and working lands span forests, rangelands, wetlands, farmlands, and estuaries, and they form the foundation of the state’s ecological health, cultural identity, and rural economy. These lands support biodiversity, regulate water and air quality, store carbon, and provide food, lumber, and habitat. They are home to diverse ecosystems such as sagebrush steppe, oak savannah, and coastal estuaries, which sustain fish and wildlife populations and serve as critical buffers against the impacts of climate change. Working lands, including farms and ranches, are often managed in ways that support conservation values while contributing to local economies and food systems. Natural and working lands represent vital spaces that must be protected and stewarded to maintain Oregon’s resilience and quality of life for future generations.
Find more information about the science of Working Lands in the Pacific Northwest:
- N&W Lands Resources | Institute for Natural Resources | Oregon State University
- Land-Based Net Carbon Inventory
- Forests and Farms Can Fight Climate Change
- Working Lands for Wildlife
- BoA_Rangelands_NWL.pdf
- NWL Board of Ag_FINAL.pdf
- Working+Lands+Guidebook+November+2021.pdf
- Beavers can convert stream corridors to persistent carbon sinks
Oregon's Climate Action Commission has a Natural & Working Lands Advisory Committee that has produced documents for technical guidance about many of the Working Lands that exist within CTUIR's Ceded Lands: 2023-Natural-Working-Lands-Report.pdf
We are grateful to our partners who joined us to share their knowledge with our gathering. Please find the recorded lecture sessions and associated slides below.
Within this session, the following lectures were held:
- A First Foods Approach to Landscape Stewardship, Management, and Restoration
Presented by Dr. Bryan Endress, Union County Oregon State University - Understanding Carbon in Our Working Lands of Eastern Oregon
Presented by Dr. Rory O’Connor, USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Burns Station - Carbon Markets Finance Rangeland Health Assessment; The Nature Conservancy
Presented by Michale Hale, with the Nature Conservancy and Magpie Ranch - Soil Carbon in the Dryland Agricultural systems of the Columbia Basin: Lessons Learned at the Pendleton Research Station; Oregon State University
Presented by Dr. Francisco Caulderon, OSU Columbia Basin Agricultural Research Center
Please find the recorded lectures available below; presentation slides are available for download at the bottom of the webpage.
Day 2: Lands and Systems Lecture Session
Many of the ways we manage systems can create opportunities to reduce and prevent carbon emissions in ways that are quantifiable, trackable and have additional benefits to lands and communities. This session provided information on how systems level approaches to both our landscape and built systems provide opportunities to reduce and prevent carbon emissions.
Session 2: Lands and Systems
Many of the ways we manage systems can create opportunities to reduce and prevent carbon emissions in ways that are quantifiable, trackable and have additional benefits to lands and communities. This session provided information on how systems level approaches to both our landscape and built systems provide opportunities to reduce and prevent carbon emissions.
Within this session, the following lectures were held:
- "Mountains to Oceans - How First Foods Salmon Weave Mountains, Oceans, Carbon and Culture Together"
Presented by Kevin Scribner, Brad Warren, Francesca Hillary, Global Ocean Health - "Carbon Stability in Oregon’s Dry Forests"
Presented by Kaci Radcliffe, The Nature Conservancy - "Refugia of the Blue Mountains"
Presented by David Mildrexler, Eastern Oregon Legacy Lands and Wallowology - "Cultivating A Resilient Foods System: DEQ’s Initiatives in Food Waste Prevention, Rescue, and Recovery"
Presented by Lily Herd, ODEQ, with the CTUIR NDTIA!P Team
Please find the recorded lectures available below; presentation slides are available for download at the bottom of the webpage.