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Welcome

You are at the site for participants of the Harney County Wildfire Collaborative. The Harney County Wildfire Collaborative formed in 2014 to work together toward making sagebrush steppe landscapes more resistant and resilient to wildfire; it’s a diverse partnership between Rangeland Fire Protection Association members, federal, state, and county employees, tribal members, conservationists, scientists, and local ranchers.

This website is where you can find information about the collaborative, current wildfire resilience projects, resources, a calendar of meeting and event dates and more.  For a wealth of information about this Collaborative, review its Strategic Action Plan.

For questions about the collaborative and anything you see here contact Josh Hanson, High Desert Partnership’s Forest & Range Ecological Coordinator at josh@highdesertpartnership.org.

Harney County Wildfire Collaborative Timeline

A timeline of significant events of HCWC’s history to present day. Click the orange arrows to move through the timeline. Also, a historical summary of Harney County Wildfire Collaborative can be found here.

July 2012
Long Draw Fire, 558,196 acres.
About
July 2012
Miller Homestead Fire, 160,801 acres.
July 2014
Buzzard Complex (Bartlett, Lamb Ranch, Buzzard, Saddle Draw, Twin Reservoir and Beaver Creek), 395,747 acres.
July 2014
Buzzard Complex (Bartlett, Lamb Ranch, Buzzard, Saddle Draw, Twin Reservoir and Beaver Creek), 395,747 acres.
2014
Harney County Wildfire Collaborative formed.
About
July 22, 2015
All partners agreed that Burns Interagency Fire Zone and Oregon Department Forestry will develop and deliver joint training modules for Rangeland Fire Protection Associations.
Meeting Notes
July 22, 2015
Rangeland Fire Protection Association liaison position was created within the Burns Interagency Fire Zone.
Meeting Notes
April 21, 2016
Pueblo Mountains and Stinkingwater Mountains were both decided as project sites, focusing first on Pueblo Mountains.
Meeting Notes
September 21, 2017
Pueblo Mountains project prevention plan drafted.
Meeting Notes
October 2017
Alert Wildfire Camera system supported.
About
December 2017
BLM begins Pueblo Mountain Fuel Reduction Environmental Assessment.
Pueblo Mountains Environmental Assessment
August 2018
Holloway Fire, 462,017 acres.
September 2018
Consensus was reached on goals for the Stinkingwaters Mountain Restoration & Fire Resilience Project.
Meeting Notes
January 2019
Operating Principles updated by collaborative.
Operating Principles
May 2019
Native seed supply need identified by collaborative and EcoSource formed.
EcoSource
July 2019
Pueblo Mountains project began implementation.
Meeting Notes
March 2020
Introduction to Potential Operational Delineations (PODs).
Introductory Presentation
March 2020
BLM Pueblo Mountain implementation review: multi-phase treatment, next steps outlined.
Meeting Notes
May 2020
Potential Operational Delineations implementation discussed.
Meeting Notes
September 2020
Consensus to move forward with Potential Operational Delineations (PODs) project.
Meeting Notes
November 2020
BLM Fuel Breaks Programmatic Environment Impact Statements: PEIS online and approved.
November 2020
Consensus that more data for Potential Operational Delineations (PODs) project needed. Specifically social perspectives from conservation and tribal viewpoints.
Meeting Notes
February 2021
Values for Stinkingwater Mountains Potential Operational Delineations (PODs) discussed.
PODs Discussion & Resources
May 2021
Overarching goals for Stinkingwater Mountains discussed. Agreed to have a map-based follow up to conversation, rotate updates so everyone knows what everyone else is doing.
Meeting Notes
May 2021
Potential Operational Delineations (PODs) project: Agreed to accept Potential Control Locations (PCLs) as laid out and proceed with available data to do a mapping exercise/ modeling effort.
Meeting Notes
May 2021
Stinkingwaters Mountain Restoration & Fire Resilience Project implementation begins.
July 2021
Review of tangible accomplishments in the Stinkingwater Mountains project over the years by subunit.
July 2021
Senate Bill 762 passed.
About
September 2021
Stinkingwater Mountains timeline developed. Past accomplishments and future goals for each subunit.
Timelines
September 2021
HDP crews monitored roads in Stinkingwater Mountains to determine Potential Control Locations (PCLs).
PCL Monitoring Presentation
2022
RFPA Liaison position legislated, 3 positions now statewide.
February 2022
Southeast Oregon Wildfire Resiliency project funded $5 million.
About
May 2022
Consensus to develop a strategic action plan for the collaborative.
Meeting Notes
May 2022
Collaborative supported grazing as a tool to reduce fuels.
Meeting Notes
July 2022
HDP seasonal crews continue roadside monitoring in the Stinkingwaters.
September 2022
Majority support of priority Potential Control Locations (PCLs) map.
January 2023
Collaborative granted an additional $410,713 for the Southeast Oregon Wildfire Resiliency project.
About
June 2023
Southeast Oregon Wildfire Resiliency Project completed.
About
July 10 2024
Falls Fire begins burning in Harney and Malheur counties.
About

CONVENED AND SUPPORTED BY

CONTACT
Aaron Johnston, Forest & Range Ecological Coordinator
aaron@highdesertpartnership.org

© High Desert Partnership

CONVENED AND SUPPORTED BY

CONTACT
Aaron Johnston, Forest & Range Ecological Coordinator
aaron@highdesertpartnership.org

© High Desert Partnership

CONVENED AND SUPPORTED BY

CONTACT
Aaron Johnston
Forest & Range Ecological Coordinator
aaron@highdesertpartnership.org

© High Desert Partnership