[ODFW-News] Access and Habitat Program grants and 2007 raffle tags approved

[ODFW News]

For Immediate Release Friday, June 9, 2006
 
Access and Habitat Program grants and 2007 raffle tags approved
 
SALEM - The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission today approved grants
totaling nearly $750,000 to fund nine Access & Habitat projects that
will provide public hunting access to more than 420,000 acres of private
land and restore wildlife habitat on 111,640 acres of private land.  
 
The Commission also approved the auction and raffle hunting tag program
for 2007, voting to keep it unchanged from this year's record-setting
program. 
 
Created by the Oregon Legislature in 1993, the A&H program works to
improve wildlife habitat and provide public hunting access to private
lands. It is funded by a $2 surcharge on hunting licenses and annual
auctions and raffles. 
 
Local A&H advisory councils review and forward proposed projects to a
seven-member state review board, which makes final recommendations to
the Commission. Grant recipients often contribute funds to the projects
as well, sometimes matching or even exceeding A&H funds.
 
The following projects were approved by the Commission today: 
 
* RY Timber Habitat and Access Project - Wallowa County: $13,000 of A&H
funds and $36,000 cooperator funds to build fence to enhance critical
deer and elk winter range in the area, limit their grazing damage to
nearby agricultural lands, and provide by-permission public hunting
access on 20,000 acres for five years. 
 
* Forest Capital Partners Weed Control - Baker, Union, Umatilla and
Wallowa counties: $400,000 of A&H funds and $400,000 in cooperator funds
to improve habitat by enhancing noxious weed control program on 100,000
acres for five years. Forest Capital Partners currently provides public
hunting access on 316,000 acres in northeast Oregon. 
 
* Coombs Canyon Regulated Hunt - Umatilla County: $56,191 of A&H funds
and $765 in cooperator funds to continue hunter access, including a
popular controlled buck youth hunt, on 12,500 acres for five years. 
 
* Heppner Regulated Hunt - Morrow County: $80,000 of A&H funds and
$28,899 in cooperator funds to continue providing access to this very
popular 43,000 acre hunting area. 
 
* Soldier Creek Habitat and Access - Harney County: $23,172 of A&H funds
and $135,452 in cooperator funds to restore riparian and other habitat
for waterfowl, upland birds, and big game and provide by-permission
hunting access on 640 acres for five years. 
 
* Starbuck Access - Harney County: $17,750 in A&H funds to open public
access for hunting of upland birds, deer, pronghorn, and predators on
670 acres for 10 years. 
 
* Klamath River Access - Klamath County: $37,500 of A&H funds and
$112,500 in cooperator funds to substantially improve the parking area,
dock, access road and boat ramp on Klamath Wildlife Area, which is
heavily used by waterfowl hunters. 
 
* Lincoln County Forest Patrol - Lincoln County: $20,000 of A&H funds
and $100,000 of cooperator funds for a year-round sheriff patrol on
private timberlands experiencing high rates of public dumping and other
illegal activities. These lands provide 294,372 acres of public hunting
access.
 
* Jackson Access and Cooperative Travel Management Area - Jackson
County: $96,626 of A&H funds and $150,402 in cooperator funds to pay an
OSP Senior Trooper and conduct habitat improvements on 54,400 acres of
timberland for four years. 
 
The Commission also approved auction and raffle tag program for 2007,
voting to keep next year's program unchanged from the 2006 program. Next
year's program will again auction 12 big game hunting tags and raffle
off 13 big game hunting tags through sponsoring sportsman/conservation
groups. 
 
Proceeds from 10 auctions and 10 raffles for deer and elk tags benefit
the Access and Habitat Program. The remaining auctions and raffles for
two bighorn sheep tags, two pronghorn antelope tags, and one Rocky
Mountain goat tag benefit the research and management of those
particular species in Oregon.
 
In 2006, these auctions and raffles broke the 2005 record and raised
$542,557 for hunter access, wildlife habitat and research projects
throughout the state. 
 
For more information on the A&H program, contact program coordinator
Nick Myatt at 503-947-6087 or visit ODFW's Web site, www.dfw.state.or.us
 
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