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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=927291016-13032009>Private Forests News
members:</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=927291016-13032009></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=927291016-13032009>This information
from the USDA NRCS may be of benefit to private landowners, especially those in
western Oregon who may have suffered flood-related losses within the past
year.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=927291016-13032009></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=927291016-13032009>Kevin
Weeks</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=927291016-13032009>Public Information
Officer / Private Forests Division </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=927291016-13032009>Oregon Department of
Forestry</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=927291016-13032009><A
href="mailto:kweeks@odf.state.or.us">kweeks@odf.state.or.us</A></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=927291016-13032009>(503)
945-7427</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=927291016-13032009></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=927291016-13032009>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=927291016-13032009>
<P class=MsoNormal><A name=OLE_LINK2></A><A name=OLE_LINK4></A><B><FONT
face=Arial size=7><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 30pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; LETTER-SPACING: -0.2pt">N<SPAN
style="TEXT-TRANSFORM: uppercase">ews Release</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></B>
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
/><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><IMG id=_x0000_i1025 height=38
src="cid:927291016@13032009-348E" width=53 border=0> <IMG id=_x0000_i1026
height=39 src="cid:927291016@13032009-3495" width=129
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<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyTextIndent style="MARGIN-LEFT: 153pt"><B><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><A name=OLE_LINK3></A><A name=OLE_LINK1></A><B><FONT
face=Arial size=1><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 7pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">United State
Department of Agriculture<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=1><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 7pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Natural Resources
Conservation Service<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:Street
w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on"><FONT face=Arial size=1><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 7pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite
900</SPAN></FONT></st1:address></st1:Street><FONT face=Arial size=1><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 7pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><FONT face=Arial
size=1><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 7pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Portland</SPAN></FONT></st1:City><FONT
face=Arial size=1><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">, <st1:State
w:st="on">OR</st1:State> <st1:PostalCode
w:st="on">97204</st1:PostalCode></SPAN></FONT></st1:place><FONT face=Arial
size=1><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><A
title=www.or.nrcs.usda.gov
href="outbind://11/www.or.nrcs.usda.gov">www.or.nrcs.usda.gov</A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 6pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; MARGIN-RIGHT: -0.5in; mso-margin-top-alt: 12.0pt"><B><FONT
face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; TEXT-TRANSFORM: uppercase; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">For
Immediate Release</SPAN></FONT></B><B><I><FONT face=Arial><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></I></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 6pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; MARGIN-RIGHT: -0.5in; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in"><st1:State
w:st="on"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Oregon</SPAN></FONT></B></st1:State><B><FONT
face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> Contact:
</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Dave
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Dishman</st1:City>, <st1:State
w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State></st1:place> EWP Program Manager, (503) 414-3252,
</SPAN></FONT><A title=mailto:Dave.Dishman@or.usda.gov
href="mailto:Dave.Dishman@or.usda.gov"><FONT
title=mailto:Dave.Dishman@or.usda.gov face=Arial><SPAN
title=mailto:Dave.Dishman@or.usda.gov
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Dave.Dishman@or.usda.gov</SPAN></FONT></A><FONT
face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 6pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><B><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; TEXT-TRANSFORM: uppercase"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 6pt"><B><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; TEXT-TRANSFORM: uppercase">USDA WILL
RESTORE AND PROTECT FLOOD-PRONE LANDS NATIONWIDE WITH ECONOMIC RECOVERY
FUNDING<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><B><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; TEXT-TRANSFORM: uppercase"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on"><I><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-STYLE: italic">Portland</SPAN></FONT></I></st1:City></st1:place><I><FONT
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-STYLE: italic">, March 11,
2009</SPAN></FONT></I><FONT size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">—The U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide up to $145 million to eligible
landowners nationwide through the floodplain easement component of its Emergency
Watershed Protection (EWP) Program, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced
this week. The funds will be used to restore an estimated 60,000 acres of
frequently flooded land to its natural condition and create
jobs.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Vilsack announced that eligible landowners
can sign up for these easements from March 9 until March 27, 2009 at their local
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">USDA</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Service</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"> Through the program, landowners have
the option to voluntarily set aside and restore frequently flooded lands through
permanent easements with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service
(USDA-NRCS). <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">To be eligible for an easement, the land
must be privately owned or owned by state or local units of government. In
addition, eligible sites will have been damaged by flooding at least twice in
the last 10 years or once in the last 12 months in order to qualify for the
program.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Interested landowners must submit an
application to NRCS. Applications will be evaluated and ranked for funding on a
state-by-state basis. Because applications could exceed available funding, they
will be ranked for enrollment based on priorities established within each state.
Larger cropland and pasture land tracts with a high frequency of flooding and
evidence of flood damage will receive funding
priority.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">In Oregon, additional emphasis for funding
will be placed on applications that identify an entity to complete yearly upkeep
and maintenance of the easement, as will applications to protect riparian,
wetland and/or aquatic habitat within designated conservation opportunity areas
(these areas can be found at: </SPAN></FONT><A
title=http://nrimp.dfw.state.or.us/coaexplorer/viewer.htm
href="http://nrimp.dfw.state.or.us/coaexplorer/viewer.htm"><FONT
title=http://nrimp.dfw.state.or.us/coaexplorer/viewer.htm size=2><SPAN
title=http://nrimp.dfw.state.or.us/coaexplorer/viewer.htm
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">http://nrimp.dfw.state.or.us/coaexplorer/viewer.htm</SPAN></FONT></A><FONT
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">). <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Landowners who decide to enter into
floodplain easements agree to limit future uses of the land and work with NRCS
to restore and enhance floodplain functions and values. Restoration activities
for this sign up do not include streambank stabilization. EWP floodplain
easements are permanent and will remain forever tied to the deed, regardless of
who owns the land in the future. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">With EWP floodplain easements,
participating landowners retain ownership, control public access, and may
continue to use the land for undeveloped recreational purposes, such as quiet
enjoyment, hunting and fishing. Participating landowners may also request
authorization to engage in other activities that further the protection and
enhancement of the easement area.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Funding for the floodplain easements comes
from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The effort will create
jobs in the engineering, biology and construction fields when landowners
establish conservation practices on the land entered into easements. The goal is
to have all floodplain easements acquired and restored within 12 to 18 months.
No more than $30 million can be spent in any one
state.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">The restored floodplains will generate many
public benefits, such as increased flood protection, enhanced fish and wildlife
habitat, improved water quality, and a reduced need for future public disaster
assistance. Other benefits include reduced energy consumption when certain
agricultural activities and practices are eliminated and increased carbon
sequestration as permanent vegetative cover is
re-established.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Interested landowners should contact their
local <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">USDA</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Service</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> for more information about EWP
floodplain easements. For more information, about EWP, please visit:
</SPAN></FONT><A
title=http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/ewp/Floodplain/index.html
href="http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/ewp/Floodplain/index.html"><FONT
title=http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/ewp/Floodplain/index.html size=2><SPAN
title=http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/ewp/Floodplain/index.html
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/ewp/Floodplain/index.html</SPAN></FONT></A><FONT
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">###<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyTextIndent style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0in"><B><FONT face=Arial
size=1><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">NRCS—Helping people help
the land.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoBodyTextIndent><B><FONT face=Arial size=1><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoBodyTextIndent style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0in"><B><FONT face=Arial
size=1><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">An Equal Opportunity
Provider and Employer.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoBodyTextIndent style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0in"><B><FONT face=Verdana
color=black size=1><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 8pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">The
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its
programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age,
disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental
status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs,
reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any
public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of
program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact
USDA's <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">TARGET</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> at (202) 720-2600
(voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director,
Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C.
20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an
equal opportunity provider and employer.</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT face=Arial
color=navy size=1><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 8pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></SPAN></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>