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Rivers, Streams, and Lakes

Oregon's Top Natural Resource Plans

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The 10-Year Plan for Oregon created by Governor Kitzhaber in August 2011, identifies Healthy Environment as one of the six high-level outcome areas. The outcome area's focus is to manage Oregon’s air, water, land and wildlife resources to support a healthy environment that sustains Oregon communities, Oregon’s economy and the places Oregonians treasure.


 

The Healthy Environment Policy Vision states:

Oregon’s farms, forests, rangelands, waters and other natural resources provide the basic building blocks that support Oregon’s communities and economy. Oregon is known as a national leader in protecting its environment and for fostering a special relationship between its people and its places –natural resources also are key to Oregon’s economy. Agriculture, forestry and wood products are Oregon’s leading industries after high-tech manufacturing. Managing Oregon’s natural resources in a way that recognizes their critical role in providing jobs and supporting rural communities, while protecting the clean water and air Oregonians treasure, is fundamental to Oregon’s future.

The vision highlights 10 state-adopted natural resource plans that were or are being developed through extensive public processes and stakeholder input and have been adopted by various governing boards and commissions. These include (by date):

Water Resources Strategy

 

Oregon's Integrated Water Resources Strategy. Oregon Water Resources Dept.
The 2017 IWRS is an inter-agency framework to help the state better understand and meet its instream and out-of-stream needs under increasing challenges, taking into account water quantity, water quality, and ecosystem needs. The Strategy includes specific recommendations for improved water resources data collection and monitoring methods and investing in healthy ecosystems

In 2018, Oregon initiated a collaboration to steward the state's water resources under a changing climate and shifting demographics. Working towards a long-term, 100-year vision the initiative engaged Oregonians to help frame the vision and identify key information gaps and ways to address them. This Oregon Water Vision builds on the IWRS.

Ten Year Energy Plan

Ten Year Energy Action Plan for Oregon. Ten Year Energy Action Plan Task Force. Governor's Draft, June 5, 2012.
The management plan presents proposals to advance climate and carbon policy; accelerate technology deployment and innovation; and engage citizens and communities.


 

Invasive Species

Oregon Statewide Strategic Plan for Invasive Species 2017-2027. Oregon Invasive Species Council 2017.
The Plan is organized around key invasive species management objectives that are meant to guide a comprehensive approach over the next ten years from the perspective of the entire state, rather than any particular group or agency.

Oregon Wetland Program

Oregon Wetland Program Plan. Oregon Department of State Lands. Wetlands & Waterways Conservation Division. 2017.
The Plan focuses on wetland protection and restoration work in a strategic way, and communicates long- and short-term objectives to the Environmental Protection Agency and others. The plan was developed under an EPA development grant, and was approved for the 2017-2021 time period.
 

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Forestry Program for Oregon: A Strategy for Sustaining Oregon's Public and Private Forests. Oregon Board of Forestry. The Forestry Program for Oregon (FOFO) was last revised in 2011. A revision and update process began in 2019 to coincide with Oregon's Forest Action Plan revision, which was completed in 2021. For several reasons including legislative delays in confirmation of appointees to the Board of Forestry, impacts of COVID-19, wildfire cost recovery efforts and the historic 2020 wildfire season, the FOFO revision process is still pending. The BOF intends to carry forward the process of developing the FOFO and Shared Stewardship model for integration into the 2021 Forest Action Plan.

 

 

Oregon Environmental Literacy Plan: Toward a Sustainable Future. Oregon Environmental Literacy Task Force. October 1, 2010.
The Plan is designed to ensure that every student in Oregon becomes a lifelong steward of their environment and community, willing and able to exercise the rights and responsibilities of environmental citizenship, choosing to interact frequently with the outdoor environment, equipped with multifaceted knowledge of our relationship to the environment and its resources, and prepared to address challenges with sound decisions for our future.

The Oregon Environmental Literacy Plan is part of the Oregon Environmental Literacy Program which is run through OSU Extension. The goal of the program is to support teachers in collaboration with non-formal educators to foster environmental iiteracy of kindergarten through 12th grade students by engaging them in activities and experiences that:

  • Increase their awareness, understanding, and knowledge of the environment and their relationship to it
  • Participate as citizens in the stewardship of the environment
  • Prepare them to engage in actions that ensure a sustainable future
  • Contribute to establishing healthy lifestyles
image of the cover of the climate adapdation framework document

Oregon Climate Change Adaptation Framework. State of Oregon 2010, revised 2021. The State Agency Climate Adaptation Framework is intended to guide state leadership and staff on investment decisions as they respond to climate change. In updating the 2010 Framework, the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) coordinated staff from 24 state agencies to strengthen interagency coordination as the state plans for and responds to climate impacts. The team found that Oregon is experiencing the effects of climate change - rising temperatures, changing ocean chemistry, reduced snowpacks, larger, more severe wildfires - faster than expected and that underserved populations, rural communities and fragile ecosystems are disproportionately affected. The Framework was informed by the Fifth Oregon Climate Assessment prepared by the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute (OCCRI) where readers can learn more about projected geophysical, social and economic consequences of climate and ocean change in the state.

Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan: Ensuring Oregon's Outdoor Legacy, 2019-2023. Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.
The state-wide comprehensive Outdoor Recreation plan constitutes Oregon’s basic five-year plan for outdoor recreation. The plan guides the use of Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) funds that come into the state, provides guidance for other Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD)-administered grant programs, and provides recommendations to guide federal, state, and local units of government, as well as the private sector in making policy and planning decisions.

Oregon Conservation Strategy. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Originally published in 2006, the Oregon Conservation Strategy was updated in 2016. A blueprint for conservation of the state’s native fish and wildlife and their habitats, the Strategy provides information on at-risk species and habitats, identifies key issues affecting them and recommends actions.

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Columbia River Gorge Management Plan. Columbia River Gorge Commission. 2004.
The Management Plan for the Scenic Area is based upon a vision created by Congress, the Gorge Commission, the U.S. Forest Service, county and city governments, state and federal agencies, Indian tribal governments, concerned citizens, and interest groups. The vision provides a sense about the future of the Gorge 20, 50, or 100 years from now. A primary purpose of the Management Plan is to ensure that land in the Scenic Area is used consistently with the purposes and standards of the Scenic Area Act.

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Oregon Strategy for Greenhouse Gas Reductions. Governor’s Advisory Group On Global Warming. December 2004.
This report complements the agenda of the West Coast Governors´ Initiative on Global Warming undertaken by the governors of California, Oregon and Washington to address greenhouse gas emissions at a state and regional level.

Salmon and Watersheds

In 1997, the Oregon Legislature and then Governor John Kitzhaber established the monumental Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds (Oregon Plan). The Plan was an unprecedented effort spurring state and federal agencies, Native Tribes and private partners to work together to protect salmonids and the watersheds they depend on in Oregon. Today, the Oregon Plan framework remains in place, guiding collaborative, coordinated public and private partnerships to restore watersheds statewide. The 2019-2021 Oregon Plan Biennial Report details recent and ongoing inter-agency and within agency restoration and monitoring actions and achievements under the plan.

 

Wildlife Species

Wildlife Management Plans. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Wildlife Division.
Many of Oregon’s game, threatened or endangered species have their own management plans. These plans address issues like ideal population size, responding when these animals cause damage, sport hunting, species interaction with humans and other wildlife species, recent research, and other issues.

Conservation and Recovery Plans. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Fish Division.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is leading or participating in several recovery or conservation planning efforts. The plans address legal requirements for recovery planning, and will evolve over time with the acquisition of new information, including the assessment of the success of recovery actions implemented.

Water Quality

Water Quality Management Plans.

Agricultural Water Quality Management Plans and Rules (by basin and subbasin). The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA). (Date varies).
The ODA Natural Resources Division’s Agricultural Water Quality Management Program provides an interactive map of existing agricultural water quality management plans by basin and sub-basin. In addition the comprehensive Agricultural Water Quality website provides in-depth information on the program.The Agricultural Water Quality Management Program  works with farmers and ranchers to develop water quality plans that address water pollution associated with agricultural lands and activities.

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality: Water Quality Program.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Water Quality Program's mission is to protect and improve Oregon's water quality. Protecting Oregon's rivers, lakes, streams and groundwater quality keeps these waters safe for a multitude of beneficial uses such as drinking water, fish habitat, recreation and irrigation.
DEQ Basin Assessments
To help protect, improve and enhance the quality of Oregon waterways, DEQ conducts in-depth assessments of the state’s basins. These assessments take the form of local water quality status and action plans, which describe water quality conditions and include recommendations for actions that DEQ and others who are interested in these basins can take to improve water quality.
DEQ TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) Program
A TMDL is a plan to improve water quality to ensure that the streams are healthy for humans, fish and wildlife. A TMDL is the maximum amount of pollutant that can be present in a waterbody while meeting water quality standards. These maximum allowable pollutant loads are assigned to contributing sources, typically to land use authorities. The TMDL document includes a water quality management plan with strategies and approaches for implementing the TMDLs.