Report of Crook County

Long-Range Planning Conference1970

Report of Crook County

Long-Range Planning Conference

1970

Cover PhotoCrook County Courthouse, built in 1909 of natural stone quarriedfrom rim one mile west of Prineville.It was dedicated as a Historical Monument in 1963.

Table of ContentsGeneral Information and History of Crook County 3

Location and Size 3Location Map 4Physical Aspects 3Agricultural Land 5Forest Lands 5Field Crops 5

Agri-Business Report 7Forest and Forest Products 7Water Resources as Related to Industry 8Land Use 8Other Businesses 8

Crops Report 10Cereal Crops 10Specialty Crops 11

Potatoes 12Soil and Water Report 13Livestock Report 15

Income 15Gross Farm Income Figures 15Recommendations 16Predator Animal Control 16Dairy 17Sheep, Swine, Poultry 17

Range Management Report 18Recommendations 18

Weed Report 20Recommendations 20

Recreation Report 21

Water for Recreation 21Land for Recreation 21Local Citizens and Recreational Requirements 22

Human Resources Report 23Housing, Health, Welfare and Recommendations 23Abundant Food Program and Recommendations 23Rural Development and Recommendations 24

Youth Report 25Youth Employment and Teenage Morality 25Youth's Role in Community 25

Crook County Extension Advisory Committee 26Membership of Committees and Resource Members 26

CROOK COUNTY EXTENSION STAFF

E. L. Woods, county Extension agent (staff chairman, retired October 31, 1969)Richard Brown, county Extension agent (4-H club workreplaced Harold Kerr.

April 7, 1969)Tom Bunch, area Extension agent (range managementserving central Oregon,

transferred to chairman, Crook County, January 19, 1970)Joyce Herold, county Extension agent (home economics)Harold Kerr, county Extension agent (4-H club work, transferred to chairman, Mor-

row County, March17, 1969)Frank Porfily, special agent, Bureau of Reclamation prolect (project ended,

April 30, 1969)

Crook County, Oregon

Crook County was named after George Crook, amajor in the United States Army, and was formedfrom part of Wasco County in 1882. It has an1area of2,892 square miles, or 1,907,200 acres. In 1966 thepopulafion was 8,950. The average temperature insummer is 60.2 degrees; in winter, 34.5 degrees. Theaverage yearly precipitation is 11.7 inches. Lumber-ing, agriculture, and mining compose the principalindustries.

Prineville, the county seat, is situated at an ele-vation of 2,868 feet and is 148 miles east of Salem,147 miles south of Portland, and 145 miles east ofEugene.

Points of interest are the pine mills at Prineville;Crooked River Canyon and the lava formations; theOchoco Mounfains; thunderegg and agate beds; anda petrified forest.

Crook County ranks 12th among counties inarea. The county is situated in the geographicalcenter of Oregon and lies on the broad, high plateauof this part of the state.

Certain sections have very rugged terrain. Thenorthern boundary contains portions of the BlueMountains and Ochoco Mountains; in the center lie theMaury Mountains. The Crooked River and its tribu-taries have cut deep, lagged canyons over the years.

The county has a semiarid climate with lowstreamflow in the summer months and high, floodingstreamflows in the later winter and spring months.The amount of precipitation varies, with an averageannual rainfall of 8 inches in some areas. Precipita-tion, in general, increases with elevation. Normally,the air movement over Crook County is from the westand is mostly marine in origin. Frost has been re-corded every month.

The settlement of Crook county began in the1800's. The history of agriculture in the county is oneof grazing and livestock. It is now geared to livestockand the production of alfalfa hay and pastureland.Small grains, mint, and potatoes are important cashcrops.

About 49.4 percent of Crook County is privatelyowned, and 50.6 percent is publicly owned. Locatedin the center of the state, east of the Cascades, it isbounded on the west by Deschutes County, on thenorth by Jefferson and Wheeler counties, on the eastby Grant and Harney counties, and on the south by thepanhaddle of Deschutes County. Ninety-six percentof the county lies within the Deschutes River Basin.

PHYSICAL ASPECTSGeology

The geology of Crook County consists mainly oflayers of sedimentary formations or lava flows. Therocks are mainly rhyolites, andesites, and basalts.

3

In general, rhyolites and andesites are older thanbasalts. The Crooked River probably flowed throughbasalt and, after cutting the basalt, gained the softbeds beneath the surface layer and widened itscanyons into the valieys around Prineville.

In some areas where lava flows have filled de-pressions, the Crooked River has cut deep, narrowcanyons. The City of Prineville lies at the head of analluvial plain formed by the Crooked River.

TopographyCrook County lies on the high plateau in the

center section of the state. The surface relief presentsa well-marked contrast, It ranges from nearly level,featureless surfaces of the desert valleys, where ele-vation is nearly 4,000 feet, to the rugged, snow-cladsummits of the Ochocos. A series of peaks andridges occurs in the county.

The topography may be divided into two classeshills or mountains and plateaus due to upheavaland hills or mountains produced by eruptions. Theplateaus near Prineville were produced by upheaval,their surface has been trenched by streams that formdeep canyons.

ClimateThe climate of Crook County is semiarid, with

cool nights throughout the year and precipitation dur-ing the winter. The air mass movement is westerlyand is marine in origin. However, because of theCoast Range and the Cascades, much of the moistureis released before it reaches Crook County. As theelevation increases, the precipitation increases overthe Ochoco Mountains.

The average annual precipitation for the countyvaries from 8 inches on the Deschutes plateau tomore than 19 inches in the high valleys used for agri-culture. Half of the precipitation falls during themonths of October through February. Thunderstormsproduce a substantial amount of this. During thewinter, much of the precipitation is in the form ofsnow in the higher valleys.

Extremes in temperatures have a range of 350F.

at Prineville to 104° F. Freezing temperatures can beexpected in any month out of the year.

SoilsThe Crook County soil survey, issued February

1966 by the United States Department of Agriculture,covers the Prineville area only. This area lies be-tween the Cascade Range and the Ochoco Mountainsand covers 275 square miles. It is drained by theCrooked River and Ochoco, McKay, Lytle, Johnson,and Mill creeks.

There are nine soil associations in the surveyarea. A soil association is a general soil area con-

oosBay s ebur

Medford.

LAW4ti

lamathFalls

CIWMI

Lakeview

Grants

Pass.

.LA

CALIFORNIA

IJMATIU.A UNIOP

Burns

Pendleton

VAU,w'

tainirig two or more soils in a pattern that l char-.acteristic althoUgh not frictly uniform. Soil Survey re-ports including soil maps of the Prineville area areavailable at the county Extension offices.

AGRICULTURAL LANDSThe land base for agriculture consists of 826,635

acres of pastureland, 68,055 acres of grazed wood-land, and 85,809 acres of cropland.

Pastureland and grazed woodland constituteabout 47 percent of the county area, or 894,690 acres.Pastureland is defined as noncropland pasture, andgrazed woodland as land that is at least 10 percentstocked with trees and grazed by livestock.

About 4 percent of the county area, or 85,809acres, is cropland. The malor uses of cropland are theproduction of small grains, hay crops, and grass seed.

LANDS IN FARMS, 1964

Total land 1,907,200 100.0Proportion in farms 51.9

Acres in farms 989,597 100.0Cropland harvested 57,034 5.7Cropland pasture 14,893 1.5Other cropland 13,882 1.4Woodland pastured 68,055 7.0Woodland not pastured 279 .4Other pasture 826,635 84.0

Source: U.S. Census of Agriculture

FOREST LANDForest stands

Ponderosa pine is the predominant wood speciesin Crook County. The other species are Douglas-firand lodgepole pine. Most of the commercial forestsin Crook County are located in the Ochoco NationalForest and the Maury Mountains.

Climate and topography have divided the countyinto three principal vegetation zones. The northeast-ern quarter and the Maury Mountains area make upthe conifer forest zone. This area has been classifiedas commercial forest zone.

The western two fifths of Crook County is in awestern juniper woodland zone. The stands are gen-erally sparsely stocked and consist of low-qualitytimber suitable for fence posts and fuel wood. Thisarea has been classified as noncommercial forest landand contains 563,000 acres.

The nonforest zone lies in the southeastern sec-tion of the county. It contains mainly sage brush anddesert flats.

Forest land ownershipAbout 23 percent of the forest land in Crook

County is privately owned. This is 107,620 acres ofcommercial land. Approximately 77 percent, or

352,680 acres, was under federal ownership in 1952.Most of this was in the Ochoco National Forest, ad-ministered by the United States Forest Service.

Less than 1 percent of the forest commercialland, or 600 acres in 1952, was owned by the StateofOregon.

-Nodata were available for ownership by thecounty.

Forest land useThe major uses of forest land in Crook County

are production of crops of commercial timber, outdoorrecreation, and watershed protection. Wildlife habi-tat and grazing are also important.

The national forest land is managed under the'rnultiple use-sustained yield' concept. This meansthe management of the forest and related areas in amanner that will conserve the basic land resource it-self while at the same time producing high-level sus-tained yields of water, timber, recreation, wildlife,and forage in the combination that will best meet theneeds of the people.

On many private holdings the only manage-ment is that related to the harvesting of mature tim-ber, while on other private holdings considerable at-tention is given to measures that will maximize thecontinuous production of timber. Tree farming isgaining some acceptance in the county.

FIELD CROPSGeneral

Agriculture in Crook County consists of threemain practices: (1) general irrigated farming, (2) dry-land farming, and (3) rangeland farming. Areas ofirrigation are intermixed with range-type farming inthe area below Prineville. Most of this irrigated landlies near the Crooked River Project, receives waterfrom gravity irrigation systems.

Most of the agricultural land in Crook Countyis devoted to livestock and cash-grain farming. Fewvegetables are grown in the county; however, sub-stantial acreage is devoted to potatoes. Livestockdominate the agricultural economy of the county.Some poultry and poultry products are produced.

CharacteristicsCrook County has a semiarid climate, which

limits the type of agricultural crops that may be pro-duced. From the total value of products sold in thecounty in 1969, livestock and livestock products ac-counted for $5,530,000 out of a total of $8,458,000.This is nearly 66 percent of the total value of farmproducts sold. The remainder of the value of farmproducts falls into the generalization of all crops.Very few vegetables or berries have been recordedin the last few years.

The general crops section of this report has todo with cereal grains, hay crops, and irrigated pas-tu res.

The following is the estimated income from theproduction and off-farm sales from these crops for atotal return of $1,404,000.

Item Acres Percent

CEREAL CROPS

Wheat $231,000Barley 247,000Oats 59,000Rye 14,000

Alfalfa $819,000Clover and grass 11,000Small grain 14,000Wild and other tame hay 9,000

Total $551,000

HAY

Total $853,000

6

Irrigated pasture on an average rents for $5 perAnimal Unit Month and stocked at 1 /2 to 2 AUM peracre.

A major portion of the nonagricultural sector ofCrook Countys economy is centered in the forest andforest products industry. Other industries in this sec-tar of the economy include retail trades, government,services, transportation, utilities, and miscellaneoussmaller businesses. In several of these industriesmolar portions can be linked, either directly or in-directly, to the forest products industry. Therefore, themajor emphasis of this commitfee's report will be con-cerned with the forest and forest products industry.Land and water uses as they relate to industries willalso be discussed.

FOREST AND FOREST PRODUCTSThe raw tImber resources of the county are the

basis for this major industry and total approximately426,000 acres of commercial forest lands with an esti-

mated net volume of live sawtimber in 1968 of 4,588million board feet, log scale, Scribner Rule. The netvolume of growing stock in the same year was esti-mated to be 939 million cubic feet.

Ownership of commercial forest land and saw-timber volume in the county is primarily public, withthe United States Forest Service controlling 78 percentof the total commercial forest acreage and 93 percentof the total sawtimber volume.

Seventy-six percent of the total sawtimber vol-ume in 1968 was ponderosa pine, 13 percent Doug-las-fir, and the remainder primarily other softwoodspecies.

Six mills in the county furnish a variety of pro-ducts from rough lumber to finished moulding, plus aplant specializing in box shook. Approximately halfof the county's wage and salary workers are em-ployed in these mills in addition to approximately140 year-round employees in forest management withthe United States Forest Service, the Bureau of LandManagement, and the State Forestry Department.

The allowable sustained timber cut has been

Agri-Business Report

Table 1. Ownership of Commercial Forest Land and Sawtimber Volume, 1968

a/ Less than 1% & 0.5 MBFSource: Oregon State Forestry Department.

'7

barely sufficient for present mill operation require-ments and has not allowed for any expansion. Re-search indicates that the allowable cut of publiclyowned tim'ber could be substantially raised and thatunless this takes place a distinct possibility exists of atimber shortage in the area.

The absence of any manufacturing plant utilizingchips and wastes further handicaps lumber producers.All chips and wastes are presently shipped outsidethe county. Manufacturing employment in the forestproducts industry could be increased if some provi-sion could be developed for use of these by-productswithin the county. Stud and chip operations can alsouse logs too small for saw logs and salvage timber.Also, as wood technology expands, the use of juni-per as a source of wood fibers is a future possibility,and the county boasts a total of 528,000 acres ofjuniper land.

RecommendationsThe committee recommends that:

The allowable cut be raised in line with the needsof the people, yet consistent with the principles ofsustained yield and multiple use.Specific people-oriented goals be adopted for pub-lic forest management.The United States Forest Service management beadequately financed along the patterns of BLM-county cooperation, with forest managementguaranteed a share of forest revenues.National forest management policy be consistentwith the national forest timber policy of "even-flow."Funds be allocated to speed up development andtesting of fertilization, genetic improvement, thin-ning, and other such practices that promise eco-nomically increased forest yields.Serious consideration be given to the establishmentof a chipboard plant in the area and the installa-tion of equipment to handle small logs.

OwnershipCommercial forest land

Acres PercentSawtimber volume

Mu bd ft Percent

Total 426,161 100 4,588 100

National forest 333,000 78 4,267 93BLM 9,879 2 96 2State forest 120 a/ a/Private 83,162 20 225 5

Emphasis be increased on research, involving theuse and control of uniperDecisions involving public land use, including for-est industry, be based on the wants and needs ofthe people rather than on crisis, expendiency, anddepartmental power struggles.

WATER RESOURCES AND INDUSTRYThe'total surface water supply within the county,

approximately 221 000 acre feet, for all purposescomes from two primary drainage basins: CrookedRiver and Ochoco Creek. Additional surface water isprovided the county in the Powell Butte area from theDeschutes River system.

Ochoco Creek and Crooked River are typicaldesert streams that flow heavily in the spring fromMarch to June and are almost dry the remainder ofthe year. Therefore, flow control by storage of thesetwo stream systems must be adequate enough toprovide a reasonable supply of water during low-flowyears

The Deschutes River, on theother hand, becauseof 'its origin in the high Cascades and the geologicalformations of the soils in the watershed area, is oneof the most constant-flowing streams in the West.Consequently, the Powell Butte irrigated area in re-sped to water resources is themost stable farm areain the county.

Irrigation for farming is the primary use of wa-ter in Crook County, 'but both Ochoco and Prinevillereservoirs have become important recreational areas.The largest amount of water fo'r industrial purposesin the county is used by sawmills. Other importantuses of water include domesticand municipal 'sup-plies.

The Ochoco Reservoir has not completely' 'an-swered all the flow confroi problems of. the OchocoCreek system, but it has been most economically feas-i'bte control situation. Additional storage reservoirsa'bove both the Ochoco and Prineville feed-canalswould provide supplemental benefits

The Prineville Reservoir, with an active capicity of.153,000 acre-feet' 'of storage, furnishes a large por-tion of the water used by the Ochoco Irrigation Dis-trict.. At the present time, however, there a'reapproxi-mutely 40,000 acre-feet of' excess storage1 of whichabout 15,000 acre-feet are available for industrialpurposes.

Recommendationslnstal[ation of more 'small-scale private dams inupper country with state aid,More and better snow survey stations and reportsproviding information both for water use and re-lease regulation for flood control.

Use of more Prineville Reservoir water t supple-ment that normally drawn from ,Ochoco Lake toprevent . low levels detrimental to multiple-usefactors. .

Use of more pipelines in laterals to cut down lossand for pickup of water for reuse.Retention of a, sufficient amount of present unal-

located waters ,for future industrial expansion pos-sibilitiesApproval by the' state engineer of high-line irriga-tion ditch application for water.Immediate action for the protection and planneduse of all unallocated waters.Expansion of studies of drainage problems andsolutions.

LAND USE :.. PRESENT AND FUTURECrook County has a total area of 2892 square

miles (1,907 200 acres) Productive land use is primarily devoted to agriculture and forestry, with recreçition a secondary use of much of the forest land I'4onproductive land comprises approximately 70 percentof the county s total land area

Approximately 50 percent of the county is in federal ow'nership, 1 '/ percent is owned by the StOté' ofOregon, ,and the remainder is, privately owned.,

Growth and development in the county havebeen centered around the Prinevijle area an,d, notunlike any other county in the state, have taken placewithout any real plan of direction or purpose Theresults of this' type 'of growth 'are apparent 'in thenumber of outlying housing developments not served,by public water and sewage disposal systems.

RecommendationsEstablishment of 'on active county planning com-mission.,Development of a comprehensive 'and-use plan forthe' county.Establishment of an adeq'uate public relations andeducational program throughout the developmentand implementation of 'a comprehensive land-useplan.Employment of the land use plan as a guide infuture zoning of the county.

OTHER BUSINESSESOther businesses in Crook County cover a wide

range of interests from retail trades to reaiestateandbanking.

Retail trades 'employ approximately 1 peicentof 'the total, wage and salary workers in' the, county,but this is not, a true criterion of,the importance ftrade in the county because ,of the, number of srrigjl,familyowned or family-operated businesses Theservice industry,' like'the trades, also 'is cornposed.ofmany small, owner-operated establishments.,

The combined industrial group of transportatjpnand utilities, accounts for only. 2%;percent-of the totalnohagricultural employment in 'the county. And,with-out expansion in the 'timber indistry1 expansion-hereis unlikely. , '

' ,,,; , ,.

All of the other businesses are primarily depend-ent on the three major industçies of.. the county agri-culture, fo'restry, and recreation. The existence aiidexpansion of these businesses depend on expansiQnin other industries. ' , ,

4

'4'

.0

INDUSTRIAL EXPANSIONThe City of Prineville, in conlunction with the City

of Prineville Railroad, owns several industrial siteswithin the city limits. These are zoned for industryand available for lease or purchase.

Within a one-quarter mile radius of the city limitsthere are approximately 70 acres of industrial prep-erty available in various-sized lots. All industrial siteshave railroad spurs, water, power, drainage, and ac-cess roads. There are also several commercial busi-ness sites available in the downtown area of Prine-ville, under a long-range plan of development of thecommercial district.

9

Actual expansion, however, depends largely onthe implementation of recommendations vital to theexpansion of agricultural and forest products indus-tries in the county. Comprehensive long-range plan-ning is another important factor in the expansion ofpresent industries or the acquisition of new ones. Thisplanning should not only consider the efficient, order-ly use of those natural resources land, water, and tim-ber, but should also include consideration of theelimination of air and water pollution and the main-tenance of the environmental quality available in thearea.

More information is needed in the general fieldof cereal crop production, including such informationas rates of seeding of fall and spring-planted grain,selective weed control, fertilization of cereal grains,harvest dates, and improved storage facilities. Thecommittee submits the following recommendations.

Wheato New and higher yielding varieties of winter and

spring wheat should be tested for quality and yieldunder the climatic and soil conditions on CrookCounty irrigated lands.

o Greater emphasis should be given to the value oflocally grown wheat as a livestock feed.

o The importance of early fall planting of Nugainswheat should be recommended to growers.Burt or Gains for late winter or very early springplanting of fall grains is recommended.Research people should give special considerationto a higher yielding good quality spring wheat toreplace Federation.Since leaf rust continues to be a problem in springwheat, a variety with resistance to this rust prob-lem is needed.Growers should be encouraged to grow Galgaluswheat, desirable variety for wheat hay production.

BarleyThe committee recommends further use and testingof Luther as a barley to replace Alpin.

o There is a need for a high-yielding spring barley toreplace Trebi on Crook County soils.More information should be made available forbetter fertilization of both fall-planted and spring-planted barley for maximum yields under the soilclimatic conditions in Crook County.

o Seed of a good hooded barley is needed to be usedas a hay crop. This barley is used as a hay crop inthin stands of alfalfa or as a grain hay crop.It is recommended that these seed Jots be cleanedup and a premium be paid growers for producingclean seed of this variety.

OatsOats produced in Crook County are in short sup-

ply, since oats are imported annually into the countyto be used as stock feed.

This committee recommends that more oats begrown in Crook County.The committee also suggests that varieties yieldinghigher than the present varieties, Cayuse and Park,be introduced.

Crops Report

Cereal Crops

10

To develop a high.yielding oat for grain, a high-test weight for the best rolling quality be kept.

RyeApproximately 10,000 acres of rye hay is grown

each year in Crook County for livestock feed, and only1,000 acres threshed for grain.

The rye for hay is mostly fall planted and onlyapproximately 15 percent spring planted. The seedused in most plantings is a mixture of spring andwinter varieties. This practice is not desirable foreither hay or for production of seed grain.

This committee recommends that the research sta-tion make every effort to make available a good fallhigh-yielding hay and grain variety as well as a goodspring variety.

AlfalfaBecause alfalfa weevil control is very important tothe future production of alfalfa for hay and pas-ture, urgent requests for a stepped-up research pro-gram, both public and private, to find a suitableinsecticide for adult control is urged.

o Crop researchers should be asked to intensify theirwork in producing a weevil-resistant and good-yielding variety.Since for the last 20 years alfalfa yields, locallyand nationally, have not improved much above the3-ton-per acre average yield, every effort shouldbe made to make available a new high-yieldingvariety with good forage quality.Researchers, both public and private, should be re-quested to accelerate their programs on alfalfaproduction in order to better emphasize culturalmethods, including higher yielding varieties, fertili-zation, seed-bed preparation, planting, irrigation,insect and disease control, and harvesting.It is recommended that for a long-time program astand of alfalfa should not be left in longer than 5years (?)Hay producers could increase yields by chemicalcontrol of annual weeds and grass in fields.Noxious weeds in alfalfa fields must be controlled.Commercial producers and local cattle feedersshould take advantage of hay-testing services of-fered by the OSU forage testing service.Where feasible, green chop for summer feeding ofbeef cattle and sheep can be beneficial.Alfalfa hay silage has its advantage in a localfeeding program.

0 A total management program will have to be im-proved to increase yields.

PasturesApproximately 20,000 acres of irrigated crop-

land in Crook County are used exclusively for pasture;many of these pastures need improved managementfor maximum forage yields. The committee submitsthe following recommendations for pasture improve-ment:

Better use should be made of adapted and high-yielding grass and legume varieties.Grass pastures must be replanted at least every 5or 6 years for best forage returns.

The production of a number of profitable cropsin Crook County is limited because of the general cli-mate of this high plateau area lust east of the Cas-cade Mountains. The entire area of Crook County issubject to frost any night of the year. It is very com-mon to have a 50° or more spread in daytime tonighttime temperature.

For this reason many specialty crops should beinvestigated as to production problems and possiblemarkets.

RECOMMENDATIONSGrass seed production. Growing and testing ofnew and improved varieties of grass for seed pro-duction should be encouraged. These include or-chard grass, blue grass, perennial rye grass, tallfescue, crested wheat, intermediate wheat, andtimothy, as well as any other grass available withpossibilities of seed production in Crook County.

' Legume seed production. Both white and redclover acreages could be increased profitably inCrook County.Vegetable seed crops. The committee recommendsthat further investigation be made for a market soranchers could produce vegetable seed in CrookCounty. At this time the committee suggests seedfor carrots, turnips, sugar beets, onion, lettuce, orany other crop where there is a demand for seedproduction.Seed companies entering into contracts with ranch-ers to grow new untested strains of grass, legume,flower, or vegetable seed should be required to as-sume their fair share of the risk of growing theirseed crops until the crop has proven itself underCrook County growing conditions.It is recommended that an investigation be madeinfo the possibility of growing carrots for canningat western Oregon canneries. Crook County is onlythree hours travel by truck from Salem.Red raspberries make a good small-fruit crop forCrook County, and the acreage could be increased.Possibilities of growing cane fruit stock materialshould be further investigated.Growing of dill for seed or the plant should be triedwith possible commercial plantings.

Specialty Crops

11

Pastures should be corrigated and cultivated witha rotary cultivator every year.The fertilization of pastures must be controlled toencourage greater forage yields, yet keep a goodbalance between grass and legume.For best return from pastures more information onpounds of beef or lamb per acre is needed.More attention should be given to total pasturemanagement.Proper application of grazing pressure to pasturesis very important for continued high production.

Onions have been and could again be grown as analternate row crop.Garlic and horseradish both do well in Central Ore-gon, and some grower could profitably grow asmall acreage of one of these crops commercially.Rhubarb is a crop for a limited acreage, as it doeswell in Central Oregon.Asparagus could be a crop for someone interestedin a high return crop if a market could be de-veloped.Other field crops which should be further investi-gated for production are cabbage, brussel sprouts,broccoli, and lettuce.Peppermint production. The committee recom-mends an increase in peppermint production onlyin line with market demand for the oil to make aprofitable enterprise.

Future peppermint producers should use onlyroot-stock material grown locally so as not to introduce disease into the area.

Local peppermint rootstock growers should beencouraged to continue the certification program tomaintain a local supply of clean roots.

Rootstock growers should keep up their certifica-tion program by purchasing nuclear plants every fewyears from the certification department, Oregon StateUniversity.

A quick method of testing oil for impuritiesshould be developed.

The fertilization research program with OregonState University should be continued.

More general information on management in-cluding, rootstock material, planting, irrigation, fertili-zation, weed control, etc., should be made availableto growers.

Growers are in need of more and continued in-formation on use of sinbar for weed control in pep-permint.

It is recommended that a local warehouse bebonded so peppermint and spearmint oil could bestored and warehouse receipts be issued so growerscould borrow money on their unsold oil.

Spearmint production. Spearmint could be an-other oil crop for Crook County and should begrown only where the grower can handle the cropin an area where peppermint is being grown. Since

there is a shortage of good clean Scotch spearmintplants, growers are warned not to go outside thearea for their plants. Plenty of clean certified rootswill be available in the county within two years.

If interest develops by growers in any otherspecialty crop such as safflower, dry peas, beans,etc., market outlets should be well investigated.

The potato industry represents approximately agross income of $1% million annually. ln1968 2,800acres were planted to potatoes. Good cultural prac-tices and management have resulted in an increase ofproduction over the past several years. However,with still more production per acre, the potato indus-try will continue to grow in Crook County.

RECOMMENDATIONSMarketing

Support organizations that are striving to increasethe bargaining position of the farmer.Enact legislation giving the farmer more bargain-ing power.

o Exercise the use of the marketing order.o Establish a more accurate means of reporting pro-

duction.o Enact legislation to regulate processing plants.

Fertilizationo Develop a quick field test for plant nutrients and

correlate with cropping history and yields.Extend and expand the plot work of the CentralOregon Experiment Station to more farms.

o Request Oregon State University to develop nitratenitrogen soil tests on a commercial basis.Apply part of fertilizer in irrigation water through-out the season as determined by tissue tests.

Potatoes

12

Alfalfa seed. Alfalfa seed could be a profitableseed crop in Crook County to the grower whoestablishes colonies of leaf cutter or alkali bees topollinate their fields. It is recommended this cropbe grown where growers will propagate their beecolonies.

DiseasesPlant disease-free seed.

0 Employ a person for research in potato disease.Return results of seed certification greenhouse testssooner.Use press-wheel planter to reduce Rhizoc problem.Develop programs to help reduce leaf-roll virus.

IrrigationDevelop solid-set sprinkler irrigation for better dis-tribution, frost control, and temperature control.Use an offset when using hand-move sprinklersystems.Determine the best irrigation interval to correctblight and mildew problems.Use drains at the end of laterals in solid-set irri-gation.Use one Extension service person to work with po-tatoes in the Central Oregon area.

0 Provide information to growers on all aspects ofsolid-set irrigation.

StorageUse correct handling procedures in harvesting andstoring.Use good storing facilities with adequate ventila-tion and temperature control.

0 Establish a processing plant in the Central Oregonarea.

Soil and water are two of the most importantelements in producing the $7x/2 million income for thefarmers in Crook County. Development and manage-ment of the soil and water is necessary to maintainproductivity of crops and livestock.

Developments such as the Prineville Reservoir,the Ochoco Reservoir, the COl project, the Lone Pineproject, and Ochoco irrigation project have stimulatedthe economy of the county. Additional land and reser-voirs are available for development. Also, somegood soil and water management practices need tobe developed.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Atmospheric sourcesThe Prineville Reservoir was established for ir-

rigation, recreation, and flood control. The dam isregulated under certain limits established by a recordof the Crooked River flow. Water cannot be stored inthe reservoir beyond 93,000 acre-feet until after a cer-tain date, regardless of the snowpack and the soilconditions in the watersheds, It is recommended thatthe filling date be adjusted forward or backward, asdetermined by more extensive snow surveys in thewatersheds. It is also recommended that the practiceof cloud seeding be used in certain areas to providewater to fill reservoirs and to irrigate crops.

Surface sourcesSeveral of the small watersheds are not devel-

oped; also, conservation practices could be used onsome of the larger, more developed watersheds. Ifthese watersheds were developed, runoff water wouldbe slowed, erosion would be controlled, water wouldbe available later in the growing season, better for-age for game and domestic animals would exist, in-filtration rates would be increased, and more waterwould be available to feed the ground-water supply.

It is recommended that the upper portions of thewatershed be developed as follows:

Construct detention reservoirs near the head ofall watersheds.Incorporate a good weed-control program in themanagement of the reservoirs.

- Establish grass, using pure grass seed, on rangesand stream banks.Clear juniper trees away from springs. As an in-centive to the clearance of juniper trees, the com-mittee recommends that economic uses be devel-oped. Suggested uses are presto logs, pressboard,firewood, fence posts, scenting, and decoration.Until a use is developed, effective economicalmeans of defoliation or poisoning should be de-veloped.

Soil and Water Report

13

For development of the lower portions of thewatersheds, the committee recommends the following:The feasibility of the diversion of McKay, Johnson,Lytle, and Dry creeks info the Ochoco Reservoir shouldbe studied. If this solution does not prove feasible,then the possibility of constructing dams in thesecreeks should be studied.

As an alternate plan for supplementing the waterin the Ochoco Reservoir, the eperation of existingpumps at the Barns Butte pumping station to fill thereservoir by winter pumping from the Crooked Riverwater should be studied. Support should be given tostudies concerning the construction of reservoirs onthe south and north forks of the Crooked River, Beav-er Creek, and Bear Creek.

The irrigation of land up to 200 feet above theexisting water levels in the Crooked River should bestudied. Some of this land is found in the JuniperCanyon in the Post-Paulina area.

Emphasis should be placed on the formulation ofa readily workable plan for use of the water nowstored in the Crooked River Reservoir.

Subsurface sourcesIt is suggested that the present data gathered

from wells drilled in the Crook County area shouldbe consolidated and compiled in a manner thatmight reveal more information about the groundwater in Crook County. Possibly this could be a goodtopic for study by a graduate student. It was alsosuggested that more wells be constructed for the useof the underground water in Crook County.

Water managementThe committee suggested that early irrigation be

used when needed to fill the soil profile in areas ofshort water supply. The moisture-holding capacity ofsoils, depth of soils, rooting habits of crops, andwater measurement should be considered in this earlyirrigation.

Educational programs should be centered onwater application in both flood and sprinkler irriga-tion.

For better distribution of water, it was suggestedthat the canals in irrigation districts be lined withconcrete, or other material to prevent seepage. Inparticular, canals should be lined at the Crawfordplace on the Ochoco Irrigation Prolect and spots tobe determined in the COI Canal. Also, individualfarmers should make use of the local ACP programin lining their farm ditches.

Soil classificationRecently a soil classification was made of the

Prineville area in Crook County. The committee sug-

gests that a soil survey be completed for the remain-ing part of the county and that an extensive type ofsoil sampling involves digging one sample for eachone-quarter section of land. The zoning committeecould use these soil classification reports in consider-ing a potential development of land classification forfarm use, industrial use, housing, hobby farms, andrecreation. A economic feasibility study of soil recla-mation should be conducted on the salty soils andsaturated soils. The economics of incorporating barkdust and soil admendments should be included. It issuggested that salt-resistant crops be planted onthese problem soils. A search of gypsum or othergeneral soil admendments should be made in CrookCounty.

14

Soil managementPrivate industry and public institutions are re-

quested to conduct research to develop and standard-ize quick workable field tests for plant nutrients inplant tissue. This would enable the farmer to applyfertilizer through sprinkler systems throughout theseason as it is needed by the plant. Field data andcropping history should be accumulated to determineadequate levels of nitrogen, phosphorous, and po-tassium. These plant tissue tests would be used inconjunction with soil tests.

The following table shows the estimated num-bers of livestock and poultry in Crook County. Thenumber of milk cows in the county has decreased sig-nificantly since 1940, consistent with a national trend.The decline in consumption of dairy products percapita and the rapid rise in milk production per coware two of the most inlportclnt factors contributing tothis decrease.

Sheep and lamb numbers since 1940 have showna dynamic decrease. The number of cattle other thanmilk cows has increased from 30,000 in 1940 to ap-proximately 59,000 in 1965. The total number ofpoultry has decreased gradually since 1940, withchickens decreasing and turkeys remaining constant.

INCOMEAgriculture contributes to the economy of Crook

County in two ways: it provides income not only tothe farmers, but also to the workers eniplayed forharvesting and processing. Income from the sale ofcrops and livestock in the county in 1965 was esti-mated at about $7.2 million as reported by the Ore-gon State University Extension Service and the UnitedStates Department of Agriculture.

Income from the sale of crops accounted for 33percent of the agricultural income and livestock for 67percent. Field crops such as. small grains, grass andlegume seeds, and hay accounted for 21 percent ofthe agricultural income. There was no income fromvegetables and berries. Dairy products accounted for 1percent; poultry products, 1 percent; cattle and calves,60 percent; sheep and lambs, 1 percent; and hogs, 2percent.

Livestock and Poultry Numbers, Crook County

Value of Farm Products SoldCrook County, 1964-1969

1964 - CropsLivestock

Livestock Report

1965 - Crops $2,681,000Livestock 4,723,000

$7,404,000

1966 - Crops $2,919,000Livestock 5,168,000

$8,087,000

1967 - Crops $2,940,000Livestock 5,167,000

$8,107,000

1968 - Crops $3,343,000Livestock 4,414,000

$7,757,000

1969 - Crops $2,928,000Livestock 5,530,000

$8,458,000

Crook County Gross Farm Income1969

Livestock and Livestock ProductsBEEF

Beef herd $4,946,000Fed cattle 208,000

Total $5,154,000

DAIRYDairy herd 26,000Dairy products 85,000

Total 111,000

Category 1940 1950 1955 1960 1965 l969pAll cattle ._30,000 37,000 56,000 60,000 59,000 53,000

Dairy cattle --------- 2,700 1,500 1,600 1,000 600 500Sheep and lambs 52,000 9,000 12,700 12,200 7,000 5,000Hogs, all ages 3,000 2,000 1,000 2,000 1,000 500

1963r 1964r 1965r 1966r 1967r 1969rChickens, Jan. 1 20,000 20,000 18,000 16,000 15,000 14,000

100 100 100 100 NA NAp-preliminary r-revised NA-not available

$6,886,000 Total 40,000

$2,892,000 SWINE3,994,000 Swine herd 40,000

Total Livestock $5,530,000

RECOMMENDATIONSRange livestock and public lands

The general public could be better informed regard-ing livestock use of the federal ranges, both UnitedStates Forest Service and Bureau of Land Manage-ment.Costs per AUM month and averdge season costsper head should be recognized as well as the con-tinuing reduction in numbers on these ranges andits effect on the ranch operation as an economicunit.Stockgrowers using public ranges recommend thatevery effort be made now and in the future tohave a greater percentage of the grazing fees paidreturned to the lands for range improvement.The Oregon State Game Commission, BLM, USFSand private-range livestock growers should cooper-ate in a long-range program of game managementon these lands.

Range livestock and recreationBoundaries of all public lands should be well iden-tified to eliminate hunters trespassing on privatelands.The State Game Commission should continUe itsprogram of cooperation with ranchers for accessand hunting on private lands. The same principleapplies to BLM for access across private property.A continuing fund should be established by thegame commission to compensate livestock ownersfor livestock killed and property damaged by hunt-ers, these funds to come from license fees.

Predator animal controlStockgrowers individually and as members of live-stock organizations are advised to continue thesupport of the prezlafory-animal control program inCrook County, being certain that the program is

16

PRODUCTION ANDMANAGEMENT OF LIVESTOCK

It is recommended that all livestock growers givespecial consideration to their efforts in selecting better bulls, bucks, or boars to use in their herds.Since the livestock industry as a whole lacks informotion concerning the general health of livestockthe committee recommends that more animal healtFinformation be made available to stockgrowersparticularly information on blackleg and malignanedema, white muscle, red water, pinkeye, calf pneu-monici,. and scours. The face fly is becoming a seri-ous pest to cattle owners. More research on con-trol is requested.The general public needs information about theproblem of loss in weight or shrinkage between thelive weight and the weight of a roast or steak readyfor the table. This is especially true of familiesbuying live animals or buying halves or quartersfor their home lockers.All trucks hèwling cattle and other livestock to cen-hal markets or to auction yards must be subject tocleaning and complete disinfection immediatelyafter unloadingThe Ounty sheriff should be requested to take moreresponsibility fr local livestock and property theftsas well asvandalism.The committee asks that the Oregon Cattlemen's As-sociation cbhtinUe indefinitely its $1,000 rewardprogramfor a convicted livestock thief.Range livestock owners are asking for more infor-motion on preconditioning calves before sellingthem especially as it concerns the buyer. Will thebuyer pOy moefor preconditioned calves?OSU and livestock organizations are asked to sup-ply producers with more market information, in-

cluding information on the effect of imported beefand lamb on the domestic markets.To strengfheri th dulling prbcess in livestock herds,stockgrowers qre advised to be sure their cull stock(including cull cows and ewes, cull bulls and bucks)to be sold for slaughter only. This is a program ofcooperation with livestock producers, sales yards,etc.

SHEEP adequqtely financed each year and by cooperatingSheep and lambs -- 116,000 with frdppers to assure them that they have meatFed lambs 20,000 for bait. Stockgrowers should also cooperate in lo-Wool 24,000 cating bait stations in desirable locations.

POULTRY, RABBITS, BEES

Total 160,000 The Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife Divi-sion of Wildlife Services should consider seriously aminimum of 85 bait stations in Crook County in the

Honey 3,000 futureRabbits, geese,

ducksChickens

3,0002,000

Dog controlStockmen are encouraged - to lead an effort for

Eggs 37,000 greater dog control. Such an endeavor could in-clude a county-wide lease law; much higher doglicense fees; employment of a dog-control officerfor all of Crook Ccunty; and more liability on the

.:pdrtof the owner of dogs caught harassing or kill-ing livestock or poultry.

HORSESHorses 20,000

Total 45,000

Total 20,000

DairyDairying in Crook County has had a steady de-

dine for the past 10 years, until on January 1, 1969,only Four commercial dairies were in business.

Since economic studies have shown dairying incentral Oregon and Crook County can compete withother areas in the state, the committee feels there stillis opportunity for a successful dairy enterprise in thecounty.

The big problems are marketing and a desire ofranchers to milk cows.

This committee recommends that anyone interestedin dairying be encouraged to investigate further thepossibility of going into business in Crook County.

SheepSheep numbers continue to decline in Crook

County, especially in range operations. On January1, 1969, only one range operator was in business.The reason for this decline in range operations islabor and availability of summer and winter pastureon public and private land.

The recommendations for continued sheep pro-duction are as follows:

Maintain farm flocks of sheep.

17

Continue control of predators and beffer protectionfrom dogs.Step up the research work on Central Oregon irri-gated pastures for liver fluke control.Maintain sheep production records.

SwineProduction of swine on Crook County farms re-

mains about the same as of January 1, 1969.Recommendations for swine production:

Keep either a few brood sows for a small farm en-teprise or go all the way by building a large pro-ducing plant.Maintain and grow a desirable meat-type hog.Investigate further the marketing of swine fromsmall producers.Support a swine-testing station as a source ofbreeding stock.

PoultryOnly two commercial poultry producers were in

business in Crook County on January 1, 1969.Since Crook County is an egg-import county sixmonths or more each year, the committee wouldlike to see more poultry raised.

Range Management Report

Private rangeland accounts for approximately 50percent of Crook County's 1.9 million acres. Thisrangeland is grazed by over 52,000 head of cattle atsome time throughout the year. These cattle spendapproximately 7 to 9 months of the year grazing onrangeland. This gives an indication of why the range-livestock industry is the largest agricultural enterpriseand accounts for more than $4 million income peryear. Federal land ownership, both Bureau of Land

Sagebrush and rabbitbrush cover over 500,000acres of privately owned rangeland. Nutrients, mois-ture, and space are being used by these undesirableshrubs that could be used by desirable plants. Brushcontrol would increase production from 2 to 10 timesthe present production. Where a perennial under-story of desirable plants is not present in sufficientquantity, the areas will need seeding following brushcontrol. Methods and organization are available foreconomic and beneficial brush control.

Many thousands of acres of rangeland are sickto the point where seeding is a necessity if they areto become productive. Seeding of rangeland can beaccomplished economically where capital improve-ment funds are available. Treatments prior to seedingare usually needed to control competing undesirableplants. Spraying sagebrush and rabbitbrush is onemethod and cheaper than plowing or mechanical con-trol. Mechanical control can bring good results everyyear where conditions are not ideal for spraying orchemical control.

Juniper is another weed problem on thousandsof acres of rangeland. Usable production is greatlyreduced where heavy stands of juniper are present. Atthis time, the economics of juniper control is question-able.

There is a continual desire and need for newgrasses and legumes for use in range seedings. Onrange sites with a low effective environment (shallowsoils, low precipitation, exposed slopes, etc.). Crestedwheatgrass is the most widely used species at present.On better sites (deeper soils, higher precipitation) in..termediate wheatgrass is being used. Creeping al-falfas also have limited use on the better range siteswhere other than spring use is desired.

Water is needed for domestic livestock, wildlife,and recreationists on rangelands. With plastic pipeavailable at economical prices, water can be distrib-uted over large acreages that were not economicallyfeasible in the past.

Fences are a necessity in the control of domesticlivestock. Through proper fencing, areas can be

Problems

18

Management and United States Forest Service, playsa very important part in this industry, with approxi-mately 912,000 acres controlled by the government.

Management of both domestic and wild animalsis of upmost importance in maintaining and/or im-proving plant and animal production. Deferred graz-ing periodically during a plant's active growing peri-od will help in maintaining and building up plantvigor.

grazed that may have gone unused. In livestock man-agement, fencing provides a tool whereby livestockcan be made to graze a given area at a time that isdesirable for animal production and maintenance orimprovement of range forage species.

Wildlife is not controlled other than throughharvest. Time of use on a range cannot be controlledby man and presents a problem at times in improvingrangelands. With very few exceptions range improve-ments for domestic livestock also improve the rangefor wildlife use.

Increased capital is needed by private land-owners to accomplish the needed range improvements.The Agriculture Stabilization Conservation Service of-fers monetary assistance through their ACP program.Financial institutions provide assistance with loans.Many times there is not sufficient assistance for a de-sired program.

Range-livestock operators have been pinched forincome to offset the rising costs of purchasing andoperating a ranch. A potential income from range-lands, other than use by domestic livestock, could berealized by involvement in recreational services. Thegreatest opportunity appears to be charging fees fordeer hunting. Increased income would provide theopportunity to improve and better manage range-lands.

RECOMMENDATIONSThe committee recomends that:

'S A program be implemented to spray at least 30,000acres of private rangeland each year.

' Each rancher evaluate his situation and considerplowing as an alternative to spraying for brushcontrol.Continued effort be given to testing grass and leg-ume species for seeding rangelands.

' Research be implemented immediately to determinea practical and economical method for controllingjuniper.The forest products laboratory at OSU be contacted

and encouraged to do research on the possibility ofusing luniper as an economic resource.Fencing be given more consideration as an im-provement and management tool.Considerable effort be given to water developmentand distribution.Grazing programs be adapted that will provide forimproved production or maintain present high pro-duction.Long-term range improvement and managementprograms be considered, with the realization thatsurvival in the short term is a necessity in reachinga long-term goal.Oregon State University make a study to determinethe possibilities of and procedures to follow inrecreational leasing of .private lands.A short course be offered for financial institutionscovering the economics of range improvement. andmanagement practices and if possible involvingpersons ranking above the local branch level oflending personnel.ACP funds be increased for range improvement andthe limitation per rancher be held up to $2,500.

19

The Oregon State Game Commission continue withits range improvement and be commended for pastimprovements.The Oregon State Game Commission lease privatelands for deer hunting.

o The Bureau of Land Management speed up process-ing of application for exchanging and blocking ofrangelands. If necessary allow emergency funds tohandle the processing of land exchanges.Any increase whatsoever above the present graz-ing fees on public ranges be returned to the localdistrict (BLM and USFS) for range improvement.The Bureau of Land Management refrain from pub-lishing the location of small isolated tracts of publicland surrounded by private land and cooperatewith landowners in maintaining control, thereforereducing the never-ending problem of trespass onprivate lands.

0 Where state lands have been and are being leasedand used by a ranch unit, that this ranch ownershipbe given the first opportunity to purchase the stateland (if ever put up for sale) at a reasonable price.

-Weeds are a $54 million prbTem:in CrookCounty. ThE cohto1 of noxious weeds has been alóntini :galYof the Cooperative Extension Serviceand the ldndownersin Crook County. The followingweeds are clossified as noxious weeds and infest asizectble lartid.orea in the county Canada thistle Ruséianknapweed, white top, qudckgrass, puncture vine,led-f'spurgednd field bindweed.

These weeds are more prevalent along theCrooked River than -in anVother ored. The irrigatedfarmlands are fairly clean of noxious weeds

The oad rihts-of-wdy hve beensprayed by :fhe county weed controF district fOr mdnyedrs, and generally the roads are free of weeds A

codperafive arrailgemént in 1968 bet*een the countyand the State Highway Department has made it pos-sible for the county to spray the state highway rights-of-way, whith have some large areas of infestations.

The flooding which occurred during 1964 hasspread weeds to new areas and increased the need formore effort in weed-control work.

RECOMMENDATIONSThe recommendations made by the committee

are that:The weed committee sponsor a public meeting onweed control practices. OSU specialists would beasked to attend the meeting and review the StateWeed Law.

Weed Report

20

The irrigation districts give greater attention toweed control. It is recognized that the districts aredoing more allthe time,but more effort is neededalong all irrigation canals and fenced-off drainageareas.Demonstration plots be established by the Exten-sion Service along tributary streams and the river todetermine better the most practical control measuresto use for noxious-weed control in these areas.Research be undertaken to determine the best weed-control practices forselective weed control in sped-alty crdp, and in new agricultural practices forselective weed control in specialty crops, and innew agricultural practices, such as solid-set sprink-lers under our soil and climatic conditions.Ra'nichers and farmers be encouraged to controlweeds along fence rows, headlands, and irrigationditches.An additional piece of weed-spraying equipmentbe purchased by the county to help cover more areaduring the crucial spray season.An effort be made to provide more financial assist-ance to landowners to cover the cost of weed-con-trol work.A weed advisory committee be established to fol-low through on recommendations and to determinepriorities for attention in the future.A special project through ASCS be obtained to doweed control work on the river and other seriousinfestation of noxious weeds.

Tourism and recreation form part of CrookCounty's three malor industries, the others being for-estry and agriculture. Recreational opportunities thatbring tourists to Crook County include: fishing, hunt-ing, camping, boating, swimming, picnicking, horse-back riding, rock hounding, fossil hunting, and naturestudy. Special events, such as the Pciulina andCrooked River Rodeo, and the Crook County Fair at-tract many recreationists. Historical monuments,scenic attractions such as Crooked River Canyon,Steens Pillar, Owl Hollow, and Logan Butte, and theopportunity for a breath of good, clean, fresh CrookCounty air are enjoyed by visitors.

Tourists spend dollars in ways which benefitevery person in the community. The American Auto-mobile Association found that the typical automobilevcicationist spends his dollars this way:

Tourist money reaches most types of local busi-nesses and indirectly benefits them all. For example,it goes to payrolls, materials, supplies, utilities, retailpurchases, and taxes. Thus, nearly every person gainsfrom the tourist business, and this makes courteoushospitality well worth while.

The Ochoco National Forest and the Bureciu ofLand Management have many natural attractions, in-cluding lakes, fishing streams, scenery, wildlife, andwilderness.

Most of the public recreational facilities in thecounty are adlacent to lakes and streams. TheCrooked River and reservoir are used for a wide vari-ety of activities such as boating, swimming, fishing,and other water sports. The Ochoco River and reser-voir comprise another area of attraction for watersports. The lakes and streams in the county are vis-ited by fishermen, campers, and sightseers.

FacilitiesThe developed public recreational facilities of

Crook County consist of national forest and Bureau ofLand Management recreational areas, state parks,county parks, and city parks. The two largest stateparks are the Ochoco and Prineville Reservoir parks.The two largest privately operated recreational facili-ties are the Prineville Reservoir Resort at Jasper Pointon Prineville Reservoir and Lakeshore Lodge and Ma-rina on Ochoco Reservoir. The Prineville Reservoir re-sort and state park has tent campsites and trailer

Recreation Report

campsites. The largest United States Forest Servicepark is Cougar Park, and the largest Bureau of LandManagement park is Table Rock on the Crooked River.All parks and resorts have picnic facilities.

WATER FOR RECREATIONThe committee recommends the following:

The unassigned water stored in the Prineville Re-servoir should be held there for multiple-use pur-poses.

Such a plan would be a safety measure forusersof water for irrigation on the Ochoco and CrookedRiver projects when there is a shortage of water,which could occur with a series of short-water years.

It would provide ci supply of water for industrialdevelopment in the vicinity of Prineville.

This plan would also add greatly to the recrea-tional potential of the Prineville Reservoir by provid-ing adequate water late in the season for boating andfishing.

An adequate supply of water would be presentin the reservoir at all times, and fishing potentialcould be maintained during seasons of high waterdemand.

A request should be made to the Bureau of Rec-lamation and to Congress, through our legislators, tobring about a program of offsetting repayment to theDepartment of Interior for holding this storage waterwithout the cost becoming a burden to the waterusers.

The Oregon State Game Commission is asked tocontinue its program of cooperation with ownersof water storage ponds to work out a usage pro-gram similar to that now in effect at the AntelopeFlat Reservoir belonging to Bill McCormack.The Oregon State Game Commission should con-tinue maintaining a fishery in the Ocho'co Re-

servoir.' The Game Commission is urged to continue work in

maintaining a fishery in the Crooked River belowthe Prineville Reservoir and on the other free-flow-ing streams in the county. South Fork, where cit'present there is no fishery, should be included.

LAND FOR RECREATIONIt is recommended that the United States ForestService, Bureau of Land Management, the StateForestry, the State Land Board, and private ownersof land continue their cooperative program in de-veloping and maintaining a large animal popula-tion for hunting in all parts of Crook County.The Bureau of Land Management, in particular, isrequested to put more emphasis on identificationof public lands where hunting is permitted.

Retail stores other than food .20Entertainment and recreation .08Tires, parts, and repairs .03Gasoline and oil .19Food .28Lodging .22

TOTAL $1.00

The Bureau of Land Management, and the UnitedStates Forest Service are encouraged to cooperatewith private individuals where there is an accessproblem to public lands.It is recommended that additional sanitary facilitiesbe established on public and private lands whichare open to public use.

Private hunting areasThis committee endorses the principle of estab-

lishing private hunting areas and supports the pro-gram of ranchers leasing out hunting privileges ontheir ranch lands when they plan to harvest deer an-nually in relation to forage supplies on the range.

Rock huntingThe Chamber of Commerce is commended for its

efforts in designating free pits where rockhounds candig for gems. The chamber should go even further inworking with private individuals regarding the desig-nation of areas open to the public and those wFeredigging privileges are charged for.

Future rock hunting should be planned for andprogrammed in order to control sanitation and re-habilitate the land.

Scenic areasPrineville and Crook County have many points

of interest which, if developed, could bring in many

22

tourists and sightseers lust to take advantage of theseattractions.

The United States Forest Service should be en-couraged to establish a scenic route for a circle tripthrough the Ochoco National Forest. The Bureau ofLand Management could establish the same type ofcircle tour so that tourists could visit scenic points ofinterest on both public and private lands.

LOCAL CITIZENS AND RECREATIONThe committee suggests that:

A study committee be established to continue tolook into the possibility of a sports center at Prine-vii le.It be recognized by all government agencies aswell as by service clubs and individuals that themain problem of expanding recreational facilitieswithin the county is that of sanitation. Special ef-fort is needed to isolate this problem and seekanswers and suggestions from all sources.Encouragement be given to our legislators to limitor prohibit use of nonreturnable cartons or bottlesin Oregon, especially soft drink and beer con-tainers.The citizens of Crook County commend the Cham-ber of Commerce on the recreation brochures theyhave published. We suggest they go even furthermd emphasize that no place has more good, clean,resh air per cubic foot of space than Crook County.

Human Resources Report

Nearly half of Crook County's 9,220 populationlives within the incorporated city of Prineville; an additional 3,000 live in unincorporated areas near thecity, which are not included in the city's water andsewage systems. The county's population includesnearly 700 people who are 65 years old or older.

A modern hospital and two newly built nursinghomes serve the county's health needs at the presenttime and are large enough to fulfill foreseeable futureneeds. Public health facilities in the county are a partof the Tn-County Health district in cooperation withDeschutes and Jefferson counties. Although the Tn-County Health Department includes a family counsel-ing clinic, the services of a psychiatrist are on a part-time basis, with a psychiatrist commuting to CentralOregon from another part of the state.

Enlargement of facilities for marriage and familycounseling and mental health care should be encour-aged, and a resident psychiatrist should be acquiredfor the tn-county area.

In 1960, 13.2 percent of the persons 25 yearsand older had completed less than 8 years of formaTeducation. Retarded children from all three centralOregon counties are eligible to attend the OpportunitySchool in Redmond, but not all children who are eli-gible are involved in this program.

Fire protection in the city is provided by an ef-fective volunteer department. Outlying areas, how-ever, are without this protection.

HousingCertain needs in housing are evident: present and

potential homeowners must be more aware of statesanitation requirements; more rental housing shouldbe available to working people and their families;and increased concern for and appreciation of outdoorbeautification are desirable.

The committee recommends that county and tn-county sanitarians publish a list of sanitation re-quirements and make it available to homeowners andbuilders. Planning for beauty in landscaping, archi-tecture, and parks, both in town and rural areas,should be encouraged. Countywide clean-up cam-paigns should be sponsored and encouragement givento local garden clubs, service organizations, andchambers of commerce for their efforts in these areas.

Senior citizensElderly residents need contact and communica-

tion with other individuals. In order to avoid unfore-seen problems in their later years, younger residentsshould be made to realize that Social Security alonewill not provide sufficient income.

The committee requests that the Golden Age or-ganization keep in contact with nonmembers in theirage group, perhaps on ci 'buddy system" basis.

2S

Finanical planning classes in which younger peopleare taught guidelines for developing ti realistic sav-ings plan for their retirement years should be es-tab Ii shed.

Health and welfareSound, scientifically based nutrition is necessary

for people of all ages and income levels. Training forparents to help them foster development of soundlifelong attitudes towards food and weight controlshould begin in the child's early years.

Every person is entitled to facilities and person-nel for mental health diagnosis and treatment.

SanitationSince more modern and efficient means of garb-

age disposal and air and water pollution control arenecessary, the committee suggests the following:

Use compaction and cover for county garbagedisposal. Increase the awareness of rural residents ofdisposal facilities available to them.

Control air from combustion engines and burners.Increase the city's water supply system so that

it will be sufficient for present unincorporated areasnear the city and foreseeable future population, thuseliminating the need for private wells in the area.

Abundant Foods ProgramRecipients of Abundant Foods need to know how

to use all the types of food provided by the program.Training sessions on the use of Abundant Foods andfood buying on a limited budget should be prerequi-sites for prospective recipients. This plan could be cicooperative effort between the Extension Service andthe Welfare Department.

Food training workshops could provide youngerrecipients with exposure to people who enloy foodpreparation. However, any work done in cooperationwith the program should not involve actual food pre-paration at the center when food is being distributed.

EducationA need exists for enrichment of opportunities in

continuing education for dropouts, noncol lege-boundstudents stilil in school, and retarded children. Thecommittee therefore recommends the following:

Offer opportunities for people no longer inschool who are nonreaders or have low readingability.

Provide courses for adults via mass media to up-grade and modernize knowledge of family livingsubject matter such as consumer competence, especi-ally for individuals with low to moderate incomes.

Encourage enlargement of library facilities andincrease bookmthile service.

Put emphasis on classes to fit the needs of non-

college-bound students who are still in school. In-crease and provide more adequate facilities for voca-tional and technical courses. Probably the mostefficient method of achieving these goals lies in co-operation with neighboring communities.

Encourage continuation of the Central OregonAssociation for Retarded Children's Program. Publi-cize available programs for the parents of handi-capped children.

24

Commend the efforts of church organizations fortheir continuing efforts to make this community awholesome place to live.

Rural developmentYear-round fire protection should be available in

outlying areas. The county court might study thissituation and attempt to enlarge areas covered by fireprotection.

The youth committee recognizes that the prob-lems facing youth today are often the same as thosefaced by youth of other generations. However, thechanges brought on by the technological advancesand pressures of today's society seem to placegreater pressures and more stress on today's youngpeople. Their job opportunities are limited, and manyare not prepared for a work experience.

Many come from broken homes and are not pre-pared for the role of parents and the responsibility ofmarriage. Today's youth are faced with greater chal-lenges then ever before: they have more informationavailable and are forced to learn more to preparethem for their chosen careers. Because of the pres-sure, many drop behind their classmates and lose in-terest at an early age. Providing the incentive andtools to work with these youths so that they can be-come productive citizens is one of our greatestchallenges.

Organizations such as 4-H club work, BoyScouts, Campfire Girls, church youth groups, and re-lated school activity groups are active in the com-munity. There were as of January 1, 1969, 2,496youth in grades 1 through 12 in the Crook Countyschools. The 4-H enrollment for 1967-68 was 485, ornearly 26 percent of the potential enrollment.

All of the youth groups and organizations servean importnat role in developing the youth of the com-munity. The main problem is providing an opportuni-ty for more young people to participate in these ac-tivities.

RECOMMENDATIONSThe committee submits the following recom-

mendations:

Youth employment and vocational trainingA job application training program for youth andadults should be offered by the employment serviceor by high school counselors.A training program for youth on the safe use andoperation of equipment should be continued incentral Oregon.School districts could provide a work-training pro-gram for youth of our community by developingcooperative agreements between local businessmenand the high school. Trainees would receive schoolcredit for work experience.

' A study of the possibility of exchanging facilitiesbetween the high schools in central Oregon wouldbe valuable, for it might result in a wider varietyof vocational training for the youth without the ex-pense of each high school building its own facility.

Youth Report

:25

Teenage moralityParents need to realize that a better understandingof teenagers is their responsibility.Family life education in the schools is desirable ifproperly presented and the right material used.A place for youth to get together to talk, listen torecords, and have snacks is needed in the corn-mu nity.The juvenile court system was discussed and it wasfelt that the Family Life Court with a circuit judgeservicing juveniles as in the larger counties wouldbe desirable.It was recommended that an advisory council forthe police and juvenile court be formed. The useof lay people to council first offenders was alsosuggested.

Youth's role in the communityThe committee recommends that the ministerial as-sociation encourage more youth study groups intheir churches.Youth should be encouraged to take part in schoolrelease time.It is recommended that the school officials and lawenforcement officers work closer together to providean educational program in the schools.Enforcement of laws should be more consistent.Examples: curfew, shoplifting, cigarettes.A program should be started in the schools to pro-vide the students an opportunity to learn moreabout our local government.An investigation of the feasibility of a youth coun-cil to work with youths who are in troubled is ad-vised.Since family background and training have themost effect on the youth of our community, familyactivities should be advocated.Youth organizations should emphasize the deveJ-opment of leadership.

Youth recreationExisting facilities should be used, with greater co-operation between the schOols and the city recrea-tion program. Volunteer help from service clubsand other interested adults would be of great value.Young people should be permitted to partake inplanning recreational activities.An outdoor basketball facility which could also beused for ice and roller skating could be enjoyed byour young people.Commercial recreational facilities, such as minia-ture golf and teenage bowling leagues should beinvestigated.

Crook County Extension Advisory Committee

Agri.-Business CommitteeJoe Stahancyk, chairmanIvan Chappell, secretaryClaude WilliamsGale MerwinRandy SinclairGeorge WitfmerBert HuffBud WilsonChuck BoydenDon HinmanNorm ReynoldsGeorge GerardoEv RiceJim Keller

Resource MembersLes Sullivan, USFSAl Larson, BLMBill Holtsclaw, state foresterPete Authier, state foresterJack Rhoden, Pine Products CorporationGale Thomas, Hudspeth PineStu Turner, Clear Pine MouldingStewart McDonald, lumber brokerRoss Congleton, insuranceJerry Breese, rancherRay Graffenberger, rancherHarold Kerr, county Extension agentMike Patrick, State Department of LaborBud Stipe, Prineville Reservoir ResortBob Farrell, Western AutoTed Sidor, OSU Extension Service

Crook County Extension Staff

E. L. Woods, county Extension agent (staff chairman)Richard Brown, county Extension agent (4-H club workreplaced Harold Kerr)Tom Bunch, area Extension agent (range managementserving central Oregon)Joyce Herold, county Extension agent (home economics)Harold Kerr, county Extension agent (4-H club work)Frank Porfily, special agent, Bureau of Reclamation prolect

Members of committees and resource people who participated in preparationof this report:

26

SPECIALTY CROPS

John Grimes, chairmanE. L. Woods, secretaryArt LeeGregg MerrittKen WerthRandy SinclairBonnie PuckettErvin GrimesVan Moore1. A. McPhetridge, Jr.C. M. JordanDick St. John

Resource MembersNorm Goetze, OSU Cooperative Extension ServiceMalcolm Johnson, Central Oregon Experiment Station

Potato CommitteeNick Rachor, chairmanFrank Porfily, secretaryKen WerthJoe StahancykBill McPhetridge, Jr.Pat McCabeLarry HyattGary OvensDick Gurney

Soil and Water CommitteeTom Kasberger, chairmanFrank Porfily, secretaryJoe Vanoni

Jerry Breese, chairman Nick RachorJoe Stahancyk Tom KasbergerFrancis Bushnell Bud StipeBarbara Cooley John GrimesPaul Spillman Ken Werth

Art Foss

Soil and Water Committee (cont.)Pat McCabeBill McCormackDurwyn GreggGerald CoffmanDwight ConleyNick RcichorRod JohnsonRobert PorfilyJack CoffmanHarry Stearns

Livestock CommitteeJerry Breese, chairmanE. L. Woods, secretaryTom BunchBob McMickenMartin HowardJack ViceRichard CainBernard JohnsonHank ZemlickaPat MillerFrank McCulloughMiller TweedtRay RickmanKen CraigBud Spillrnan

Resource MemberDean Frischknecht, OSU Extension Service

Weed CommitteeKen Werth, chairmanHarold Kerr, secretaryRichard BreeseLouis StahancykJim ZimmerleeNoral SimmonsGerald Coffman

Crops CommitteePaul Spillman, chairmanE. L. Woods, secretaryEldred BreeseEldon HayesLester WickNick RachorVern PalmerLouis SchmerberLarry TimmermanClaude Williams

Resource MembersNorm Goetze, OSU Extension ServiceMalcolm Johnson, Central Oregon Experiment Station

Range CommitteeArt Foss, chairmanTom Bunch, secretary

27

Range Committee (con't.}Bill WebergGale MerwinRichard BreeseLeo FehrenbackerRay ShumwayJoe VanoniVern Pura

Resource MemberDillard Gates, OSU Extension Range Management

Recreation CommitteeBud Stipe, chairmanE. L. Woods, secretaryHarold OarEd LohnerLuke ReifPat WickEdith AdamsDick HerrigHarold WinegarEvelyn ElkinsMyrl WeathersBill HillIvan ChappellAndy RyanDoug McVean

Human Resources CommitteeFrancis Bushnell, chairmanJoyce Herold, secretaryDeanne PimentelMargurite BoyceMillard ElkinsCecil SlyRev. Willard FendersonTasiel MerrittMrs. Don HannaJoan DeBoardCharlotte GreenMillie RumpelPat TennantMrs. Gerald CoffmanSuzy Knapman

Youth CommitteeBarbara Cooley, chairmanHarold Kerr, secretaryBob ClevengerRoyce ChadwickPaul IsaacsonStan IrvineLois ReynoldsAndy JensenSid HarperJerry HoglandMarty HowardBetty HowardBarbara BeltramNancy Bushnell