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| | | Harney County Cattle Grazing Study | ||||
| Meeting Notes: September 26, 2001 Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center | ||||||
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In Attendance: Tony Svejcar - Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center Ted Netter - Crane High School Jimmy Zamora - Burns High School Bob Zybach - Oregon Websites and Watersheds Project, Inc. Wayne Giesy - Oregon Websites and Watersheds Project, Inc.
Question 1: Are a series of group e-mails the best way to get this project started? Should we set a date for the next meeting? Who else should be included?
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Basic Agreement: Crane HS and Harney HS Agriculture teachers and students will work with the assistance of the Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center (EOARC) and other members of the local community during the 2000-2001 school year to study the benefits and effects of cattle grazing in Harney County, Oregon. ORWW will work with teachers, students, scientists, and other project participants to help create and maintain a long-term Internet website to display the results of the study and to assist in use of the website for purposes of public education and local resources management. EOARC will work with teachers and students to provide scientific expertise and peer review and to help develop practical uses of the website for public education and local resources management purposes.
Question 2: Should we develop a formal agreement for this project? If so, should other organizations or individuals be included at this point? How should participants and agreements be presented on the website?
Purpose of the Study. The primary purpose of this project is to assist with the education of Crane HS and Burns HS Agriculture students regarding the benefits and effects of cattle grazing and the use of Internet for data archive, resource management, and public education. A secondary purpose of the project is to use the website to enhance the management of cattle and grazing lands in Harney County.
Question 3: Are there other purposes that should be listed? How can the purposes be more clearly presented? Where should they be included on the website?
Student Reports and Project Themes: Key Benefits & Effects of Cattle Grazing on Local Environments 1. Food Production 2. Recreational Opportunities 3. Fire Management/Public Safety 4. Wildlife Habitat 5. Economy and Infrastructure Development 6. Environment (Air and Water Quality) 7. Culture (Way of Life)
Question 4: What other benefits and effects can be studied? Can classroom time be effectively used to prioritize and briefly define these themes? Where should they be presented on the website?
Website Design: The following outline includes the major components we discussed that should be included in website design. ORWW will host the project website and will also host Homepages for Crane HS and Burns HS and/or the HS Ag classes for at least two years. If another host is preferred, ORWW will provide a mirror site for backup copy and public education and/or use purposes. Costs of website hosting will be carried by ORWW, thanks to a generous grant provided by the Clemens Foundation of Philomath, Oregon.
The first four components were discussed during the meeting. I have added a fifth component, Desired Future Conditions, as a reasonable outcome of the student's findings. Please comment, add, subtract, and/or amend.
I. Cattle Grazing History Archives Oral Histories Photographs Other?
II. Current Research Water Quality Juniper Migration Wildlife Habitat Predator Control Other?
III. Current Issues Monitoring for Permits Recreation Wildlife Populations Riparian Zones Pesticides and Herbicides Other?
IV. Geology and Prehistoric Conditions Climate Change Prairie Burning Native Plants Human History Other?
V. Desired Future Conditions Next Year (2003) Five Years (2007) Twenty Years (2022) One Hundred Years (2102) Other?
Project Homepage: The homepage should load quickly, contain one or more interesting graphics, and link to the principal participants and components listed above. We are prepared to put it immediately online, as soon as group consensus (Crane HS, Burns HS, ORWW, EOARC)is reached regarding design. The HS and/or Ag class homepages should be developed independently. ORWW will provide server space for several dozen webpages for the school and Ag class websites for at least two years, so long as size remains reasonable. A significant amount of space is available for the Cattle Grazing Website, but care should be taken to make certain webpages load rapidly and can be easily reached and used. Video (mpeg) and sound pages can also be developed, but use should be based on practical value rather than strict entertainment or decoration.
Question 5: Who should design the Draft Homepage? Should we put four or five samples online? Should HS students other than Ag students be involved in creating HS Homepages? Should we have a groupd meeting of both classes for the purpose of designing a homepage?
Question 6: What next? Should we continue planning and discussion through group e-mail? Meet again in the near future? Plan a group activity including both schools? Put together a discussion board or chat room on the new website? Other?
This is an exciting project and I am looking forward with great interest to working with each of you and the students to make certain we achieve the best results possible--and have fun in the process!
Bob Zybach, Project Manager ORWW 541-766-8118
Wayne Giesy, Board Member ORWW 541-929-4170
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