J2E River to Ridge Diversity Project

Example of incised channel on Vincent Creek.

J2E Tree Farm is a small woodlands operation located in the Upper Luckiamute River / Vincent Creek sub-basin in northern Benton County. The 338-acre property ranges from 320 to 740 feet in elevation along 1.5 miles of Vincent Creek, a tributary to the Luckiamute River. The varied topography hosts a range of habitat types. Douglas fir trees are encroaching upon a corridor of Oregon white oaks, limiting its potential to provide critical habitat to Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly and other sensitive species. Varied wetland habitats that host Nelson’s checkermallow and other priority species also face pressures from invasive grasses and other weeds. A fragmented riparian corridor consists of a mix of mature hardwood forest with encroaching invasive weeds. Vincent Creek is incised and scoured to bedrock in many places; a perched culvert on a tributary to Vincent Creek blocks passage to cold-water refuge for native fish.
 ​

Aerial view to the south (Marys Peak along the right horizon) along the meandering Vincent Creek riparian buffer. Wetland prairie can be seen to the right and seasonal pond seen below.

The project proposes a ridge to river approach to enhance these important habitats and support a diversity of fish and wildlife. Douglas fir thinning and understory planting will restore a 16-acre oak corridor in close proximity to the Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly population in Beazell Memorial Forest. In all habitats, project partners will work to remove target invasive species and increase the diversity of shrubs and trees and increase the density and cover of appropriate native plants. The actions will promote pollinator habitat, improve wetland conditions, and restore and connect riparian corridors. To address incision and disconnected floodplain in Vincent Creek, partners propose large wood placement and revegetation efforts that promote beaver activity. Placement of boulders will create two pool lifts to resolve the perched culvert.
 
Project partners include Benton Soil and Water Conservation District, Natural Resources Conservation Service, landowners, Luckiamute Watershed Council, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bonneville Environmental Foundation and Xerces Society.

Click here to read a recent Behind the Scenes article about the 2020 freshwater mussel survey in Vincent Creek, by Emilie Blevins from the Xerces Society!

Key Project Goals and Objectives:

• Restore ecosystem function and processes to restore habitat diversity and improve connectivity.
  • Open and enhance 16 acres of oak butterfly corridor and promote pollinator habitat
  • Establish a population of Oregon chub in existing pond to preserve Luckiamute genetic diversity
  • Enhance 19 acres of pine flats wetlands and five acres of wet prairie through invasive species control, thinning, and inter-planting of native shrubs and small trees (pine flats) and bulbs and forbs (wet prairie)
    
  • Restore and expand 21 acres of riparian buffer and 13 acres of in-channel vegetation condition along Vincent Creek, tributary to the Luckiamute River
    • Control invasive species and add species diversity through plantings and live cuttings
    • Prioritize beaver-centric species
• Improve instream habitat and summer rearing conditions for salmonids with improved passage and reduced summer temperatures
  • Place 11 large wood structures along 1.3 miles of Vincent Creek
  • Address perched culvert to improve access to upstream cold-water summer refugia
  • Preserve and enhance freshwater mussel habitats; promote beaver activity

Fall/Winter 2022 Project Activities Update

​Wet Prairie Restoration activities (4 acres)

• Wild Habitat Contracting, LLC has finished cutting and piling encroaching trees/shrubs across all acres.
• US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has mowed and removed stumps across all acres.
• October 2022: Wild Habitat will broadcast grass-specific herbicide.
• October 2022: Landowner will burn brush piles on-site.
• November 2022: Wild Habitat will spread ~ 20 lbs of "Tough and Tenacious" seed mix, with specific emphasis on burn piles and bare soil areas (saving approx. 15 lbs for next year).
• November 2022: Wild Habitat will plant 3,750 native bulbs.
• November 2022: Wild Habitat will spread 10 lbs of Nelson's checkermallow seed, concentrating in burn piles and bare soil areas.

Oak Corridor Restoration activities (3.8 acres)

• USFWS has masticated (removed and chipped small trees and shrubs) the lower 1.5 acres and smaller adjacent .0.3 acres.
• Landowner has mowed upper corridor areas.
• October 2022: Landowner will burn brush piles.
• October 2022: Wild Habitat will spray grass-specific herbicide across upper 1.8 acres.
• October 2022: Wild Habitat will create some additional openings in the lower 1.5 acre corridor for planting using an herbicide treatment.
• November 2022: Wild Habitat will plant ~30 lbs of "Upland Diversity" mix across 3.8 acres concentrating around burn piles and bare ground (saving approx. 20 lbs for next year).
• November 2022: Wild Habitat will plant ~80 lbs native grass seed across site (saving approx. 20 lbs for next year).

Click here to watch an interview with David Ehlers on YouTube!
Dave explains to reporter Steven Redlin why he is working to improve wildlife habitat on his tree farm.
​This story aired April 30, 2021 on KGW8.