This group is a collaboration of private landowners, resource managers, conservation groups and businesses all concerned about the expansion of western juniper and its impacts on local watersheds, and local economies in Central and Eastern Oregon. The JWG hopes to mobilize the forest products knowledge and skills that are still present in the local workforce to address the problem of juniper expansion. By developing commercial markets for products made from Juniper removed from the local landscape, the group hopes to restore the health of local watersheds and create opportunities for family wage employment. Developing these markets will also help to create new long-term sources of finance for juniper treatments on public and private lands.
Over the past decade, the Juniper Working Group has educated the community about the impacts and opportunities associated with Western Juniper expansion; has conducted studies to increase the efficiency of juniper harvesting and transportation; has developed a strategic plan to guide their work; and has assisted public and private landowners in developing the partnerships needed to implement juniper treatments. In 2006, the JWG initiated the Western Juniper Commercialization feasibility study with the overarching goal to foster the development of local businesses that remove and utilize western juniper in the Prineville area.
The specific objectives of this analysis were to complete a western juniper commercialization feasibility study for the Prineville area and to communicate opportunities and key considerations to business people, community leaders and public lands agency personnel. The core tasks of the feasibility study were to:
Data is from Oregon Gap Analysis 1998 Landcover for Oregon. Landsat TM Imagery acquired between 1991-1993
The intent of this website is to give visitors a sense of understanding in regards to the challenge of Juniper expansion. The links connect directly to specific issues, ranging from the environmental impacts of Juniper expansion, to the economic reality of harvesting and transporting Junipers for commercial use.