Fires burning across the Western United States have farmers and ranchers on alert. Among those fires, the lightning-sparked Durkee Fire has grown to over 288,000 acres as of Monday, merging into the older Cow Valley Fire to total over 422,000 acres.
Six of the Oregon’s largest fires are burning in the eastern region, which is home to most of the state’s cattle. The majority of these cattle are found in Malheur, Baker, and Harney counties, areas known for being major contributors to the state’s top-grossing commodity.
While firefighting crews work to contain the fires, the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association and Oregon State University Extension have begun coordinating response efforts to help farmers, ranchers, and communities deal with the consequences of the fires.
Matt McElligott, a North Powder-based rancher who is president of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association board, spoke with Capital Press discussing the damages.
“It’s too early to definitively say the economic impact and how many head we lost,” McElligott said. “There are rumors out there.”
Cattle losses in the hundreds and possibly the thousands are possible, he said. Because of the number of big, fast-moving fires on rangeland, “I’m pretty confident it’s going to be in the thousands.”
According to McElligott, OCA is seeking places unaffected by fires to put displaced cattle. Examples include federal Conservation Reserve Program ground, open U.S. Forest Service, or U.S. Bureau of Land Management grazing allotments or private pastures.
Oregon State University Extension is working with the OSU’s Office of Resilience and Emergency Management at the state level to distribute N95 masks to communities affected by wildfires.
Pallets of N95 masks are being delivered to OSU locations in the following counties this week: Baker, Harney, Hood River, Grant, Malheur, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa. OSU will coordinate with local partners for distribution.
How to help: hay, feed, and monetary donations
Before jumping to action, check your local county emergency operations website or follow official social media accounts for details on what donations and volunteers are needed.
OSU Extension is partnering with state and local efforts to coordinate hay, livestock feed, and monetary donations. They will also help coordinate the transportation of donations to the affected areas in partnership with Oregon Cattlemen’s Association.
At this time, they are seeking pledges and monetary donations only:
- If you can pledge hay, feed, or help with transportation of goods to neighboring counties, please get in touch with your local OSU Extension contact. This information will not be made public, and will be shared only to the extent needed to support logistics if actual donation becomes necessary.
- We are also accepting monetary donations, through the OSU Foundation, that would be used to buy feed for displaced livestock. To donate, send a check to OSU Ag Extension, Attn: Wildfire relief efforts – Amber Zambrano. 430 Strand Agriculture Hall, Corvallis OR 97331 or call 541-243-4120.
Monetary donations are also being accepted by Oregon Cattlemen’s Association Fund or call 503-361-8941.
