Portland-Vancouver Oak Prairie Work Group
The Oak Prairie Work Group operates within the bi-state Intertwine region, which spans the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area and its surrounding watersheds in Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington.
Photo by: Sara Evans-Peters
The Portland-Vancouver region’s Oak Prairie Work Group, formed in 2012, brings together public and private organizations to conserve threatened white oak (Quercus garryana) and prairie ecosystems within the Intertwine region, a watershed-based conservation study area. These habitats are vital for regional biodiversity, support hundreds of plant and animal species, are beautiful components of our natural landscape, and hold significant cultural value for Indigenous communities.
The Oak Prairie Work Group formed in response to a need identified in the Portland-Vancouver Regional Conservation Strategy to map native oak distribution, enhance conservation outcomes, promote stewardship, and expand public education for conserving oak associated habitats. Guided by a steering committee, the work group includes fish and wildlife agencies, Tribes, nonprofits, and other regional partners. Our work group meets approximately quarterly; one of the meetings is a field trip, and the other three are typically electronic.
To join the Oak Prairie Work Group email list, contact Lori.Hennings@oregonmetro.gov.
Vision and Mission
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Our Vision:
The Oak Prairie Work Group envisions a future where native oak and prairie ecosystems and species are abundant, diverse, and under active stewardship, thus enriching the region’s diverse human and biological communities and cultures.
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Our Mission:
Conserve and restore oak and prairie habitats, and to empower and educate people to cherish and nurture oak and prairie ecosystems.
Conservation Priorities
Our collaborative conservation priorities include:
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Policy and advocacy
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Outreach and communications
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Technical assistance and best management practices
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Conserve lands by promoting conservation easements, private landowner incentives and land acquisition
Portland-Vancouver Oak Prairie Work Group Work
Portland-Vancouver Oak Prairie Work Group partners are involved with a diverse range of initiatives
Cultural History of Oak
Fire is the primary historic driver of oak habitat in the Willamette Valley. Indigenous management practices created a stable fire-dependent ecosystem maintained through intentional low intensity burning that reduced competing vegetation and sustained cultural food resources.
Active human stewardship is essential to maintaining healthy oak populations. The loss of this relationship with the landscape, in addition to widespread disturbance and land-use changes, resulted in the extensive decline of oak habitats.
Sustaining significant oak landscapes today depends on a reciprocal relationship of indigenous knowledge and practices of modern science and conservation. Together, these knowledge systems are critical for ensuring the long term persistence of Oregon white oak ecosystems and honoring the legacy of stewardship and cultural values of our region.