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HIGH DESERT PARTNERSHIP NEWSLETTER
October 2016
Peter Walker speaking wtih LeVoy Finnicum during the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in early 2016.
University of Oregon geography professor Peter Walker down at the refgue during the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in early 2016. 
Collaborative Work in Harney County Highlighted in Recent Oregon University Newsletter Article
When Peter Walker, a geography professor at the University of Oregon, heard about the militia occupation at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in January, he dropped everything he was doing and came to Harney County. In the article, Peter discusses the occupation and the effects that it has had and continues to have on the community. He believes the occupation's failure to create "massive impact" was "due to Harney County’s impressive track record of working together on potentially divisive issues." 
He goes on to say, "Harney County is the poster child of collaboration between land users and the federal government. They have spent decades addressing the conflicting interests that can arise over land use and management and have identified innovative solutions for the very issues the Bundys protest." This is something that we strongly believe in, but it is nice to hear it from other people too! Our favorite quote in the article though comes from a local rancher who said, "Collaboration is what inoculated us from the Bundy virus."
Upcoming Events
October 11th
High Desert Partnership Board Meeting
October 12th
Harney County Restoration Collaborative Meeting
PHOTO OF THE MONTH
Not the most exciting picture, but we were named reserve champion for our booth at  fair! Thanks to our executive director Brenda Smith for putting in the time and effort to create our award winning booth!
OTHER NEWS

Introducing a New Member of the High Desert Partnership Team!
We are very excited to share with you that we recently hired a program coordinator for the Harney Basin Wetlands Initiative! Karena Stalcup is a Harney County resident, who is originally from West Virginia. Karena attended Middle Tennessee University where she majored in English. Her strengths lie in organization. Karena deftly manages projects by communicating with all necessary parties, gathering data, tracking data and completing submissions to meet deadlines. In this way she brings the project full circle. Karena previously worked as the IT Office Manager and the Senior Executive Administrator for Rentrak Corp. (which has since been acquired by comScore), a large corporation based in Portland, OR. There she learned to adapt to rapid growth and continually changing needs. Collaboration was vital in order to meet critical deadlines. When Karena isn't in the office you can find her spending time with her children and grandchildren, reading, running, fishing or hiking. We know Karena will be a strong addition to our team and look forward to the positive changes she will create for our organization and community!

HCRC Facilitator Jack Southworth Wins Sustainability Award 
Jack Southworth and his wife Teresa received the Forest Service National External Range Management Award. This prestigious award was granted to them "for their continued commitment to sound management, their passion for public rangelands and their involvement in the numerous different public projects." The Blue Mountain Eagle wrote an article about the award and the Southworth ranch in a recent article, which we wanted to share with you. In the article, Jack discusses the history of the ranch and the sustainable philosophy they adhere to. When you read the article, you will gain a greater understanding of what makes Jack such a valuable and unique facilitator for the Harney County Restoration Collaborative. 
Shop for the High Desert Partnership!
Do you shop on Amazon? They have created a new website that is essentially the same as their regular site. The difference is that when you buy something, the SmileAmazon Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of your purchase to a charitable organization of your choosing!
Click on this link and it will automatically enroll you to support the High Desert Partnership. Otherwise you can visit the SmileAmazon website (smile.amazon.com), select High Desert Partnership, and shop!! Every little bit helps and we appreciate any support you can give us! Share this with your friends and encourage them to "shop" for us as well! Thank you!
Create Meaningful Change!
Even the smallest contribution creates positive change in our organization! Become a steward of the land and community by giving today. 
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High Desert Partnership
PO Box 252 | Burns, OR | 97720 US