CREP Corner

By

Lee Ashford

I read an interesting article by Lee Pitts recently, in which he refers to an apparently youngish mover-and-shaker cited in the Wall Street Journal. This individual was quoted as saying, “I can't imagine how people managed to cope ten years ago when they didn't have all the modern technological tools we now have available.” (Check out http://cattletoday.com/archive/2007/June/CT1032.shtml if you want to read the article.)

That got me thinking about just how good we really do have it in America today. Not that I consider “ten years ago” to be the dark ages, but if you stop to think about it, it’s really pretty amazing how technology just keeps marching on. I’m still waiting for that flying car they predicted we’d all be driving… er, flying by the 1980’s, along with my personal jet-pack flying device, but other than those two things, we have modern conveniences that really were unheard of just a few short years ago.

I recently had occasion to inspect the restored B-17, B-24, and B-25 World War II Warbirds that came to Kingsley Field. It was amazing to see how primitive those machines look today in comparison with the screaming eagles that were practicing their touch-and-goes at the same time. Even more amazing was to realize how little time had passed between the first aeroplane flight and the widespread production and use of those WWII planes. Just think: flight went from a humble beginning in paper and wood, to aluminum bodied war machines, to the incredibly sophisticated jets and space shuttles of today, all in a scant 100 years. And, as the credulous young sophisticate observed in my opening paragraph, just in the past 10 years we’ve seen remarkable advances in technology. I don’t think I’m stepping too far out on a limb to say: you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!

When my dad retired 25 years ago, he did not know he needed to budget for things like cell phones, satellite TV, DVD’s, GPS’s, or I-Pods (whatever those are). But we take most of those things for granted now. (Apparently there’s even something called a “blue tooth” that’s supposed to be a good thing.) What can the next 10 or 25 or 100 years have in store for us? It’s enough to set your mind to thinking… and we all know how dangerous that can be! But I digress. What does any of this have to do with CREP?

Maybe nothing. But it wasn’t all that long ago various government agencies were straightening rivers, draining swamps, and eliminating riparian vegetation all over the country. Now those same agencies are rebuilding meanders in the rivers, restoring the wetlands, and trying to re-establish woody riparian vegetation wherever possible. Some folks have wondered if maybe we aren’t taking a step backwards in time, but I believe the transition is just another indication of our progress as a society. At a time when the country was coming out of a depression and a major world war, reclamation projects provided much-needed work and stimulated a stagnant economy. Ecological concerns did not exist.

In the ensuing half-century we have come to better understand the connection between river meanders and water velocity, which relates directly to bed load and soil erosion. We can see now that riparian vegetation plays a critical role in improving water quality. We now know wetlands provide substantial and significant freshwater storage that meters out water flow throughout the summer and tempers the severity of flood events. Restoring wetlands, serpentine river morphology, and riparian buffers are all actions indicative of a society which continues to learn and grow. I’d call that progress.

CREP is a program intended to help landowners who want to do some riparian restoration on their property. It provides financial incentives and technical assistance for those projects. It also provides a measure of safe harbor for the landowner by demonstrating his/her stewardship of the land and active participation in the enhancement of water quality as it passes through the property. CREP is not the only tool available to landowners, but it is a tool that many have found will work for them. Perhaps it is the right tool for you. A phone call is all it takes to find out; call 541-883-6932, extension 116, for more information.

Also, if anybody knows what an “I-Pod” is, I really am curious!!! But I’m not at all interested in knowing what a “blue tooth” is; it sounds just plain nasty!