The Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center
About the Center: The Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research is a branch of the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station of OSU's College of Agricultural Sciences. Jointly funded and staffed by OSU and the Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, the research center serves two major cattle-raising environments of the region: the sagebrush-steppe of the Great Basin and the inland coniferous forests. The mission is to develop agricultural and natural resource strategies that maintain or enhance intermountain forest and shrub steppe ecosystems for the benefit of present and future generations. The Center's research program is unique in the integration of research about beef cattle, range, wildlife, watershed, and forest management.
The Burns Station: The Burns Station is the Center's headquarters and is located 7 miles southeast of Burns on Highway 205. Currently, the Burns Station has five USDA and three OSU Scientists. The university faculty include two with faculty status in the Department of Rangeland Resources and one with faculty status in the Department of Animal Sciences. It occupies 640 acres of hay and pasture land in the Harney Basin. The Burns Station also includes the Northern Great Basin Experimental Range, 35 miles west of Burns, which has 16,000 acres of federal, state, and county-owned sagebrush-steppe rangeland.
The Union Station: Currently, the Union Station has four scientists. Two of these hold faculty status in the Department of Animal Sciences. The Union Station has 600 acres of irrigated pasture and hay land as base property. Spring and summer grazing is conducted on the Hall Ranch, 12 miles southeast of Union on Highway 203. The Hall Ranch contains 2000 acres of mixed conifer forest land and riparian meadows along Catherine Creek. In addition, the Union Station provides the research cattle (190 AU permit) for the USDA Forest Service's Starkey Experimental Forest. The Experimental Forest contains 22,000 acres that has total enclosed big game herds of mule deer and elk.
Both locations represent fully contained beef production facilities with a stocking potential of approximately 500 head (250 producing females at each location). In addition, each location has fully functional nutrition laboratories with equipment necessary to conduct forage chemistry and preparation of blood and ruminal samples. Both locations also include winter back-grounding lots that will accommodate research needs up to 12 pens of cattle. Winter supplementation pens are available as well, and afford group feeding of supplements in a replicated design. Each location has portable corrals, squeeze chutes, scales and, as a result, fully capable of doing research at remote locations should the need arise.
Partnerships: The Centers works closely with "on-campus" departments in the colleges of Agricultural Sciences and Forestry. Departments involved include Animal Sciences, Rangeland Resources, Agricultural Chemistry, Agricultural and Resource Economics, Forest Science, and Crop and Soil Sciencs. The Center staff works closely with OSU Extension agents, federal and stand land management agencies, and the cattle industry to identify problem areas, develop research and transfer the technology developed. Center scientist also work cooperatively with the Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Bureau of Land Management, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Forest Service, and other long-term research projects on the Starkey Experiment Forest. Eastern Oregon livestock producers, agency personnel, and representatives of environmental groups serve on advisory committees that give direction to the Center.
