Editor:

Fifteen years ago I was asked to help start a group in Wallowa County called Wallowa Resources. The mission of this group was to help provide jobs in the natural resource field in Wallowa County. I was motivated to join the group because Howard Johnson, a longtime rancher and forester had agreed to be a founding member. I considered it an honor to be involved with anything Howard was willing to push for Wallowa County.

As we struggled with starting a non-profit, our biggest problem was how to fund it. We all knew that we would never be able to get local tax dollars. With the schools and hospital struggling following the closure of the mills, we didnt want to compete for these tax dollars.

None of us was familiar with how grant funding workedóbut thanks to hard work and partnerships with other organizations, we learned quickly. Since its founding, Wallowa Re-sources has invested over 9 million dollars into Wallowa County to support natural resource jobs and maintain working lands.

I think its important for people to understand how Wallowa Resources is funded, and why it deserves our support. Charitable giving has a long history in America, and supports our founding principles of neighbors helping neighbors. In 2009, charitable giving exceeded $300 billion in the US and accounted for more than 2 percent of GDP. Private individuals donated 75 percent ($236 billion); private foundation grant-making provided 13 percent; corporate giving accounted for 5 percent and charitable bequests was the remaining 7 percent. While 20 percent of the U.S. population lives in rural areas, less than 10 percent of the total charitable dollars go to rural causes.

When I understood this disparity between urban and rural areas, I became an even stronger advocate for Wallowa Resources and other non-profits here in Wallowa County. Over the last four decades weve experienced a steady decline in public investment in rural areas. New strategies and new organizations are needed to reverse this trend. If we dont compete for these funds, they are captured by others areas and other causes. Im proud to support a locally owned and operated non-profit fighting to maintain the jobs, community, and landscapes I value so deeply.

To this day, Wallowa Resources remains largely dependent on grants; however, most grants do not adequately fund operating overhead. The money for operating overhead has to come from private donations. For every private dollar donated to Wallowa Resources in 2009, we were able to get 19 grant dollars. Thats a great return on investment in our community. Through this grant funding process, Wallowa Resources was able to inject 1.2 million dollars into Wallowa Countys economy this year and over $9 million since we started 15 years ago.

This success was brought about by the work of a great staff, volunteers and the director of Wallowa Resources, Nils Christoffersen.

Wallowa Resources is not a far left or far right organization. I think we are a radical center organization. Our goal is sustainable jobs in the natural resource field, and everyone is included. We are working for Wallowa County and we need and appreciate everyones support.

Doug McDaniel

Lostine