From left to right: Hoyt Laney, Columbia Soil and Water Conservation District; Don Melhoff, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Chris Hamilton, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and Dave Dickens, Northwest Oregon RC & D., prepare to make a preliminary survey of Asburry Acres. 
Asburry Acres was given to Columbia County by Ken and Gwen Asburry in 1988.  It was given for "Park, Recreation, or Fair Use."   The Asburry family would like to see some things done on this property that will benefit the children of this community.

Don Melhoff, NRCS, helps Chris Hamilton, USFWS, (on the right) determine the gradient of a drainage that transects the property.  USFWS would like to develop some of the property as a nature study area.    They would like to enhance develop and seed some of the wetland areas with native plants.  Interpretive signs would be created to explain the significance of the wetland/nature study areas.

US Fish and Wildlife's Chris Hamilton (right) , stated that he was "enthused' about this project", and looked forward to working with some of the other partners (County, Soccer Association, base ball people etc).  He plans to get together with his engineer to do a topographic survey of the site.  With a topog survey,  a preliminary plan can be made to determine what areas could be most cost-effectively enhanced.
Plans are to develop nature study areas along with playing fields and picnic areas.  On the basis of this first meeting, it was thought that this could be a very achievable goal.

The USF&WS's Partners for Fish and wildlife program can provide funding as well as technical assistance for education and habitat restoration projects. 

It is hoped that all plans will be in place before this next years construction season