Introduction 



In the last several years, forest managers in the Blue Mountains have observed a 

 marked increase in the recreational and commercial pursuit of wild mushrooms. What 

 had once been a casual recreational pastime and resource used by a few of the local 

 population has developed into a major commercial industry for at least 2 months of the 

 year. The commercial market has become increasingly organized and has spawned 

 an influx of pickers and buyers into the area during the mushroom season. Aware- 

 ness of the availability of this resource also has increased the recreational pursuit of 

 wild mushrooms. Given the high demand and limited resource, there are concerns 

 about the increasing conflicts among commercial pickers and recreational users, and 

 that mushroom harvesting may reduce future mushroom harvests or adversely affect 

 other forest resources. Public land management agencies are striving to regulate 

 mushroom harvest in a way that conforms to sustaining healthy ecosystems. 



This document provides back- 

 ground information to individuals 

 and organizations interested in 

 the wild mushroom resource of 

 the Blue Mountains of northeast- 

 ern Oregon and southeastern 

 Washington (fig. 1). It provides 

 information for an environmental 

 analysis, including issues and 

 concerns for regulation, monitor- 

 ing, and management. This 

 paper consolidates and presents 

 existing biological information of 

 the major available commercial 

 mushrooms in the area, with an 

 emphasis on morels (Morchella 

 spp.). Brief descriptions of the 

 most commonly collected mush- 

 rooms are given, as well as the 

 site conditions and plant commu- 

 nities influencing their occurrence 

 or proliferation. 



WASHINGTON 



Walla Walla 



1^ - — - - -^ Pendleton°^^ ", 

 Portland ^^Q La Grande 



^^^Baker'City 



John Day *■ 



Blue Mts. Region 



{ 



OREGON 



Figure 1 — Region of the Blue Mountains. 



Mushroom Harvest in the 

 Blue Mountains — a 

 Historical Perspective 



The forests of the Blue Mountains produced an abundance of resources and commod- 

 ities for Native Americans for thousands of years and for European settlers during the 

 last 1 50 years. The ever-increasing population of the inland West and the continued 

 demands on forested land have created controversy about proper forest management. 

 The major conflict involves production and extraction of commodities versus mainte- 

 nance of healthy and sustainable ecosystems. The current and future management 

 direction of public lands will be to protect ecosystem health and viability while produc- 

 ing commodities. This strategy is known as ecosystem management.' 



' Ecosystem management is a system of making, imple- 

 menting, and evaluating decisions based on the ecosystems 

 approach, which recognizes that ecosystems and society 

 are always changing (Bormann and others 1994). 



