Make the McKenzie Connection!
Make the McKenzie Connection!
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Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW) staff responded to a report made to the Oregon Invasive Species Hotline on Wednesday, Dec. 18, that a koi (fish) was spotted near the Armitage Boat Landing on the McKenzie River near Eugene. District fish biologists removed the large koi which was most likely intentionally released into the McKenzie River. Koi can live up to 25 years, reproduce rapidly, and can survive very cold winters. Mature koi can produce 5,000 to 10,000 eggs and the largest koi can...
EUGENE: The Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) recently received a $1 million federal grant for the U.S. Forest Service’s Community Wildfire Defense Grant program. The money will be used in partnership with McKenzie Fire & Rescue, Eugene Springfield Fire to support fuel reduction, and the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) to work on a “landscape-scale” in high-risk areas in the McKenzie River Valley and Eugene’s South Hills. McKenzie Fire & Rescue has been awarded $325,000 in the funding...
SALEM: At its December meeting, the Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) unanimously adopted the first set of rules Oregon will use to implement what it calls “comprehensive, system-wide housing planning reforms to address the state’s housing crisis.” The adopted rules direct the approaches and methods local governments will use to reverse decades of underinvestment in housing production and meet community needs. The new rules require local governments to use standardized methods to determine local housing needs and adopt accou...
RAINBOW: A one-acre parcel barely a quarter mile from the ignition site could become a memorial to the Holiday Farm Fire, according to a recent study. The site of the proposed memorial is located on unused USDA Forest Service land at the junction of Highway 126 and the west end of McKenzie River Drive. In their proposal submitted to the McKenzie River Chamber of Commerce, University of Oregon students Rachel Benbrook, Meghan Doremus, and Elise O’Brien note the lot also includes a historic p...
BLUE RIVER: The special Blue River Water & Sanitation District meeting on December 11th focused on several critical administrative matters. Jim Parks (interim chairman), Melanie Stanley (secretary-treasurer), and Terry Herndon attended as board members. The board approved the termination letter for interim superintendent Tony Cassa, who was given notice of the meeting but did not attend. Jim Parks was appointed as the temporary superintendent. A request for the return of district property...
Oregon is losing local media outlets quickly, echoing a national trend. This year alone, 130 newspapers nationwide shut down, according to a new report from Northwestern University. Bob Singer, president of the Oregon Association of Broadcasters, said readership is low for local papers, which leads to a loss of advertising revenue. He pointed out local radio stations in Oregon have stepped in to fill in the gaps left by print media, and those stations are doing OK. “It’s not the robust ind...
The $20,000 salary increase for wildland firefighters in the 2021 infrastructure law could be coming to an end next week if Congress doesn’t act. The infrastructure law included $600 million to boost salaries for the nearly 11,200 wildland firefighters for two years, giving the Interior Department or Forest Service employees a raise of either $20,000 each or 50% of their base salary. Federal wildland firefighters earn as little as $15 per hour, with entry level positions earning just less t...
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and its partners have received a $4.5 million grant from the federal America the Beautiful Challenge program to restore more than 2,000 acres of oak and prairie land up and down the Willamette Valley. The project will draw on partnerships across 22 public, private and tribal sites to restore native plant species such as camas, and reduce fuel for wildfires. Lindsay McClary, restoration ecologist with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, said these...
Calling all fourth graders! This year’s Every Kid Outdoors program is underway, and the U.S. Forest Service wants to make sure all eligible fourth graders (and their parents and educators) know that it’s not too late to request their free Every Kid Outdoors public lands pass, or to get a complimentary permit to cut their own Christmas tree on a National Forest this holiday season. The Every Kid Outdoors program provides fourth-grade students and accompanying family members free entry to federall...
VIDA: It’s estimated the Rufous Hummingbird most Oregonians are used to seeing travel about 4,000 miles on their annual migrations to winter in Mexico. But two apparently had somewhere special to be locally when first one, then another chose to land on Robert Campbell. “After the fire I didn’t know if I could go through a rebuild or not, or restore what was here,” he recalls. “And the hummingbirds came. One sat on each of my hands. A couple more buzzed around me.” It was then he decided “We...
$$ REWARD $$ Stolen – 6:03 a.m. Saturday, December 7th from Goodpasture Road. John Deere 2023 model XUV590M 10 hours SN: 1M059MACPM062763 Engine SN: 2G06AANK 00518 Desc: Dark green w/black trim. Has a cab roof and a small boot carrier. Brand new: Purchased in October 2024 The home was just being finished after the fires. Persons knew where the “gator” was, drove it out, and then loaded it onto a trailer. A reward is being offered for information leading to the return of the stolen prope...
EUGENE: In a vote that “is starting to get real,” the Eugene Water & Electric Board voted last week to engage McMillen, Inc. to provide consultant support for its Leaburg Decommissioning Program. Adding to his initial take on the action, board vice president John Barofsky noted, "When you start budgeting $18 million, I kinda get a good feel of what this is entailing.” Portland-based McMillen was behind the nation’s largest dam decommissioning project ever—the decommissioning of the dams on the K...
BLUE RIVER: Last week, the Blue River Water/Sanitation and Park District boards held back-to-back meetings that covered several key administrative and operational matters. During the first, the water board discussed board recruitment processes with guidance from Mark Knudson of the Special Districts Association of Oregon. They also addressed representation on the Three Sisters Meadow Committee and nominated Terry Herndon as their representative. The board also handled various housekeeping matter...
Wondering what to get for family and friends who love the outdoors—the birder, hiker, aspiring angler, avid hunter or neighbor who cares deeply about conservation? Here’s two gift ideas that can get them outdoors the entire year while contribute to conserving fish, wildlife and their habitats. A Waterway Access Permit ($19 for annual) is a great gift for those who have a paddle craft over 10 feet long, including pontoon boats, kayaks and paddleboards. The permit is required for paddlec...
After more than five years of waiting in some cases, wildfire survivors across the West will be relieved of paying federal income taxes on their recovery settlements and lawyers fees. The Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act passed the Senate on Wednesday night, about six months after it was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives nearly unanimously. It had been stalled for months, tucked into opposing tax packages from Senate Republicans and Democrats. The bill, which is likely to be signed...
SANTIAM PASS: Sno-Parks within the Willamette National Forest offer a variety of winter recreational activities suitable for all ages and interests. Up on the Santiam Pass, snow-covered landscapes are ideal for sledding, tubing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling. Areas like the Ray Benson Sno-Park are particularly popular for snowmobiling and dog sledding. At the same time, the Santiam Sno-Park is known for family-friendly sledding and snow play. A Sno-Park permit is required...
People are probably happy to hear two orphaned mountain lion kittens have been rescued and will find new homes at the Oregon Zoo but sharing space with them in the wild is a different story. While the kittens are safe, there are different ideas about how much to protect wild mountain lions. Brent Lyles, executive director of the Mountain Lion Foundation, said although they are often feared, the large cats should be protected for the role they play in maintaining healthy ecosystems. “The c...
As winter settles into Lane County, many residents are considering outdoor burning for yard maintenance or using wood stoves for heating. Our local weather patterns play a crucial role in determining whether burning is allowed or the responsible choice on any given day. Weather and Smoke: A Critical Connection Multiple aspects like wind speed and air temperature work together to either disperse smoke safely or trap it close to the ground. On stagnant days with limited air movement, smoke will linger in our valleys for hours or even days,...
SPRINGFIELD: A documentary exploring the evolution and enduring influence of the McKenzie River Drift Boat has proved a crowd pleaser, judging by its enthusiastic acceptance at a screening last week. The film’s debut at the Wildish Theater is the creation of Randy Dersham, who has shifted his focus to filmmaking after a long career in the video game industry. Combining a mix of historical film, archival photographs, and insightful interviews, Dersham’s film charts the wooden boat’s evolu...
VIDA: The McKenzie Community Partnership hosted a Holiday Party at the Vida McKenzie Community Center on Sunday that was topped off with the illumination of a tall fir. Prior to flipping the light switch at 5 p.m., people inside the building were treated to live music, gingerbread house decorating, caroling, crafts and games, and refreshments - along with collecting new, unwrapped toys for the McKenzie Fire & Rescue’sa Toy Drive. The event was a new addition to the area’s Annual Holiday Lig...
Starting this summer, Oregonians across the state will begin to receive a standardized list of what can and cannot be recycled statewide, and owners and managers of apartment complexes and multi-unit housing will need to prepare to provide recycling for residents. These are among new rules around recycling finalized Friday by Oregon's Environmental Quality Commission following four years of negotiation and planning. The Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act will go into effect July...
“Oldest and Coldest” Springfield Christmas Parade Presented By: Oregon Riders Society returns for its 72nd year with the theme of “Gingerbread Kisses & Christmas Wishes.” This is the 8th year on December 7th. ORS has been able to make a significant impact on children and families located in Lane County. Within the last couple of years, ORS has helped dozens of children and families in need of assistance. Parade entries must reflect a holiday theme. The staging area opens at 9 a.m. on Olympic...
Governor Tina Kotek announced today that she is using her constitutional authority to call a special session of the Oregon Legislature, to begin on Thursday, December 12, for lawmakers to appropriate funds to pay for the historic 2024 wildfire season. A record 1.9 million acres burned this wildfire season, far exceeding the state’s 10-year average of 640,000 acres per season and incurring costs upwards of $350 million. While over half of the costs will eventually be covered by disaster relief fu...
La Nina is bringing a cooler, wetter winter to Oregon and likely driving up heating bills as systems work harder. This is the third year of major price hikes for Pacific Power and Pacific Gas and Electric, with rates up by 40% from four years ago. One report found nearly half of Americans struggle to pay their utility bills and last winter, a January ice storm and rate hikes saw power shut off for a record number of Oregon households due to lack of payment. Jami Seymore, home energy expert for...
