Make the McKenzie Connection!
Make the McKenzie Connection!
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As the winter recreation season continues and parts of the Pacific Northwest Region remain blanketed with snow and ice, the Forest Service is urging all visitors to prioritize their safety and preparedness when participating in outdoor activities. The allure of snowy landscapes, skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and other winter sports draw countless individuals to the picturesque lands managed by the Forest Service in Oregon and Washington. Amidst the excitement of winter adventures, it is...
Artists are invited to compete in one - or all three - of the Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife’s 2025 stamp art competitions. The winning artist in each contest will receive a $2,000 award and the winning artwork will be used to produce collector’s stamps and other promotional items - with sale proceeds benefitting Oregon’s fish, wildlife, and their habitats. For more information on contest rules and to order stamps and art prints, visit: https://www.dfw.state.or.us/stamp_contest/index.asp Entri...
BLUE RIVER: The Holiday Farm Fire of 2020 removed all traces of fences and other unofficial landmarks commonly used to mark property boundaries. That caused Lane County to launch a retracement survey in "downtown" Blue River to relocate section corners, quarter-section corners, and one-sixteenth corners - all determined to be vital to the reestablishing property boundary lines. However, determining the location of underground water lines "can be difficult" because they often don't have a...
MARCOLA: People traveling in the Marcola and Camp Creek areas on Monday afternoon were surprised to encounter police roadblocks. At about 4:30 p.m., Lane County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report of menacing that occurred in the 37000 block of Parsons Creek Rd., Marcola. Motorists were stopped from accessing the area after spike strips were placed on the roadway near the Riverview Market and access along Camp Creek Road was blocked near McKenzie Fire & Rescues Station #2. Some motorists also reported traffic on 42nd Street was b...
FINN ROCK: A sunny day offered a good draw for people who showed up last Saturday for an outdoor “Listening Session.” The Jones family donated the property for community uses that are still to be determined. Some of the ideas aired on Saturday ranged from walking trails to low-impact housing, all to keep much of the site’s rural character. Another Three Sisters Meadow Community Listening Session - this time indoors - is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. at the McKenzie Community School’s old gym, 51...
This weekend, February 17 & 18 is Free Fishing Weekend in Oregon.No fishing/shellfish licenses or tags (including a Combined Angling Tag, Columbia River Basin Endorsement, Two-Rod Validation, or Rogue-South Coast Steelhead Validation/Tag) are required. Both Oregon residents and nonresidents can fish for free. All other fishing regulations apply including closures, bag limits, and size restrictions. See the Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations for rules and remember to check for any in-season...
RAINBOW: “We thought it would be a great idea to get together as a community and try to figure out what went wrong and what we could do better,” was the way Upper McKenzie Community Center president John Carlile kicked off a “Disaster Debriefing” last Saturday. He also detailed some challenges the organization faced when it was decided to open the building as a warming center following a severe ice storm that delivered a hard hit to the region. “All the redundancies that we thought were in p...
The Willamette National Forest has issued a temporary closure order for a portion of Forest Road (FR) 2600-730. This closure order will be in effect from February 12 to 15, or until rescinded. Officials report the temporary closure order was issued for public safety while Eugene Electric & Water Board (EWEB) conducts construction for a seismic retrofit on the Carmen Access Bridge. The closure will extend on both sides of FR 2600-730 from the junction of Highway 126 for approximately 0.25 miles, including Carmen Bridge, and up to the junction...
VIDA: Firefighting crews that arrived at a house fire last Thursday night found smoke that was already showing at the back of the home at 45767 McKenzie Highway was rapidly intensifying from openings in the roof. A caller, who reported the incident around 6:15 p.m. advised the structure contained three 800-watt lithium battery packs. More than 30 responders along with 14 apparatus were on the scene to fight the fire. Backup for McKenzie Fire personnel came from Eugene-Springfield Fire, Mohawk...
Business building Own a startup or small business? All are invited to participate free of charge in the free Destination Creation Course, on February 24th from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Vida McKenzie Community Center, with breakfast and lunch provided. Curse topics will include: Becoming a Destination Business, Your Unique Positioning, Your Leadership Responsibility, Targeting Your Most-Profitable Customers, Capturing Consumer and Media Attention, Creating a Customer-Focused, Marketing Your...
EUGENE: After allocating close to $850,000 to help McKenzie Valley homeowners repair or replace septic systems damaged in the Holiday Farm Fire, the Eugene Water & Electric Board is facing a September 1 deadline to distribute over $1 million that comes from federal grant funding. Eligible grantees can receive up to $35,000, depending on the type of septic system and household income qualifications. Previously, the grants were eligible only for properties that sustained damage in the Holiday Farm Fire. Now, the grants will be available for...
A COVID-era program allowed 22.5 million low-income households across the country to get discounts on internet services. But, the funds allocated for it are running out and if Congress doesn’t take action, the program may end this spring. The Affordable Connectivity Program, a high-speed internet initiative, provides discounts of $30 to $75 a month on internet bills. It also allows a one-time discount on the purchase of a laptop, desktop, or tablet computer. Oregon has received nearly $100 m...
BLUE RIVER: Trees that have drifted into the main channel of the McKenzie River have generated warnings for boaters to stay away from an area located about one mile below the Brukart Landing. The entrance to a small side channel of the river to the south is also blocked with trees. The Lane County Sheriff’s Office is advising people to avoid the area until the hazard can be mitigated by Marine Patrol Deputies. Officials report there are currently no safe routes through this section of the r...
LEABURG: Changes for the 2024 angling season were keynotes in Jeremy Romer’s presentation at the McKenzie River Guides meeting last Saturday. The largest will be the shutdown of the Leaburg Trout Hatchery and the McKenzie Salmon Hatchery in June, affecting the stocking of area waterways through the rest of the year, according to Romer, the Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife’s Assitant District fisheries biologist. The change came after environmental groups including the Northwest Environmental Defense Center, The Conservation Angler, and Wil...
Debris In the aftermath of last week’s severe weather, Lane County is opening Hendricks Bridge Park - East of milepost 10 on Hwy 126 - for storm debris drop-offs. Private property owners can bring debris free of charge on February 2 to 4, and February 9 to 11, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Accepted debris includes Tree limbs and branches, Trees less than 24” in diameter (larger trees cut down to 24” in diameter or less), and Heavy shrubbery. Items not accepted include Household garbage or recyc...
In the Pacific Northwest, there are two types of natural disasters you probably think about fairly often because of either secondhand or lived experience: earthquakes and volcanoes. Unlike other seismically-active parts of the world, the PNW hasn’t had a devastating earthquake in recent history, but it is expected to. A magnitude 9.0 earthquake is due to hit the Cascadia subduction zone, a fault line stretching from Vancouver Island to Northern California, within the next 50 years. This e...
LEABURG: The ice storm that cut power and heat from thousands of households last week had a more tragic outcome for a Leaburg family. The fire at 43045 McKenzie Highway destroyed the home of Rich Campbell and Casey Chafin, their son, and daughter. “We hadn’t had power for six days because of the ice storm, and we heard it would not be on for two more weeks,” Casey said. “So we packed up and went to Lebanon to my grandma’s for a few days because my son is autistic.” That soon changed the next mor...
EUGENE: KLCC Radio reported this week that a federal lawsuit has been filed against a federal agency and two power utilities citing failures that could have helped prevent the September 7th, 2020 Holiday Farm Fire. The complaint, which seeks damages of damages of $232 million, was filed with the Ninth District Federal Court on behalf of 188 individuals, 8 minors, 18 companies, and 24 family or investment trusts. In contrast, Lane County had dropped its September 2022 lawsuit against Eugene...
Spfd schools Most Springfield schools were to open on Tuesday for students. Only three will remain closed: Thurston High and Briggs and Agnes Stewart Middle Schools. Briggs, All three were expected to have power by Monday evening. Staff were to report to BMS, ASMS, and THS on Tuesday to prepare for an anticipated return to school for students on Wednesday. Transportation staff drove bus routes on Monday to check for any safety hazards. Most bus routes will run as normal on Tuesday. District...
From turning on a light to mail delivery, normal activities have been suspended after predicted blizzard-like conditions hit Oregon over the weekend. “The ongoing challenge of ice accumulation on trees, power lines, and devices is significantly impeding our power restoration efforts,” according to a statement from the Lane Electric Cooperative. “In addition to the McKenzie and Cottage Grove areas, the Bonneville Power Administration is now grappling with trees obstructing the transmission line...
Governor Tina Kotek declared a state of emergency in Lane County to support the county’s response and recovery following the severe ice storm. This declaration comes at the unanimous request of the Lane County Board of Commissioners. “Lane County has suffered extensive damage as a result of the winter storm conditions that we’re seeing across Oregon,” Governor Kotek said. “This emergency declaration will support the county in accessing critical federal resources to aid in reconstru...
EUGENE: The Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) Board of Commissioners is moving forward with plans to begin dismantling Leaburg Dam by 2032 An action plan was unanimously approved by the board at their regular meeting Tuesday. The Leaburg Decommissioning Action Plan (LDAP) outlines actions, activities, and regulatory processes required for the decommissioning of the Leaburg project. The work would involve the removal of the Leaburg Dam and the restoration of the McKenzie River to a free-flowing state within the hydroelectric project area. In...
The Lane Transit District and RideSource have suspended service on Monday, January 15. Diamond Express and South Lane services were also canceled for Tuesday. Officials say LTD passengers should check the weather forecast and bus schedules, as inclement weather continues to impact the area. Check LTD.org and follow LTD on social media for the latest information. The LTD Service Alerts page and social media profiles will be updated as conditions change. Remember to tune into the local television...
LEABURG: Why Coho salmon have decided to make a showing locally is a question that remains unanswered. Starting last October 4th, over 50 have been spotted in the waters of the McKenzie River. And, they’re making a showing in other areas, with a record-breaking 40,000 observed passing upstream at Willamette Falls. That number was the largest since record-keeping began in 1951. Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife biologist Jeff Ziller said they first had an inkling something out of the ordinary w...
With the recent change to winter weather conditions, motorists might need a friendly reminder about what to do when they encounter a snowplow on the road. “It’s illegal to pass a snowplow on the right on state highways,” according to Oregon Dept. of Transportation Public Information Officer Mindy McCartt. And, on most Oregon highways, snowplows have “wing” plows that stick out more than eight feet from the right front edge of the truck, she adds. People should also be aware that the snow being p...
