Make the McKenzie Connection!
Make the McKenzie Connection!
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 1713
The Lane Regional Air Protection Agency has issued an Air Quality Advisory for Eastern Lane County related to smoke from local wildfires, particularly the Oakridge Lightning Fires complex and various in fires in southeastern Lane County. The advisory is in effect through Saturday, July 27, 2024, afternoon. Key points of the advisory: Eastern Lane County, including areas such as Vida, Blue River, Oakridge, and the High Prairie area, may experience intermittent periods of smoke. Air quality is expected to vary widely throughout the day, with...
RAINBOW: The aroma of grilling hot dogs and hamburgers was only part of the draw for people who turned out last Saturday on the grounds of Orchid Health’s McKenzie River Clinic in Rainbow. There were other attractions besides the free food - ranging from raffle items and gift cards to a bubble machine and kids' games - but the most appreciated thing most people said was the opportunity to once again interact with other community members....
BEND: In June, the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved funding for a new pilot program that encourages builders to construct and sell new homes at prices attainable to median-income earners. The program, called Workforce Home Ownership for Median-income Earners (Workforce HOME), was established in partnership with NeighborImpact, Housing Works, and the Central Oregon Builders Association (COBA). It will provide developers a $30,000 builder credit for each home they...
Several dogs were sickened from salmon poisoning in Oregon recently. Salmon and trout carcasses may harbor bacteria in their blood that can be fatal to dogs. Without treatment, salmon poisoning in dogs is often fatal. Symptoms include severe vomiting and diarrhea. Fortunately, with treatment, most dogs will survive. The bacteria can infect a dog after they eat, bite, or even lick an infected fish carcass. Symptoms may begin showing 5-7 days after exposure. Dog owners should be vigilant about...
More than $27 million is coming to upgrade forests in the Northwest for recreation. The investment is the latest round of funding from the Great American Outdoors Act, which was passed in 2020 and established the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund. The legislation is aimed at addressing the backlog of maintenance needed on public lands. Tracy Calizon, Northwest Region assistant director for recreation, trails, wilderness, and heritage, for the U.S. Forest Service, said 23...
In just the last week, Gov. Tina Kotek declared five conflagrations – meaning many structures have burned or the scale of the fires exceeds local resources. They’re the result of some human-caused fires and thousands of lightning strikes earlier in the week that ignited more than 100 new fires. Ruiz-Temple and the Oregon Department of Forestry’s deputy director of fire operations, Kyle Williams, said lightning storms that are expected Friday through Monday will further elevate risk. Southcentral...
The Willamette National Forest has issued a temporary emergency closure order for Ray Benson Sno Park, which will be utilized as an incident command post to effectively respond to nearby wildfires and station firefighters. The closure order is effective through October 15, 2024, unless rescinded or modified sooner. Visitors are encouraged to support firefighters and crews working the Pyramid Fire east of Sweet Home by recreating elsewhere in the coming weeks. Nearby recreation options include Little Nash Snow Park, Potato Hill, and Santiam...
Millions of acres of national forest lands across Oregon and Washington are continuing to see record breaking dry timber conditions on both sides of the Cascades. These critical conditions are spurring rapid wildfire growth from recent lightning storms including the July 16-17th storms which produced over 2,000 strikes in 48 hours. How many days without rain? Places like the Fremont-Winema and Deschutes national forests in Oregon have surpassed 75 days without wetting rains. And 45 days without...
WALTERVILE: Under canopies shading vendors ranging from “Ali’s Art” to the “Vintage Makeover” booth, there was plenty to delight the eyes and soothe the senses of people walking around the fragrant grounds of the McKenzie Lavender Farm this weekend. Many left laden with bundles of U-cut lavender as well as ceramic, acrylic, wood, metal, or fabric handcrafted treasures. Someone stopping by Gini Hornbecker’s “Sister Stones” display for a keepsake could leave with a purchase no one else possesses...
By Bayla Orton The Carmen-Smith Hydroelectric Project’s increased costs, supply chain shortages, and other Eugene Water & Electric Board projects could soon translate to a 15% increase in utility bills for the utility's customers. Costs for the Carmen site were up $21 million - or 3.3% - last week, creating new issues for budgeting, board officials said. Concerns include requirements for the safe passage of Chinook salmon and bull trout along an 8-mile stretch of the McKenzie River. There are n...
Inexplicable delays to a federal report on ending hydropower generation in the Willamette River Basin to save threatened fish are creating frustration and concern for tribal leaders and conservationists in Oregon. Congress directed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2022 to produce a report by the end of June 2024, detailing the impacts that eight federal hydroelectric dams in the Willamette River Basin have had on native fish populations over the past 60 years, and the possibility of deauthori...
All volcanoes in the Cascade Range of Oregon and Washington have been at normal background activity levels. These include Mount Baker, Glacier Peak, Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Adams in Washington State and Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, Three Sisters, Newberry, and Crater Lake in Oregon. Mount St. Helens continues to experience slightly heightened seismicity than typical of recent years, with 26 located earthquakes a week ago, and 451 since February 1st when the current increase...
Under the proposed changes Lane County would amend the Lane County Rural Comprehensive Plan and Lane Code Chapter 16 – Land Use and Development Code to implement a Complete Community Plan for the unincorporated community of Blue River. The action would involve rezoning properties within the community of Blue River to “promote compact, small-town development patterns with an active and convenient pedestrian environment along a mixed-use Blue River Drive, higher density development near Lane Tra...
About 20 people meet for Sunday worship (10:30 am), for service projects, and to care for the church at McKenzie Valley Presbyterian Church (MVPC), just east of Walterville on Hwy 126. This small group of people makes a lot of friends near and far - friends who have become partners in supporting our valley far beyond what 20 people could do alone. In the past MVPC provided an office for WomenSpace to meet with survivors of domestic trauma as well as a meeting space for Boy Scouts and a...
MCKENZIE BRIDGE: The US Forest Service is seeking public comments on a series of upcoming improvement projects ranging from hazardous fuels reduction treatments in the Hwy 242, Camp Melakwa, and Santiam Lodge areas to adding a temporary dock to the boat launch at the Cold Water Cove Campground. Among the eleven projects slated for 2024 is a plan to install an electrical utility line to the McKenzie Bridge and Paradise Campground Host sites. The work would also add to several “premium site” sit...
Since June, there have been 100 human-caused wildfires on national forests and grasslands in Oregon and Washington. While firefighters have been largely successful in putting out these preventable fires, the extremely hot and dry conditions are significantly ramping up fire danger across the region. “We’re entering a very dangerous period in the Pacific Northwest wildfire season,” said Ed Hiatt, Pacific Northwest Assistant Fire Director for Operations. “Mother Nature turned on the oven for a wee...
A statewide “wildfire risk map” that drew the ire of many Oregonians will return in several weeks with few changes but with a new name following a yearlong makeover. The new “wildfire hazard map,” set to debut in mid-to-late July, will not differ in substance too much from the previous map published in 2022, according to lead researcher Chris Dunn, an Oregon State University forestry professor and wildfire expert. That first map was quickly taken offline in August 2022, just months after i...
EUGENE: On July 8th, a “Notice to Proceed” was issued to HDR Inc. to commence with the Engineering and Construction Services contract for the Blue River Community Wastewater Project. The scope of work includes final design, permitting coordination, and construction services support. Additionally, the 12-month aquifer monitoring requirement from the Department of Environmental Quality is concluding in September 2024 - which will provide data needed to determine the maximum daily wastewater flo...
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this week released its final environmental impact statement analyzing proposed barred owl management alternatives to protect northern and California spotted owls in Washington, Oregon, and California from invasive barred owls. The Service’s preferred alternative is the implementation of a proposed Barred Owl Management Strategy, which would result in the annual removal of less than one-half of 1% of the current North American barred owl population. Northern s...
WALTERVILE: Under canopies shading vendors ranging from “Ali’s Art” to the “Vintage Makeover” booth, there was plenty to delight the eyes and soothe the senses of people walking around the fragrant grounds of the McKenzie Lavender Farm this weekend. Many left laden with bundles of U-cut lavender as well as ceramic, acrylic, wood, metal, or fabric handcrafted treasures. Someone stopping by Gini Hornbecker’s “Sister Stones” display for a keepsake could leave with a purchase no one else possesses...
Chinook salmon angling in the McKenzie River ended on Monday, July 8th, and will remain in effect through the end of the year. The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW) reports it took the step to protect unexpectedly small runs of both wild and hatchery Chinook salmon that have been observed at the Leaburg Dam this year. Biologists say continued angling pressure on the small return of salmon could jeopardize meeting conservation targets upstream of Leaburg Dam and broodstock needs for...
NORTH SISTER: A half dozen agencies and rescue response groups worked together early last Saturday to rescue an injured climber stranded high up the North Sister. “This rescue required a great deal of coordination and staff, including the three involved helicopters,” officials said. Authorities were alerted to the emergency by a 911 call from the victim at 4:40 a.m. on July 6th. According to a press release, the man had likely suffered “several broken bones and was on an exposed scree slide...
EWEB is assessing the power outage in the Walterville/Deehorn area that occurred around 7:00 am this morning. If you are impacted by this outage, please help reduce call volume by going to eweb.org/outagemap for more details and updates. Last week, EWEB changed to wildfire protective settings on equipment in south Eugene and the McKenzie Valley. These protective measures include modifying high-voltage electric switches and relays. Just like a circuit breaker in your home, the switch senses when...
FINN ROCK: The McKenzie River Trust (MRT)announced last week that 636 acres had been added to the Finn Rock Reach conservation area. The three new parcels, adjacent to the original property acquired in 2015-16, extend approximately 7 river miles from the mouth of the South Fork McKenzie River to Eagle Rock. This five-year acquisition project was supported by a mix of funding, with more than $2 million coming from the Willamette Wildlife Mitigation Program (WWMP), a partnership project funded by...
A non-profit group that’s made a mark removing trash in other parts of the Willamette National Forest since 2017 is now expanding its cleanup efforts to the McKenzie area. Over the last year, Friends of Fall Creek Watershed (FoFCW) has removed 28 abandoned vehicles and over 143,000 pounds of trash from public lands, mainly in the Oakridge and Fall Creek drainages. “We recently cleaned to the north end of Aufderheide Drive and just completed removing an abandoned RV,” according to FoFCW president...
