Make the McKenzie Connection!
Make the McKenzie Connection!
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LEABURG: A road construction project designed to improve Hwy. 126 had the opposite impact on motorists when work began last week in Leaburg. The problem centered on long delays that some motorists reported had them parked in place for as long as an hour and 45 minutes. “We are working with the contractor to figure out what caused the delays and how to avoid them,” according to David House, the Oregon Dept. of Transportation’s Region 2 communications officer. “We have no way to count vehicles in a traffic backup, but we know the issue was wit...
About 25 people spent over four days last week in a labor of love at the Fish Lake Historic Site, also known as the Fish Lake Remount Depot. Close to double that number showed up on Tuesday, the day of the Friends of Fish Lake general membership meeting. The depot site, located along the Santiam Trail in the heart of the Oregon High Cascades, 1930s. The Fish Lake Remount Depot was first used by the US Forest Service as a Ranger outpost in 1905. Since the mid-1800s thousands of travelers...
An engineer for a construction contractor who is also a volunteer for McKenzie Fire and Rescue is donating six speed feedback signs for three 45 mph zones on OR 126 east of Eugene. Joel Zeni of Suulutaaq, a contractor on several ODOT projects, hopes to reduce the chances of speed-related crashes on OR 126 in Leaburg, Vida, and McKenzie Bridge. Each speed zone will have signs for both eastbound and westbound traffic. “When I was in elementary school, one of my classmate’s sister was killed whi...
The Oregon House and Senate will return Saturday and possibly Sunday for the last gasps of a 160-day marathon that reached its quickest pace this week. Sunday at 11:59 p.m. is the constitutional deadline for the Legislature to adjourn sine die and end its work for the year, though lawmakers could opt to extend that deadline by five days with a two-thirds vote. Legislators, however, are eager to head home. But before they can call it a year, lawmakers plan to act on dozens more bills, including h...
The Community Log Program, organized by the McKenzie River Locals Helping Locals financial impact the program has had a big impact. To date, it has donated $110,107.84 to local non-profit organizations. Over the last two years, those numbers include a total of $15,018.70 was donated to the Vida-McKenzie Community Center; $45,045.12 was granted to the O'Brien Memorial Library; and Locals Helping Locals received a total of $50,044.02. Those amounts are an obviously huge benefit to these three...
COUGAR DAM: Travelers visiting the McKenzie River area may need to plan alternate travel routes to the area’s trails and campgrounds this summer. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has closed the portion of Road NF-1993 that runs along the crest of Cougar Dam to traffic in both directions. The closure extends from June 5th to September 28th. It will reopen on September 29th. Officials say the closure is needed to allow for construction work at the dam. Because of the change in access, v...
Blue River Fire Station The $250,000 grant the Lane County Board of Commissioners approved at their May 23rd meeting is part of the funds helping make a new firehouse for the Upper McKenzie Rural Fire Protection District a reality. After more than three years of effort, concrete for the foundation was poured last week. The lot, at 51742 Dexter Street lot was purchased for the new station in September of 2021 In January a construction contract was awarded to the low bidder, Bridgeway Construction...
Oregon Senate leaders on Thursday reached a deal that brought a handful of Republicans back to the floor, ending the longest walkout in state history and clearing the way for the Legislature to pass a budget and start working through hundreds of backlogged bills. The deal reached Thursday included watering down Democratic measures intended to guarantee abortion access and prevent gun violence, as well as considering a Republican proposal that would allow the Legislature to impeach statewide...
BLUE RIVER: People will have a chance to match ideas with engineered outcomes during a community meeting on Saturday, June 24th. The session, organized by Lane County Public Works has been scheduled to discuss possible changes to the ways traffic navigates its way along Blue River Drive. Up for review are three different designs for two different sections of the roadway. One covers the “downtown” area - from the eastern junction with Hwy. 126 to the Blue River Bridge. The other area covers the...
After a long winter, crews have cleared McKenzie Pass, and the gates will open for all travelers on Monday, June 19th. The Old McKenzie Highway, also known as OR 242, closed for the winter season on November 1st last year. Drivers on this winding road need to be on the lookout for cyclists and pedestrians, as this is a popular scenic route for many types of travelers. Vehicles longer than 35 feet are prohibited from using the highway due to its sharp, narrow curves. Private funding built the...
Runners made their way uphill to the beat of the Samba Ja drumming group from Eugene as they passed by Sahalie Falls. Participants in the 32nd rendition of the McKenzie River Trail Run also benefitted from some cooler temperatures last Saturday as they passed by scenic wonders like Clear Lake, lava fields, and the aquamarine waters of the Tamolitch Pool. In the Men’s Division Charlie Sikkema of North Vancouver, BC, posted a top time of 3:24:02. Brooke Carmen of Portland's time of 4:24:51 g...
Prescribed fire, the intentional and scientific use of fire on the landscape, reduce risk to communities that dot the wildland landscape. But there are other inhabitants the Forest Service considers when preparing for a prescribed fire — the wildlife that calls those very same wildlands home, that rely on forests for food and shelter. Brandon Dethlefs, a prescribed fire and Fuels specialist on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, recently walked the fire line on Backbone Ridge, overlooking Shasta...
MCKENZIE BRIDGE: The Upper McKenzie Rural Fire Department (UMRFD) has received a summer firefighter grant for the second year in a row. The grants are offered by the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) mostly to rural fire departments to allow them to enhance on-site firefighters during the fire season and minimize response time. The goal is to catch and control small fires before they get out of control and turn into wildfires. Their motto for the grant program is “Keep Small Fires Small”. The...
Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife Troopers discovered fish with embedded hooks, sliced fins, circular scabs, and other evidence of illegal tactics while assisting ODFW hatchery staff during the spring salmon spawning season. Snagging occurs when a person hooks, or attempts to hook, a fish anywhere on its body other than inside the mouth. Although snagging is an unlawful practice with steep consequences, many people still engage in this unethical behavior, according to OSP F&W Trooper Cameron...
MCKENZIE BRIDGE: A prescribed burn to reduce fuels in a thinned stand escaped Tuesday afternoon and burned into 120 acres on National Forest land outside of the burn unit’s perimeter. Declared a wildfire that night, the W-470 was located approximately two miles northeast of the McKenzie River Ranger Station and north of Highway 126 where USFS Roads 26-204 and 26-206 split near Frissell Trail. At a community meeting on June 3rd, McKenzie Ranger District assistant fire manager Dirk Rogers e...
Oregon State Police Troopers were dispatched just before 7 a.m. on Friday when a semi ran off the road near Milepost 19 of the McKenzie Highway. According to OSP reports the vehicle drifted over the fog line onto the narrow roadside shoulder and hit the edge of the pavement, which pulled the truck onto a steep embankment. That overturned the Kenworth T680, causing it to strike an ODOT merge sign and approximately 200 ft. of adjacent property fencing - sustaining moderate damage to the passenger...
LEABURG: Motorists this week have encountered an Oregon Dept. of Transportation (ODOT) project says will create a smoother ride for drivers and reduce the cost of maintenance on Highway 126. Crews have been busy this week installing signs in the work zone along the corridor. Next week, workers will focus on bridge repair work at Mileposts 22.6, 22.3 and 24. Crews will grind off the existing asphalt, make repairs and install protective surfaces to preserve each bridge. ODOT expects to start...
The Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA) decided that dry conditions and an escalating fire danger were required an early closure of the 2023 outdoor burning season. In normal years, outdoor burning would be allowed until June 15th. This year it ended on June 2nd. “Given the current conditions, the only way to mitigate fire risk without relying on weather changes is through our actions,” said Travis Knudsen, the Public Affairs Manager for LRAPA. “That’s why the Fire Defense Board and ODF (Oregon Dept. of Forestry) are closing the sea...
FINN ROCK: Dozers, excavators, and dump trucks will be busy in the coming months after breaking ground on the second and final phase of floodplain restoration work at the Finn Rock Reach. Work on the 278-acre conservation area owned by the McKenzie River Trust was launched during the summer of 2021. It is focused on reshaping roughly 120 acres of floodplain forest to return the area to conditions similar to the aquatic habitat that existed along the McKenzie River before the construction of floo...
MCKENZIE BRIDGE: The earliest possible opening date for the Old McKenzie Pass is the third Monday in June, and officials at the Oregon Dept. of Transportation say they believe they are aiming for that date. “We used to (around 10 years ago and earlier) let people know when we were going to start plowing, but we aren’t doing that anymore for a variety of reasons,” according to Kacey Davey, an ODOT public information officer. “Before the highway is open, and after we have cut through the snow, o...
Firefighters quickly engaged this afternoon when a prescribed burn being conducted on the McKenzie River Ranger District to reduce fuels in a thinned stand moved onto National Forest land outside of the burn unit’s perimeter. Weather was within prescription when gusty winds led to two spot fires adjacent to the 65-acre burn unit. The fire is being declared a wildfire, enabling the deployment of additional personnel and resources to contain the spread as soon as possible – which is our hig...
EUGENE: At their May 23rd meeting, the Lane County Board of Commissioners approved a grant agreement to provide $250,000 to the Upper McKenzie Rural Fire Protection District. A compelling reason for the move was cited as, “Not having a completed, functional fire protection station that can respond to calls for assistance creates the possibility of significant financial risk to community members whose property and belongings could be damaged in a fire.” In addition, the board order also noted that not taking action on this item would delay the...
MCKENZIE BRIDGE: The McKenzie River Ranger District is seeking comments on a variety of upcoming projects ranging from residence improvements at the Big Lake Youth Camp to restoration work at Owl Creek Meadow. Written and electronic comments concerning these proposals will be accepted until June 20th. The largest would be work related to restoring the floodplain near the confluence of the McKenzie and South Fork McKenzie rivers. Some of those activities include the removal of artificial levees, berms, fill, riprap, and other natural sediment wi...
The nomination process is open for a prestigious award handed out to volunteers in Oregon each year. The Andrus Award for Community Service award is named after AARP founder, Doctor Ethel Percy Andrus. AARP Oregon will select a person or couple age 50 or older, who performs services without pay in their communities. AARP State volunteer president for Oregon, Michael Schultz, said he has spent his whole career with nonprofit organizations and that these organizations rely on volunteers. “Our c...
EUGENE: A committee comprised of seven Lane County residents is now in the process of gathering comments that could lead to changes in some of the ways the regional government operates. The county is governed by a Home Rule Charter (HRC) that establishes how the local county government operates. It can only be changed by a countywide vote. Every 10 years, a committee of residents is appointed to review the Lane County Charter and suggest changes to the Board of County Commissioners. This year, the committee reviewing the charter has created a...
