Make the McKenzie Connection!
Make the McKenzie Connection!
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MCKENZIE BRIDGE: Last Tuesday, Flat Country timber sale opponents took to the trees to hang a 30-foot-wide banner across Highway 126. Organizers of the protest, including the Cascadia Forest Defenders (CFD), are calling on the Willamette National Forest and the Biden Administration to cancel the proposed sale, saying it would have significant impacts on the climate, drinking water, and community safety. In a letter last year the McKenzie River Ranger District said the project was designed to...
FINN ROCK: One of the most popular boat landings on the upper McKenzie River will be getting some upgrades. Over 200 people a day have been using the Finn Rock Landing during the peak summer season. The McKenzie River Trust (MRT), which owns the landing, is working to raise grants and private donations to make infrastructure improvements to the highly used minimal boat landing. In 2015, Realty Marketing Northwest of Portland auctioned off three Finn Rock area properties owned by Rosboro Forest...
The Willamette and Mt. Hood National Forests are seeking volunteers to serve as members of the Hood-Willamette Resource Advisory Committee (RAC). Applications are accepted year-round, but to be considered for next year, applications must be submitted by September 1st. Officials say RAC members can have a direct impact on where and how millions of federal dollars are spent over the next three years. The funds are meant for improvements to local infrastructure, creating local jobs, enhancing tourism opportunities, and restoring ecosystems - both...
WALTERVILLE: A small school proponent has been picked as principal of the Walterville Elementary School. Andy Price, who attended Mohawk Elementary while growing up, says his own experiences while going to a small school, "means a lot to me." Parts of his recollections include events that drew students and community members to a rural campus - like school carnivals or sock hops. But it was the close interactions inside classrooms he values most. "I was a struggling learner and my teachers cared...
BLUE RIVER: Bob Keefer had some good news when he met with the Blue River Park Board this month - Lane County is willing to chip in and help kickstart rebuilding efforts at the fire-damaged recreational resource. “It was devastating what happened with the fire but there are opportunities there,” he said. Keefer has spent his life managing a wide range of public resources. He’s the former director of Lane County Parks and later was the supervisor of the Willamalane Parks and Recreation District in Springfield. Now a member of the Special Distr...
EUGENE: With a four-to-one vote the Lane County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved placing a recreation referendum on this November's general election ballot. The measure is based on the 2018 Lane County Parks & Open Space Master Plan, which staff said has a core goal to "re-invigorate and revitalize targeted parks as thriving, family-friendly outdoor activity hubs through redesign, renovation, and programming to help position Lane County as the best county for outdoor recreation and...
BLUE RIVER: The delayed election of board members for McKenzie Valley Wellness (MVW) will be held on August 30th. Ballot counting that had been planned for the non-profit’s regularly scheduled annual meeting on May 3rd was delayed while changes to the membership section of the organization's bylaws were updated. Four incumbents are now on the new ballots: Jane Wilson, Val Rapp, Kelly Shaw, and Josh Cloke. The names of two people who had announced they would be running as write-in candidates will be listed on the ballots as well. In his a...
EUGENE: The Triple Bottom Line (TBL) financial analysis report delivered to the Eugene Water & Electric Board last week was based on social, economic, and environmental factors. The TBL is focused on what the future could hold for the mothballed Leaburg hydroelectric project. After weighing the potential the utility's staff offered four options. Decommissioning the facility and returning the area to conditions before it was built could come at a projected cost of $250 million, Mark Zinniker,...
By Tuesday, the Cedar Creek Fire near Oakridge had continued to grow. US Forest Service officials reported it was active on over 3,234 acres near Spirit Lake and on the southwestern flank. Fire growth has been minimal on the eastern flank of the fire due to more wet soil conditions and a change in fuel type from dense timber to more sparse conifer forests and meadows. One water scooper and four helicopters were working to moderate the fire using Hills Creek Lake as a water source. The fire also...
Drownings and boating-related deaths needlessly continue claiming lives in Oregon, recently fueled by a heat wave, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Oregon State Marine Board (OSMB) reported 19 boating-related fatalities in 2021 and the Oregon Health Authority recorded 57 drownings in natural waters in 2020, which is a 160% increase from 2019 (35 drownings). Life jackets may have prevented many of these deaths. "Heat waves can exacerbate drownings and accidents," said Tom...
Fire danger levels on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry Western Lane District and South Cascade District will be increased to “high” (yellow) last Saturday, August 6th. The escalation came on the heel of recent lightning strikes that caused numerous fires across the Cascades in portions of Lane, Douglas, Deschutes, and Klamath counties. With high temperatures and low relative humidity forecasted, the restrictions are designed to reduce the risk of human-caused fires. The restrictions affect the public use of power-driven equ...
The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (ODFR) has determined that certain property and casualty insurers should extend timelines for policyholders who suffered losses during the 2020 wildfire season and who have been unable to rebuild or replace property due to circumstances outside their control. The determination applies to property and casualty insurers who write homeowners policies that specifically contain a time limit of less than three years for rebuilding a home, replacing contents, or both. The ODFR bulletin outlines the...
WALTERVILLE: Masons have been busy recently laying blocks and mortar in a downriver filbert field. The design involves a double-sided 20 ft. wide by 15 ft. tall structure that was designed for highway traveler readability. Property owner Joel Clements says he was happy to donate a spot on his family's 30 acres of filberts for the installation. The Clements previously allowed the McKenzie River Chamber of Commerce to place one of the community locater signs there as well. "It just felt like the...
The Willamette National Forest is restoring access to fire-affected areas. The Willamette National Forest has reopened its ranger stations and Supervisor’s Office to in-person business from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. For the past two years, services were offered only online and via mail due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the Forest has lifted and reduced fire closures, increasing access to more than 188,641 acres of Forest Service land previously in fire closure a...
When in drought, fish and wildlife are stressed out. Officials are reminding the public that ongoing drought conditions can take a toll on Oregon’s fish and wildlife. While some parts of the state benefitted from a wet spring and early summer, areas still remain in significant drought (including southeast Oregon and parts of southwest, central and northeast Oregon). The extreme temperatures and heat this week, officials say, will exacerbate drought conditions. During a drought, fish like Oregon...
Due to the increased risk of wildfires in the region, Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) closed its Oregon forestlands to public access, last Friday, July 29th. Officials said the decision to close the lands was based on several risk factors including increasing weather temperature, excess dry vegetation, low moisture levels, and long-range weather forecasts. “Oregon’s wet spring followed by the warm summer has led to an over-abundance of vegetation that has dried out and makes our forests more susceptible to wildfire,” said Courtney Gries...
Oregonians will have the chance to decide in November whether the state should ban large ammunition magazines and require licenses for all gun owners, the Secretary of State’s Office confirmed. Backers of Initiative Petition 17 submitted more than 160,000 signatures from Oregon voters who supported the proposed law earlier this month. State election officials on Monday confirmed that the proposal will appear on ballots in November. The news follows a June survey from the nonpartisan Oregon V...
Reopening the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) from the Mount Jefferson Wilderness through the Olallie Lake Scenic Area could be delayed until "sometime late August or early September," according to the U.S. Forest Service. Access to 170,000 acres was closed to the public following the Lionshead and Beachie fires of Labor Day 2020. The affected area includes Pamelia Lake) to around Triangle Lake. "There are some safety concerns around damaged and missing tread along steep sections of the trail,"...
Oregon Capital Chronicle Plans for commercial logging of old-growth forests on federal lands have moved forward this year, despite an executive order signed on Earth Day by President Joe Biden, according to a report from environmental groups. The old-growth woodlands are particularly useful in fighting climate change by absorbing carbon, a goal for the Biden administration. The Climate Forests Coalition, a group of dozens of environmental organizations including Environment America, the...
Fire wise means preparing your home or business to make it as safe from catching fire as possible. As we move into fire season, being fire wise could mean the difference between saving or losing your home when a fire strikes. One thing you should know is what kind of fuel surrounds your home. That will determine how fast and how hot an approaching fire may be. McKenzie Valley areas unaffected by the 2020 Holiday Farm (and most of the valley before the fire) were forested areas with heavy fuel that is harder to ignite and slower to burn. Most...
Organizers of the Vida Mc-Kenzie Community Center's July 14th Flea Market wish to thank everyone who visited or participated as a vendor. "There was a steady stream of customers and lots of smiling faces.," says VMCC vice president Gerry Aster. "The snack bar was busy and did not disappoint. VMCC's goal of $1,500 was met and it is time to move on to the next fundraising event." So what's next? Butter Braids! What are Butter Braids? Aster describes them as, "A delicious, high quality, convenient...
Wildfire preparedness has generated a focus on preparing, protecting, and planning for public utilities as they developed a response to Oregon legislation passed after recent horrendous fire seasons. Both the Eugene Water & Electric Board and the Lane Electric Cooperative are reaching out to the public to familiarize people with what they’ve developed. EWEB says its mitigation activities are designed to protect public safety, reduce risk to utility customers and promote electrical system resilience to wildfire damage. Earlier this year, the u...
FINN ROCK: Three upgrade projects were put into motion the week after McKenzie Community Schools classes let out on June 20th. Scheduled to run through the summer and fall, the work is being done by Chambers Construction of Eugene. Some of the most extensive work involves the “Old Gym.” Work on the structure was made possible by the Seismic Rehabilitation Grant Program through Business Oregon, a consortium of public agencies within the state. The school district was awarded $2.3 million dol...
In June of 2011, the Antiques Roadshow crew visited Nirod for a segment on antique fishing gear at the Eagle Rock Lodge. The History Channel’s American Pickers show is now scouting places to film episodes of the series in Oregon. The documentary series explores the world of antique “picking” by following skilled professionals who hunt for America’s most valuable antiques. The show’s producers say they are always excited to find sizeable, unique collections and learn the interesting stories b...
