Make the McKenzie Connection!
Make the McKenzie Connection!
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MCKENZIE PASS: The McKenzie Highway (OR 242) is now open for the season. It opened at 8 a.m. on June 21st. The Oregon Dept. of Transportation (ODOT) advises people to contact either the Willamette or Deschutes National Forests to learn about the status of campgrounds, trailheads, and other facilities. The Old McKenzie Highway closes annually from mid-November to mid-June. The earliest opening is the third Monday in June. Some years, that date may be later, depending on weather and road...
FINN ROCK: Lane County officials came with good news but had to field a number of complaints when they spoke at a public meeting last Wednesday. On the good news front was the passage of Oregon Senate Bill 405, according to the county's planning director, Amber Bell. Sponsored by senators Prozanski and Girod, the bill applies to property owners who want to replace a "non-conforming" structure that had been destroyed in a wildfire. "What it means is if the structure was built lawfully but at...
An international field of runners will be returning to McKenzie Community Track on June 22nd at 7:30 pm PDT for an event dubbed, "the McKenzie International." Through a partnership between Portland Track and Project OVERCOME, a US Ignite-funded program, the meet will be streamed live on the portlandtrack.com website for $5.99. Net proceeds from the event will be donated to McKenzie Track and the Oregon Community Foundation, Community Rebuilding Fund, to help restore Blue River's local community...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development is launching a new program and accepting applications for grants to improve rural economic development by helping rural communities create high-wage jobs and accelerate the formation of businesses. The Rural Innovation Stronger Economy (RISE) Program is intended to help economically distressed rural communities identify and maximize local assets, support workforce development, spur job creation, and connect to regional networks and...
The McKenzie Highway (OR 242) is now open for the season. It opened at 8 a.m. on June 21. The Oregon Dept. of Transportation advises people to contact either the Willamette or Deschutes National Forests to learn about the status of campgrounds, trailheads, and other facilities. The Old McKenzie Highway closes annually from mid-November to mid-June. The earliest opening is the third Monday in June. Some years, that date may be later, depending on weather and road conditions. ODOT posts signs and...
VIDA: The Goodpasture Covered Bridge, one of the most iconic in Lane County has been fixed. During an inspection earlier this year workers discovered spots of rot in the stringers that support that the wooden roadway inside the structure. They then moved quickly to come up with a plan for repairs. The process included cutting through the deck at night to remove the rotten beams, placing and securing new supports, and replace the deck planks. "Our team worked quickly and they were able to open...
As recovery work continues from last year’s record fire season, federal land managers and fire, fuels and aviation officials in the Pacific Northwest say they are concerned, but well-prepared, for the 2021 season. The 2021 fire season is busy, already. Crews had responded to nearly 600 fires by the end of May, compared to 396 at that time last year, and 271 by the same point in 2017. Prescribed fire is increasingly important in reducing risk to natural resources and communities. During the cooler weather months, fire and fuels managers worked c...
With the recent designation as a federal 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and a grant from the Chamber of Commerce, the McKenzie Community Communications (MCC) group says it’s ready to move forward. In April the MCC took over a free access public wifi spot in Rainbow that had been established by volunteers from the Oregon Internet Response (OIR) team after the Holiday Farm Fire. “Thanks the McKenzie Chamber, we’re now planning to set up another public access site in Blue River or McKenzie Bridge,” according to MCC president Ken Engelma...
BLUE RIVER: "Today is truly a special delivery day for Blue River. And in true Oregon fashion, it doesn't happen by osmosis." With those introductory words Ron Wyden went on to congratulate both community members and the U.S. Postal Service, saying he, "Put my stamp of approval on this very special occasion." Wyden, Oregon's senior U.S. Senator, was speaking at Last Wednesday's dedication ceremony of the Blue River Post Office, which burned in 2020. Also speaking from the dais was Senator Jeff...
“I’m very thankful to the McKenzie Chamber of Commerce for approving my request for a grant to help the Indigo Cafe rise from the ashes.” Cafe owner Linda Chmiel said the $3,000 will allow her, “To begin the process of getting the Cafe up and running so that I can continue to serve this community and its visitors healthy, delicious food.” Chmiel wasn’t alone in getting good news last week as the McKenzie Chamber announced the first round of dispersing $35,000 worth of economic recovery aid. The money was part of what Lane County received vi...
Tuesday, June 15, is the final day for outdoor burning for most Lane County residents until October. The spring burning season, which runs from March 1 to June 15, will conclude as scheduled. Yard debris may not be burned during the closed season. However, removing overgrown vegetation is important work to defend against wildfires. Lane Forest Products, Rexius, or Lane County’s transfer stations and dumpsites are resources available to the community to dispose of debris. Composting and chipping are also encouraged. LRAPA has published a f...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development is accepting applications for grants from qualified nonprofits and tribes to create loan funds to help rural homeowners finance household water and septic systems. The Rural Decentralized Water Systems Grant Program does not provide funding directly to individual homeowners. Instead, qualified nonprofits and tribal lending institutions may use the grants to establish revolving loan funds that provide affordable loans to homeowners that...
COUGAR LAKE: Forest Service Road 19 (Aufderheide Drive) remains closed to thru traffic near milepost 52 due to continued safety hazards. The cliff adjacent to the road has not yet been stabilized and rocks are continuing to break loose. Please respect the closures, as it is dangerous to be near this actively shifting area - rocks as large as two feet in diameter have fallen on the road. Contractors will complete rock bolting and install a rockfall mesh to safely reopen the roadway, which is...
With more people recreating on and near area waterways, public safety agencies are cautioning people to take extra precautions when floating the river this year as debris from the Holiday Farm Fire has increased the number of river hazards. Officials recommend all water users wear life vests, don't float on uncertified floatation devices and don't float in unfamiliar waterways....
March and April of 2021 were among the driest spring months since the 1890s. Many streams are already at 25 percent of the flow that is typical for this time of year, with flows usually seen in early summer observed in April on some southern Oregon streams ODFW is bracing for a serious drought as summer arrives, with the entire state being impacted. Currently, 72 percent of the state is in severe or extreme drought status according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. "Unfortunately, we are likely...
MCKENZIE BRIDGE: In a report released this week, the National Traffic Safety Board cited a lack of pilot experience and weather conditions for contributing to an August 27, 2019, fatal airplane accident in McKenzie Bridge. Killed in the wreck was pilot, Steven Pasiack, 23, and his passenger Jake Kelley, 22. Both were from Lebanon, Oregon. Investigators determined that after flying over mountainous terrain, the pilot attempted an approach into the McKenzie Bridge Airstrip - a 2,600-foot long grass runway bordered by tall trees. Witnesses near...
For the second time in three years, a plan to clearcut over 100 acres of forest from the Thurston Hills on the edge of Springfield has been deemed illegal by a federal judge. Opponents claimed the project increased the risk of wildfire and diminished recreational values that clear-cut logging would bring to the area. "It's been such a relief to hear that the forest I think of as my backyard won't be destroyed by Seneca Jones Timber Company and the Bureau of Land Management," according Ronna...
RAINBOW: Some area families should soon be able to return to living on the river again, after losing their homes in the Holiday Farm Fire last year. In an agreement between the Federal Emergency Agency and the US Basketball academy, 17 temporary trailers will be located on the eastern portion of the academy's property. "Housing units for each household are chosen by FEMA based on the survivor family composition and needs, as well as to ensure that requirements for access or functional needs are...
Valor Family Farm and Cascade Relief Team are hosting a tree planting event this weekend, June 4 to June 6. Valor Family Farm owners Wes Ross and Jenny Stewart have over 10,000 conifer seedlings (and possibly several thousand more) that need to be planted immediately to survive. The seedlings were overstock from a nursery in Jefferson and were headed for landfill disposal until Ross decided to plant and hold them over on his farm. The seedlings will be later given to Wildfire Survivors. Ross...
New developments in recreational fishing technology – from the use of aerial drones and social media scouting reports to advances in hook design – are creating challenges for fisheries management and effective policymaking, according to a new study co-authored by the University of Massachusetts Amherst researcher Andy Danylchuk. With the opening of the spring fishing season, millions of recreational fishing aficionados across North America are dusting off their tackleboxes, fitting together thei...
EUGENE: “Although programs and practices are already in place to help prevent wildfires, the Eugene Water & Electric Board is developing a distinct Wildfire Mitigation Plan,” according to a report from the utility’s Assistant General Manager, Rod Price. During EWEB’s May 18th work session Price outlined new programs based on what California has developed for preparing for and responding to wildfires that he said should be transferable to the Pacific Northwest. “Vegetation is the biggest impact for both reliability and fire risk,” according t...
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley on Monday announced that Lane Electric Cooperative will receive a $3.72 million federal grant for repairs from the February 2019 snowstorm that left customers without power and caused severe damage to the utility's power distribution lines and systems. "Oregonians who experienced the loss of electricity in their homes and businesses for weeks on end from this winter storm remember all too well the damage this snowfall inflicted on Lane C...
FINN ROCK: A 60-acre construction zone will take shape within weeks just downstream from the old Rockabye Cabins site in Finn Rock. During the project to restore riparian habitat, water will be temporarily diverted and large amounts of earth will be moved to re-contour down-cut areas and old gravel piles. Recent social media posts have been criticized the project, hopefully, due to a misunderstanding of the water diversion according to Daniel Dietz, Conservation Director of the McKenzie River...
During a Monday night online meeting, Lane Electric Cooperative General Manager Debi Wilson said the utility is planning to put more of its lines underground to offset the impacts of natural disasters. “We’re committed to rebuilding the McKenzie community stronger than before,” Wilson said. “There are many more hazards that exist now than before the wildfire,” she noted, listing “landslides, rockslides, and flooding.” Currently, the Coop is working with a consultant to develop a rebuilding plan that will be submitted to the Federal Energ...
