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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 17, 2016)
8 Wednesday, August 17, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Tales from a Sisters Naturalist by Jim Anderson The warning bell is ringing! The warning bell is ring- ing loud and clear, Good People! Those hundreds of dead and dying yellow pine along Highway 20 from Sisters to beyond the Camp Sherman cut-off are telling us to be careful with chemicals. Is it really necessary to use chemicals to abate vegetation? According to Peter Murphy, spokesman for the Oregon Department of Transportation, ODOT, has over 18,000 miles of high- way shoulder vegetation to manage state-wide. Trying to keep vegetation from grow- ing on highway shoulders to the point of being not only a nuisance but becoming a seri- ous safety factor would be costly beyond reason without the use of herbicides. Not too many years ago knapweed along Highway 97 south of Bend was so thick on the highway shoul- ders it was moving into the adjacent forest lands at Lava Butte. ODOT took it on with gusto, using manpower and chemicals to not only halt the advance of knapweed into forest lands but to completely eradicate it — and it wasn’t easy or cheap. The use of chemicals to treat the roadside in the Sisters area didn’t end so well, and there’s yellowing and dying ponderosas to prove it. To those of us who live in fear of what the chemical- users around us are going to do next — such as killing tens of thousands of native bumblebees as the result of another chemical blunder — those dead trees are crying out to us, “Be aware and be careful!” But, ya’ know, there may be even more to the dead trees than meets the eye. Before ODOT does any- thing to or for a highway that rolls alongside U.S. Forest Service-administered lands, both outfits sit down and talk it over. Unfortunately, the chemical application that resulted in the tree-killing apparently dropped though the cracks; that is, there was a “changing of the guard” going on just about the time the project got into the dis- cussion phase. The Prineville Forest Service office usually han- dles these projects, but the person who was responsible had retired, and that person’s replacement hadn’t arrived yet. When that person did move in and dove into all that had to be done, all there was left to work out on the shoulder vegetation spray project was the label from a chemical with the name of “Perspective,” and it was given a free pass, even with these instructions on the label… Perspective’s important restrictions: • Do not apply this prod- uct in areas where the roots of desirable trees and/or shrubs may extend unless injury or loss can be tolerated. Root zone areas of desirable trees or vegetation are affected by local conditions and can extend well beyond the tree canopy. • Do not apply this product if site-specific characteris- tics and conditions exist that could contribute to movement and unintended root zone exposure to desirable trees or vegetation unless injury or loss can be tolerated. • Do not apply Perspective® Herbicide to roadsides or other non- crop areas during periods of intense rainfall, or where prevailing soils are either saturated with water or of a type through which rainfall will not readily penetrate, as this may result in off-site movement. Reading those instruc- tions would seem to awaken the interest of vegetation managers who are judging the impact on roadside veg- etation, and especially pon- derosa pine trees; according to the instructions, the chemi- cals would impact roadside trees. On top of that, roadsides see big run-offs from rain and snow, the root system of pines does spread well beyond the canopy, etc., etc. What took place was, in ret- rospect, “Murphy’s Law” in action: “If something can go wrong, it will” — and it did. Then there’s the road- side chemicals already there that will mix with any chemical(s) used to “control” or “kill” unwanted roadside vegetation. What impact do the materials coming from motor vehicles have on the product(s) used to kill road- side vegetation? What do the oils, fumes and other debris issued from tires, exhaust and other motor vehicle materials have on that chemical envi- ronment? What about all the other debris left behind trees and shrubs and along the roadside? The instructions for the use of Perspective clearly states that it cannot be mixed Dr. Thomas R. 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Today’s chemical man- ufacturers seem to have sold most of America that DuPont’s old slogan, “America is a better America through chemistry,” is gospel for today’s living. It’s up to all of us, not ODOT, Forest Service or DEQ, to keep these accidents from taking place. Please, think again before you pur- chase and use the chemical you think you need to solve a problem in your backyard; we all share the same back- yards, the land we live on, the water we drink, and the air we breath. And above all: READ THE LABEL! PAID ADVERTISEMENT 7 Variapions on Gifp-Giving For Your Spouse There are plenty od occasions that may justidy a gidt dor your spouse: birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, Valentine’s Day or just because. Over the course od your lives together, those gidts can add up to be a signifi - cant amount od money, as well as space in your home. Id you’re deeling like there are too many gidts being exchanged, discuss the dollowing ways to simplidy the giving with your spouse. Be clear and selective. Start by having a conversation with your spouse about your gidt prederences. Id you really want (or need) some- thing, whether a gidt or going out to dinner, and hate to be disappointed, say so. Or id you preder not to receive gidts, make that known as well. You also can think about reducing the number od gidts you exchange or the occasions when gidts are expected. For example, you could agree to give one gidt at each occasion or exchange cards instead. Id you like the tradi- tion od opening a gidt under the tree or receiving something special on Valentine’s Day, agree to stick with tradition — try not to go overboard. Give experiences. Experiences, such as an activity, trip or a day spent together, could be even more meaningdul than a physical gidt. Consider re-creating your fi rst date, checking an item odd your spouse’s bucket list, or making a day od doing his or her davorite activities. Give gifps plap keep giving. Consider making a donation in your spouse’s honor to a davorite nonprofi t organization or signing up dor a service project. Many organizations will allow you to tailor the project to what your spouse likes to do best id they know about the occasion in advance. Complepe your po-do lisp. Is there a task or two that your spouse wishes you took care od last week, or last year? Purchase the items needed to fi nish the basement remodel, plant the vegetable garden or organize the attic. Then dollow through on the commitment, aiming to fi nish in time dor the special occasion. Give ple gifp of pime. Does your spouse have a “guilty pleasure” they never seem to make time dor? Allow him or her to indulge in uninter- rupted time to catch up on their davorite TV show, read a magazine or book, take a nap, etc. while you take care od their responsibilities. Buy for value. You can be practical and lavish at the same time by buying gidts dor one another that have the potential to retain their value or appreciate over time. Fine jewelry, art, durniture, a collector’s item and even stock are thoughtdul gidts that are assets in their own right. Be fl exible. Prescribed gidt-giving can stunt the dun in a relationship. Leave room dor spontaneity as long as you have good intentions and sudfi cient discretionary income. Mark Greaney is a Financial Adpisor with PacWest Wealth Partners, an adpisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Serpices, Inc. in Bend, Oregon. He specializes in fee-based fi nancial planning and asset management strategies and has been in practice for 17 years. Contact Mark at www.PacWestWealthPartners.com, or call him at 541-389-0889. Mark is located at 35 NW Hawthorne Apenue, Bend, OR. Ameriprise Financial and its adfi liates do not odder tax or legal advice. Consumers should consult with their tax advisor or attorney regarding their specifi c situation. Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC. © 2015 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved. File # 1445539
