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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 11, 2017)
Wednesday, October 11, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon WALDEN: Congressman talked about fire’s impact on community Continued from page 1 companies eager to buy the timber, which includes large ponderosa pines. At this time, the Forest Service can legally remove hazard trees from fire areas along highways immediately following the fire’s contain- ment. However, removal of any of the rest of the burned timber requires time-consum- ing environmental assess- ments, which can take several years if there are appeals, leaving the timber to degrade and become salvageable only for firewood. Because the Forest Service could conduct rapid post-fire recovery efforts along 242, they were able to complete work prior to the onset of winter. Had that not occurred, 242 would not have opened to the public next spring. Walden would like to see legislation passed to change the wilderness regulations. Due to environmental protec- tion regulations, any burned timber in the wilderness can- not be removed, leaving dead trees to conceivably fuel future fires. Chris Wilder of Sisters Log Furniture, and president of the Chamber of Commerce Board, said, “There is value in the timber burned in the wilderness,” but not if it can’t be harvested. The general consensus around the table Sunday afternoon was more “com- monsense” regulations could help reduce fire danger from unharvested fuels by allowing the cutting of fire-damaged timber in both wilderness and non-wilderness areas in a more timely fashion, before the timber losses its value as marketable lumber. Walden reported there is a proposed bill in the House that would reduce the amount of time it takes for the Forest Service to harvest fire-dam- aged timber, and it doesn’t eliminate environmental safeguards. When asked if he supports the Senate bill introduced by Oregon Senator Ron Wyden (D) and four other western senators, called the Wildfire Mitigation Assistance Act, he responded, “Yes.” The act would provide resources to assist communities recover- ing from damaging wildfires. However, Walden con- tended, “You can’t buy your way out.” He believes there need to be changes to the policies governing the management of the nation’s forests, call- ing for more active thinning in order to reduce fuel loads that feed the fires in the first place. He pointed out that in Eastern Oregon, healthy pon- derosa forests should have 20 trees per acre, but due to fire suppression and reduction in logging, there are now 1,000 ponderosas per acre. On the tour of the Milli Fire, Walden said he was told by Forest Service person- nel, “If I could just do what I am trained to do,” such as increased post-fire salvage, the risk of catastrophic forest fires could be reduced. 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Our menu is made from scratch, every day. . We have AMAZING specialty salads, too: Cobb, Mandarin Chicken, Steak, Caesar and Quinoa. Our soup of the day changes every day. Breakfast & lunch any time! Tues.-Sun. 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. 541-549-6562 • 473 E. Hood Ave. www.lamagiecafe.com Breakfast • Lunch • Bakery on surrounding communities from carbon emissions and particulates in the air, and damage to local watersheds impacting drinking and irri- gation water. Walden told the attend- ees the CDC and EPA are doing a study on the differ- ence between smoke from forest fires and smoke from prescribed burns. Prescribed burns can be scheduled when wind and air condi- tions are favorable for reduc- ing the impact of the smoke. Forest fire smoke tends to be denser and, of course, can’t be scheduled for favorable See WALDEN on page 25 Hall oween Party Fudge! We’ve got fun Halloween fl avors that will be the hit of your Halloween Party. And 21 other delectable fl avors of fudge too! 541-549-8591 | 150 W. Cascade Ave. PAID ADVERTISEMENT Communicating with Your Siblings About Money and Aging Parents stonelodgeretirement.com The Garden Angel Vegan & Gluten-free Options Available 55 and over 46-48 percent has to cover all other programs of the Forest Service, including preventive measures. Roger White, owner of the Camp Sherman Store, queried Walden on the cost of preven- tive maintenance of the forest versus the cost to fight a fire. Walden said it depends on the land but generally it cost $3,000 an acre to thin and four to five times that amount to fight a fire. Besides the obvious pub- lic safety concerns and value of the property at risk that go into prioritizing fires for asset allocation, Walden would like to see additional consider- ations such as health impacts 23 Many adult children are called upon to help their aging parents as life changes set in, yet only 65 percent of siblings report talking about money with one another, according to research by Ameriprise Financial. While only 15 percent of siblings have confl icts over money, when siblings do spar over fi nances, it’s usually about their parents’ situation. Financial conversations between siblings become inevitable, as brothers and sisters manage their parents’ money matters, including estate planning, healthcare, retirement income and wills. In the event that you have shared responsibilities with your siblings down the road, it’s important to make sure your family is on the same page. Here are some tips to help you and your siblings have civil conversations about money- related family matters. Set aside your differences. When your parents need help, don’t waste your time re-hashing old family feuds. Keep yourself in check if you are tempted to fall into old patterns of behavior that may alienate grown-up siblings. You may not be able to control how your siblings behave, but you can control your own actions. Determine key priorities. You’ll accomplish more – and potentially spar less – when everyone is committed to common goals. Assess what fi nancial matters you and your siblings will need to manage together. If your parents’ safety is a primary concern, fi nd agreement about the support and services they need to remain safely in the family home. If it’s time for your parents to move to an assisted living facility, put your energy into seeking a solution. Schedule time to talk. Schedule regular check-ins with your siblings to discuss pressing topics related to your parents’ care, including how fi nances are being managed. Frequent conversations can help diminish anxiety and improve collaboration. Ongoing dialogue will help prevent misunderstandings from blowing up into full-fl edged battles and help keep your parents’ best interest top-of-mind. Divide and conquer. It’s important to set responsibilities, with the understanding that each sibling may be able to contribute different amounts of time, money and expertise. Be forthright about what you can reasonably handle and open to taking on more tasks if you have the capacity. Keep in mind that responsibilities may shift over time, as circumstances change for you and your siblings. Be open to advice. Bringing outside sources into your inner circle can help provide unbiased guidance as you enter this new phase of life. Your parents’ tax preparer, fi nancial planner and other trusted advisors could provide an important bridge to understanding their current fi nancial situation. Once you’re ready to plan the next steps for your family, consider working with a single fi nancial advisor. This approach allows the advisor to help you create a comprehensive plan that addresses everyone’s needs and concerns. Money conversations can be emotional and hard to initiate, but keep in mind that there are benefi ts to having open communication. Families who are willing to tackle money-related topics are often more confi dent about their ability to handle fi nancial challenges and work toward their goals. Mark Greaney is a Financial Advisor with PacWest Wealth Partners, an advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, 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 Avenue, Bend, OR. Ameriprise Financial and its affi liates do not offer tax or legal advice. Consumers should consult with their tax advisor or attorney regarding their specifi c situation. Investment advisory products and services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., a registered investment adviser. Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC. © 2016 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.
