Wednesday, March 14, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Living in an era of megafires
The Milli Fire last sum-
mer burned over 24,000 acres
and had a severe impact on
residents and businesses in
Sisters Country. While it may
not feel like it outside, fire
season is on its way again.
Nationally recognized ecolo-
gist Paul Hessberg will give
a presentation on wildfire,
its natural role in our local
forests and how that role has
changed, in a presentation
on Thursday, March 22, 6:30
to 8:30 p.m. at The Belfry in
Sisters.
Local agency partners
including the Sisters-Camp
Sherman Fire District, USFS
Sisters Ranger District,
Oregon Department of
Forestry, City of Sisters,
Sisters Science Club, and
Brooks Resources are spon-
soring the free presentation.
Last year was a record fire
year with 9.1 million acres
burning in the United States.
More than 680,000 acres
burned in Oregon alone, in
at least 33 separate fires, one
of which was a megafire that
burned over 190,000 acres.
Dr. Hessburg will present to
the audience an engaging,
multimedia presentation about
wildfire. Dr. Hessburg will
Develop good habits
from garden to table
By Kym Pokorny
Oregon State University Extension Service
PHOTO BY GARY MILLER
present the multiple options
available to the Sisters com-
munity to reshape the wildfire
problem and how we can bet-
ter learn to live with fire.
Paul Hessburg, Ph.D., is a
Research Ecologist with the
Pacific Northwest Research
Station, U.S. Forest Service.
He has been studying histori-
cal and modern-era forests of
the Inland West for the last 32
years, publishing extensively
in leading national and inter-
national journals. His work
13
documents large changes in
forest conditions and how
these changes, along with
climate change, have set the
stage for large and severe
wildfires. This presenta-
tion is an outgrowth of his
research and his concerns for
the future.
No tickets are needed for
the event, which is expected
to be attended at full capac-
ity. It is recommended that
you arrive early to get a seat.
Doors open at 6 p.m.
CORVALLIS – As more
people pick up a hoe to grow
their own produce, food
safety becomes a concern.
“Most people can’t believe
that their own habits could
possibly be the source of
problems and are not aware
what habits can cause risk,”
said Jeanne Brandt, a family
and community health expert
with Oregon State University
Extension Service. “We only
hear about widespread break-
outs of food poisoning from
commercial distribution. But
what we do in the garden and
kitchen can be problematic.”
Brandt is not out to panic
gardeners. But the risk is
real, especially for chil-
dren, the elderly, the sick
and those with compromised
immune systems. Reducing
the chances of foodborne ill-
ness means changing behav-
ior, including better hygiene,
keeping animals out of the
garden and using well-rotted
compost and manures.
“People have gardened
forever and most of us live to
tell about it,” she said. “It’s a
great healthy activity. A great
way to use resources. We just
need to be mindful and think
about some of the issues.
Maybe one thing they can do
is keep the cat out of the gar-
den or scrub shovels between
dog duty and garden duty.”
Sara Runkel, a food sys-
tems coordinator with OSU
Extension’s Small Farms
program, explains that food-
borne illnesses come from the
digestive tracts of animals and
humans. She notes that once
pathogens come in contact
with produce, they’re diffi-
cult to kill, which makes good
garden practices all the more
important.
Brandt and Runkel offer
these recommendations:
• Attempt to find out how
your garden site was used
before you planted. Consider
bringing in soil or using raised
beds if you think the existing
soil has been contaminated.
• Use potable water if pos-
sible. Runkel points out that
See FOOD SAFETY on page 22
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Sisters has learned the hard way how vulnerable we
are to wildfire. It’s gut-wrenching to be evacuated in
the face of an advancing wildfire.
In the grave extreme of an approaching wildfire, you
could leave your home with the expectation to come
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long as latex paint (warranteed for five years) on exter-
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Sun FireDefense is seeking qualified contractors in
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