2A ❚ WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2018 ❚ APPEAL TRIBUNE
Drought
Continued from Page 1A
drologist.
This winter follows a pattern that’s
become familiar during Oregon’s recent
winters, with plenty of rain but limited
snow due to warm temperatures.
This year, for example, Oregon has
gotten 88 percent of normal precipita-
tion but 40 percent of normal snow, da-
ta shows.
The same trend — except more strik-
ing — was present during 2015 and 2014.
Dello says that trend is characteristic
of what climate scientists have project-
ed for Oregon’s future.
There will still be years with normal
or big snowpack — such as 2016 and ’17
— but years with well-below average
snowpack will be more common, she
said.
“There’s certainly variability from
year to year,” Dello said. “Last year was a
big snow year. But years like 2015 and
now 2018 are becoming more likely.”
Salem fall / winter temperatures
Average high: 54.2
Average low: 41.3
Average temp: 47.7
Normal average temp: 44.8
Takeaway: 2.2 degrees warmer than
normal
December
Average high: 47.2
Average low: 32.0
Average temp: 39.6
Normal average temp: 40.1
Takeaway: 0.5 cooler than normal
January
Average high: 52.1
Average low: 39.4
Average temp: 45.7
Normal average temp: 41.2
Takeaway: 4.5 degrees warmer than
normal
Source: National Weather Service
Oregon’s statewide snowpack and
precipitation, compared to
normal, on Feb. 8
SWE Precip.
2018 40% 88%
2017 131% 121%
2016 120% 117%
2015 27% 104%
2014 46% 57%
Natural Resources Conservation Ser-
vice
Wildfires
Which parks saw a big increase
and set records?
Continued from Page 1A
The biggest increase in visitation was
at the northern Oregon Coast.
State parks on the coast had 29.5 mil-
lion visits, up from 28.6 million a year
ago and as low as 21 million in 2011.
Two parks where visits went through
the roof in 2017 were Tolovana Beach
State Recreation Site, near Cannon
Beach, and Heceta Head Lighthouse
State Scenic Viewpoint, near Florence.
Tolovana jumped to 1.1 million visits
in 2017, almost doubling the 2016 total of
644,000. Heceta Head was even more
striking, hitting 1 million visits after see-
ing just 215,000 a year ago.
- The most popular park on the Ore-
gon Coast was Newport's Yaquina Bay
State Recreation Site, at almost 1.7 mil-
lion visits.
2016 record of 756,344. The 2017 num-
ber was still the second-highest in his-
tory, even though the park was sur-
rounded by two wildfires in the summer.
Places where fire wasn't an immedi-
ate threat did set attendance records,
including Eastern Oregon and especial-
ly the northern Oregon Coast, numbers
show.
Havel said smoke in the valley and
fire in the mountains pushed many peo-
ple onto the northern and central coast.
"There were a few places that just
went through the roof," Havel said. "Our
staff love serving our visitors, but it
takes a toll."
Potluck
Continued from Page 1A
are informal, usually in a member’s
home; there is no agenda and it's geared
toward progressives who want to chat
and share ideas. Meet-ups generally
draw between 20 and 40 folks, and the
group’s email feed is delivered to around
150.
Mayou gave information about a spe-
cial gathering, “Inspiring Silverton,”
which will be a potluck at 6 p.m. Friday,
Feb. 16, at Silverton Grange, 201 Division
St., which is just off Water Street on the
southeast edge of town.
Sustainable
Continued from Page 1A
increased drought, increased forest
fires — these will impact our communi-
ty.
“But on the other hand, we also have
the ability to reduce our emissions and
increase our town’s resiliency,” she add-
ed. “This opportunity has never been
more in reach than it is today. The cost
of clean energy has fallen quickly, and
distributed energy systems are on the
horizon.”
Brown said the group would like the
study to be seen as a partnership with
Mount Jefferson rises above the North Santiam River. ZACH URNESS / STATESMAN
JOURNAL
- Oregon's most popular camping
spot remained Fort Stevens State Park
at 257,000 camper nights.
Two national monuments in Oregon
broke attendance records. Lewis and
Clark National Historic Park hit 293,000
visits (up from 282,000 in 2016) while
John Day Fossil Beds National Monu-
ment reached 215,000, up from as little
as 130,925 in 2009.
Which parks saw a major decline?
The parks that saw the biggest de-
cline, not surprisingly, were those
closed by the Eagle Creek Fire in the
Gorge.
Crown Point State Scenic Corridor
(home of Vista House) dropped to
580,000 visits, from almost 800,000
the year before. Rooster Rock, Guy Tal-
bot and Bridal Veil also saw declines fol-
See NUMBERS, Page 4A
The program includes seven speak-
ers who will begin presenting at 6:45
p.m., each sharing personal thoughts
and information about their affiliated
organizations. Grange members and the
public are invited.
The event announcement encour-
ages people to bring a dish, their own
silverware and plates and reminds all
that the grange does not allow alcohol.
Slated speakers and topics are as fol-
lows: Dana Smith, Building Communi-
ty; Esther Nelson, Safety Compass; Ja-
mie Fuhrman, Silverton Soup Ladies
and Salem Harvest Gleaners; Matt
Plummer, County Government, filling
the gaps; Michel Stone Finicle, Silver-
ton Opportunity; Rob Sisk, Silverton
People for Peace; Sarah White, Silver-
ton Warming Center.
Contact
Silverton
Progressives
through
Facebook:
www.face
book.com/SilvertonProgressives,
or
email
silvertonprogressives@gmail.com.
Next chat
Meet the brokers
Christy Marsing Barber, Joshua
Gorrell and Joshua Barber invite any-
one interested to stop by Silverton Wine
Bar & Bistro, 101 N Water St, Silverton,
between 5 and 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23, to
"Meet the Brokers."
Have mortgage questions? Dara
Moody and Gretchen Russell of Mort-
Questions and information: Contact
Justin Much, jmuch@StatesmanJour-
nal.com; cell 503-508-8157; or follow at
twitter.com/justinmuch
gage Solutions will be on hand to answer
any lending questions.
The casual event includes a no-host
bar, appetizers and prizes.
the city and that the city would consider
the results and recommendations once
the study is completed.
Baldwin said the group has met with
organizers of a similar undertaking in
Hood River and has access to study tem-
plates and tips from that endeavor
which will serve to accelerate Silver-
ton’s.
Sustainable Silverton described it-
self as a citizens' committee formed in
2014 in response to the “Envision 2035”
process, which was formed in the fall of
2015 as a visioning guide to the city’s
strategic long-range planning. The
group offered to take charge in imple-
menting the energy study and reporting
its findings to the council by June 1,
2018.
The council directed city staff to pre-
pare a proposal that conveys the panel's
support for the concept.
City Councilor Matt Plummer ap-
plauded the group for promptly prepar-
ing its study proposal, the idea for which
initially emerged last fall, and making
productive use of the Hood River experi-
ence in that preparation. Plummer ac-
knowledged that he is an advocate of
the group.
“I certainly support this and hope the
rest of the council makes it a priority,”
Plummer said.
The councilor also offered to serve as
a liaison between the group and the city.
Several other councilors indicated
they were favorable, including Jim
Sears who described it as a nexus be-
tween what the city’s Environmental
Impact Committee is tasked with.
Councilor Laurie Carter said she was be-
hind the idea “100 percent,” adding that
she would be interested to see how geo-
thermal energy options could fit into the
equation.
The Sustainable Silverton platform
noted: “The first step in this process will
be to analyze current uses of energy,
compare Silverton with other cities do-
ing similar work, and identify bench-
marks for improvement.”
jmuch@StatesmanJournal.com or
cell 503-508-8157 or follow at twit-
ter.com/justinmuch
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lowing months-long closures.
Detroit Lake State Park, expected to
see major increases because of its loca-
tion in the center of the eclipse path of
totality, saw a decline in day use visits
but a small increase in camping nights.
Detroit was near the 11,000-acre White-
water Fire, which burned much of the
summer and fouled the air.
One surprise was that Harris Beach
State Park, just a few miles from the
Chetco Bar Fire, the state's largest of the
season, saw numbers close to normal.
Part of that could be because the park
was converted into a shelter for people
displaced by the fire, Havel said.
A final reason for the overall decline
in numbers at state parks is that Maples
Rest Area was transferred to manage-
ment by the Oregon Department of
President
Ryan Kedzierski
503-399-6648
rkedzierski@gannett.com
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Terri McArthur
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