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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 8, 2013)
january8 2013 VERNONIA’S reflecting the spirit of our community free volume7 issue1 Vernonia Grange to Host Film and Discussion January 19 event to feature producers of film about sustainable agriculture On Saturday, January 19, at 6:30 PM, the Vernonia Grange will host a pot- luck dinner followed by a viewing of the documentary, Coming To Ground, and a discussion led by the film’s producers who will be in attendance. Coming To Ground depicts how one farm community changed its agricul- tural future. Produced by Jean Donohue and Fred Johnson, the film chronicles the struggles of Kentucky farmers, govern- ment officials and policy makers as they move away from dependency on the global tobacco and petroleum economies to a more sustainable and sane agricul- tural economy. Kentucky’s farming and food culture has undergone a sea of change. Although small farms and farmers con- tinue to disappear, Kentucky now ranks 2 nd in the U.S. for the number of small family farms. Over the last decade there has been an explosion of crop diversity, environmental innovation, sustainable and organic farms, along with sharp growth in farmer’s markets, regional in- fra-structure and agricultural enterprise. Vernonia Grange members be- lieve that elements of this transformation may be applicable to our changing tim- ber-based economy. There is no admis- sion charge for this event but donations are welcome. Bring a hot dish, salad or dessert to participate in the potluck; bev- erages will be provided. The Vernonia Grange is located at 375 North Street. Call Julie Prohaska, Grange Master, at 503.429.7055, or Jean Donohue, 503.206.4713, for more infor- mation or visit the documentary website at www.comingtoground.org. UNWC Continues Work to Improve Watersheds By Scott Laird working to conserve and re- store the health and functions The Upper Nehalem Watershed of the watershed. Council (UNWC) has once again been UNWC recently com- busy at work in our local watersheds this pleted a “Limiting Factors past year. Maggie Peyton, who is the Analysis” (LFA)for Rock Executive Director of the UNWC, re- Creek which has led to the cently sat down with Vernonia’s Voice to identification of several new give us an update on some of the projects projects with-in that basin. the non-profit has been working on over The Limiting Factors Analy- the past year. sis identifies what limits na- The UNWC continues to work tive salmon from being able in conjunction with local state agencies to reproduce in that water- like the Oregon Department of Fish and shed. According to Peyton, Wildlife, Department of Environmen- before projects can be started tal Quality and the Oregon Watershed to improve habitat for salmon, Enhancement Board (OWEB) as well there is a need to find out what as private land owners and private con- is harming them. The LFA tractors to identify watershed restoration analysis showed what was projects and find resources to complete generally already known, yet those projects. Their goal remains the does provide more in-depth continued stewardship of the watershed hard data to guide the work Siegmund Construction removes a culvert to create better fish passage on the Pebble Creek mainline. and its resources through partnerships of the UNWC. “It’s the same on Rock Creek, but there are still areas Creek under Apiary Road and the City of with communities and landowners by things we already know, high in-stream tempera- intact in the upper watershed,” explains Vernonia to improve passage and habitat along Bear Creek. tures in the lower reaches, sedi- Peyton. The UNWC would like to ex- This year UNWC completed a ment is still a problem and the pand some areas and build up the ca- three year Rapid Bio Assessment proj- depletion of stream side forests pacity for the area to capture, store and ect that involved snorkeling through 226 and salmon habitat,” says Pey- release water and provide habitat for miles of the Upper Nehalem River, Rock ton. Historically stream salmon. The UNWC does this through Creek, Pebble Creek and other local senior stars, part 2 cleaning in Rock Creek was riparian restoration projects-by planting streams and counting the native salmon done “...with a vengeance.” trees along stream banks to provide shade and trout that live there. This project has ruth mae bell At one time it was believed and cool the water temperatures and by also created a large body of data to sup- that logs and logging debris placing large trees into the stream in cer- port the restoration work of the UNWC should be removed from the tain areas to provide cover and create and aid in field reconnaissance missions be a piece stream to allow it to flow and pools where fish and other aquatic crea- to locate potential project reaches. of the puzzle The UNWC recently finished that would allow the salmon tures can live and thrive. The UNWC also works to assure fish passage into a major restoration project on Pebble to get up stream. Later biolo- gists showed that Rock Creek historical habitat areas including replac- Creek on Weyerhaeuser property. This new manager was cleared too well and that ing culverts under roads with more fish has been an ongoing effort involving salmon habitat had been ex- friendly alternatives. Peyton says they Weyerhaeuser, ODFW and US Fish and at us bank tensively damaged. There are have identified a major culvert replace- Wildlife Service over the last couple still a few legacy areas where ment project in the upper Rock Creek years. The project involved the place- living on a lake large wood remains in the creek basin under Highway 26 and that they ment of three hundred large trees into which helps the flood plain plan to work with ODOT and ODFW to the stream to rebuild severely depleted spread out and increases “natu- design a passage solution and find fund- salmon habitat, the replacement of three culverts with two larger culverts and one ral valley storage,” a term used ing for in the future. In addition to this public road bridge to assure unconditional salmon vhs to describe natural wetlands act as natural flood control project UNWC is working in partnership passage and the planting of native tree winter sports report that areas during high water events. with the Columbia County Road Depart- species in the stream side forest to in- “Most of the natural valley ment to replace two salmon migrations crease species diversity and future large continued on page 8 storage capacity has been lost barriers along Oak Ranch inside 5 6 7 9 10
