october6 2016
VERNONIA’S
volume10 issue19
reflecting the spirit of our community
www.vernoniasvoice.com
UNWC Undertakes New
Watershed Restoration Project
By Scott Laird
The Upper Nehalem Watershed
Council (UNWC) has undertaken another wa-
tershed restoration project, this time on Oak
Ranch Creek.
According to UNWC Executive Di-
rector Maggie Peyton, the project includes the
creation of 14 log jams in the creek, using the
placement of large woody debris to create ex-
panded fish habitat and natural valley water
storage that helps protect against flooding.
The project is rather complex, ac-
cording to Peyton. Last summer the UNWC
replaced a culvert crossing under Apiary Road
and Columbia County also replaced a culvert
at the mouth where Oak Ranch Creek meets
the Nehalem River; both were passage barri-
ers to juvenile fish traveling upstream. Peyton
says she has been working to secure funding
to replace another crossing further upstream
either next summer or more likely in the sum-
mer of 2018 which would give fish access to
even more habitat.
The section of Oak Ranch Creek
where the project is taking place is on a two
mile section between river mile 1.5 and 3.5
along Apiary Road on timberland owned by
Weyerhaeuser and Bascom Pacific/Campbell
Global.
Oak Ranch Creek’s descent to the
Nehalem River takes it through a series of
wooded and shaded sections of this timber-
inside
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land, traversing Camp Wilkerson, part of the
Columbia County Park system, and through
a section of forest managed by the Oregon
Department of Forestry. “There is some really
great fish habitat up there because we have
intact headwater forest and some really big
beaver dam complexes,” says Peyton.
The project is important because Oak
Ranch Creek is a coho salmon bearing stream.
Culvert replacements and large woody struc-
tures placed in the stream expand the areas
salmon can travel to and thrive in. Peyton says
that when these types of
log jam projects work
correctly they create
flood plain connections
to older side channels
that still exist within
the watershed
“I consider Oak
Ranch Creek as an im-
portant refuge habitat
from the main stem of
the Nehalem, because
the main stem gets too
wild in the winter time
and it gets too hot in the
summer time,” explains
Peyton. “The juveniles can seek refuge here,
coho especially, but there are also chinook,
and steelhead and cutthroat trout who will
seek refuge in here during high water or dur-
ing the summer.”
Troy Laws, a Habitat Restoration Bi-
ologist who has worked with the Department
of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) for 30 years,
has helped with several UNWC watershed
restoration projects in the past and assisted on
the Oak Ranch Creek project. “My experi-
ence has been that since the Forest Practices
Act and the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Wa-
tersheds (Oregon Plan for short) were put in
place there has been a big push to do fish pas-
sage and habitat restoration projects, and with
the habitat we’ve reopened and the amount of
passage we’ve done, I’ve actually seen a dif-
ference in the capacity of the juveniles in the
spring and I know it’s making a difference,”
continued on page 8
Vernonia EMT
Receives Highest Honor
Oregon Emergency
Medical Services (EMS) has
many outstanding providers,
extraordinary acts and meri-
torious service that are recog-
nized every year.
On Friday evening,
September 23, at the Oregon
EMS Awards Banquet, held
at the Riverhouse on the De-
schutes & Convention Center
in Bend, Vernonia EMT Trish
Smith, was recognized as the
EMT Provider of the Year for
the State of Oregon.
Metro West Ambu-
lance (MWA) crewmember,
Larry Hornaday, was also
Trish Smith, an EMT with the
Vernonia Ambulance Association, was
named Paramedic of the Year
named Oregon EMT of the Year.
on the same evening.
Dr. Hunter Patch Ad-
cal schools, to mentor high school
ams once said, “You treat a dis- seniors completing their senior
ease, you win, you lose. You treat projects; she works with commu-
a person, I guarantee you, you’ll nity members while planning As-
win, no matter what the outcome.” sociation events and fund raising;
As EMS providers who always she participates as a volunteer for
treat people first, Trish Smith and community activities such as pa-
Larry Hornaday are an inspira- rades for St. Patrick’s Day, 4 th of
tional to all those around them.
July, September 11 th , and for the
Trish (Patricia) Smith is annual Easter Egg Hunt; EMS
a skilled, dedicated EMT who BBQ and Picnic, the Logging
joined the Vernonia Volunteer Am- Jamboree, Salmon Festival, The
bulance Association (VVAA) in Spirit of Christmas in Vernonia,
2008 as a driver assisting the crew, and community Chili Cook-off,
becoming an EMT responding to and the Toys for Joy efforts that
emergencies in 2010. Trish lives touch the lives of so many chil-
in and serves the Vernonia area as dren. Trish has built relationships
an emergency responder but also and helped foster a service cul-
responds as needed in Washington ture in the Association based on
County and the region. As a mem- caring, trust, respect, dependabil-
ber of both the VVAA and MWA, ity and honesty. Her love for her
this Vernonia resident has dedicat- family, friends, coworkers, com-
ed herself to her community and munity and her profession shines
her profession. As the Vice Presi- through in her service to all. For
dent of the Volunteer Ambulance her compassion and dedication to
Association including chairing the the patients and communities who
VVAA Social Committee, Trish is need her, Trish Smith will receive
very involved in various events. the Oregon EMT Provider of the
Trish works directly with the lo- Year for 2016.
Where Are They Now? Tim Brown
After graduating from
college, Tim Brown is
building a life focused on
family, work, and home.
By Scott Laird
Tim Brown has always been in-
dustrious and motivated. His hard work
in high school and college led him to a
career and a life he and his family can
be very proud of.
The son of Dan and Heidi
Brown, owners of Grey Dawn Gallery
in Vernonia, Tim is a 2010 graduate
of Vernonia High School. He played
trumpet in the school band and played
basketball and baseball. He was a class
officer and participated in The Ford
Family Foundation Community Lead-
ership Training program. Before his
high school graduation, Tim was
selected as a Ford Scholar, one of
only about 100 students selected
from approximately 5,000 applica-
tions each year, and was awarded a
scholarship for 90% of his unmet
college financial needs.
During his summers in
high school and during his early
college years Tim worked for KLS
Surveying in Vernonia, where he
developed an interest in survey-
ing and Geographic Information
Systems (GIS). Following his high
school graduation, Tim enrolled in
Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT)
in Klamath Falls where he majored in
Geomatics Surveying and GIS, graduat-
ing in 2015.
During one of his summers
while at OIT, he had the opportunity to
travel and work in Kodiak, Alaska do-
Tim Brown in Kodiak, Alaska in 2013.
ing surveying and also had the chance
to do some fishing, one his favorite hob-
bies.
While at OIT he met Amy Hed-
burg; they became engaged in 2013 and
were married following their graduation
in July of 2015.
continued on page 6
