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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 2021)
Community October 21 2021 New CZ Trail Signage continued from front page The CZ Trail in Vernonia now travels from Anderson Park, across Rock Creek, traveling behind the sewer lagoons along what Vernonians know as Webb Way, to Vernonia Lake. The trail remains incomplete, with 0.7 miles between Vernonia Lake and the Holce Trailhead sharing the road to cross the Green Bridge, along Mist Drive/Highway 47, to Knott Street. The Anderson Park Trailhead features a historical interpretive sign, along with a business direc- tory and map to help visitors find local services. The signage at the Holce and Anderson Park trailheads, along with street signs to help direct visitors to the parking ar- eas, was installed by Columbia County workers and was funded through the Columbia Economic Team, Columbia County, the City of Vernonia, and Travel Oregon. Volunteer Dale Latham worked closely with the City of Vernonia to develop the signage at the An- derson Park Trailhead. New Carving at Spencer Park The salmon that was carved into a large stump at Spencer Park, has finally been joined by a protagonist. The City hired Carvin’ Marvin Howard, a local accomplished wood carver, to add an angler to the remain- Our Friend the Douglas-fir continued from page 8 The Douglas-fir has played an important part in American history and continues to be an economic driver, most notably in the timber industry. It makes up the largest share of the annual timber harvest in the United States, and makes excellent dimensional lumber due to its straight growth and grain, and lack of knots; as the trees grow taller in denser forest, they lose their lower branches so the foliage may not start until much higher off the ground. They make up over 50 percent of the Christ- mas trees sold each year in the United States. In addition to its distinct place in logging culture, the Douglas-fir pro- vided railroad ties and telephone/tele- graph poles, important resources dur- ing the early settling of the American West. It was used during World War II, with GI’s footlockers constructed from its lumber. It holds another significant dis- tinction in American history – in 1925, when the naval ship the USS Consti- tution, known as “Old Ironsides,” was being restored Douglas-fir was used to construct the masts. Closer to home, in 2009 the ship was redecked with old growth Douglas-fir that had blown down on a tree farm near Scio and was The crew from Gwin & Sons Logging salvage harvested an old growth Doug-fir that was used to redeck the USS Constitution in 2009. VNC 503-429-9333 Recreational & Medical Marijuana Dispensary Serving the Community Featuring: • Edibles • Concentrates • CBD Oils, Topicals, & Tinctures • Flower Grams & Pre-rolled Joints Vernonia’s Natural Choice Open 7 days 9am - 9pm 736 Bridge Street, Suite 1 9 salvage harvested by Gwin & Sons Log- ging, a Vernonia based outfit. Known as fast growing in both the diverse wet and dry climates that make up the Pacific Northwest region, the Douglas-fir is known as being some- what drought tolerant, although that may be changing. According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture study from 2015, the genetic differences in each individual Douglas-fir allow them to adapt to their local environment. Cur- ing stump at the park where it faces Bridge Street. In a creative twist, the new carving is a man with a fishing pole sitting on the stump with his dog and appears to have hooked the previ- ously carved fish. rent climate models are calling for the Pacific Northwest to experience lon- ger and dryer summers, along with less winter snowpack over the next 50 years. Researchers in the study from the U.S. Forest Service studied 35 dif- ferent populations of Douglas-fir and found, not surprisingly, that those al- ready growing in warmer and drier cli- mates were better adapted to withstand predicted climate changes in the re- gion. Those populations will likely be more often selected as a seed source for their drought-tolerant properties by tree growers in the coming years. There are many reasons to ap- preciate our neighbor, the Douglas-fir. It provides habitat and food for wildlife and it grows quickly and is a great re- source with many uses when harvested. And its tall and straight bearing cer- tainly give it a majestic appearance that can be appreciated all on its own. Time spent in a forest can be relaxing, reju- venating, and reflective. Maybe we can just enjoy our Douglas-fir as we would with any other neighbor or friend, for the company they provide. As famous naturalist John Muir once said, “Going to the woods is going home.” New Day Massage and Bodyworks #10732 Supports getting the COVID-19 Vaccination Mist-Birkenfeld RFPD is still offering COVID-19 vaccinations. Call them at (503) 755-2710 for an appointment. 3 rd shot boosters are now available for specific vulnerable populations.
