Applegater Fall 2012 9
Tributes to Jan Perttu
A quiet warrior passes
She was indeed quiet, but sometimes she was not. Both times you had better be
on your toes or the woman would run right past you—or over you if need be. She
was a warrior in spirit for the Applegate, which for her was a perfect representation
of everything good that Oregon had to offer. She was a passionate believer in taking
action not only to protect this place in all its natural glory, but also to do things to
make it better. This was Jan Perttu.
I first met Jan back in the early days of the formation of the Applegate Partnership
and admired her incisive logic and fiery nature during the countless hours of political
wrangling it took to launch that concept and organization. Then along came Governor
(first-term) Kitzhaber and a plan that was, at that time, called the Governor’s Watershed
Enhancement Board (GWEB). This concept was to collect all state agencies into a
review process for watershed enhancement projects. It was the birth of the Oregon
Watershed Health Program and the organization of the first watershed councils.
And here is where the warrior found a great purpose and voice. The Applegate River
Watershed Council (ARWC) chose Jan as the coordinator and she immersed herself
in the work.
One of the things Jan and I shared was a love for Alpine ski racing. Both of us
had an ability to launch from a starting gate completely focused on nothing else but
to fly down that course undaunted by any fear or frustration. Jan took that warrior
passion for success and applied it to leading the effort to protect and enhance the
watersheds of the Applegate. Her spirit inspired me to do the best I could to bring
watershed projects to fruition.
ARWC quickly gained model status for the state. The key to that recognition for
excellence was our “quiet” warrior Jan. When struggling councils needed a shining
example of excellence, they looked to the Applegate. By the end of our first year, we
had implemented 186 individual riparian tree-planting projects to shade and protect
our Applegate streams, despite the fact it was considered an unachievable goal to
plant even one project site in the first year. Just a first effort for Jan! Her work for the
council and the Applegate had just begun.
Today some of those trees stand nearly 40 feet high along the waterways. Jan’s
mark upon the Applegate will live long after her passing.
Daryl Jackson
daryljackson22@gmail.com
Remembering a dear friend
of the Applegate
On June 25, 2012, when Jan Perttu passed away, the Applegate lost a dear friend
and environmental advocate.
In 1992, Jan was one of eight founding Board members of the Applegate
Partnership and Watershed Council. Because of Jan’s extensive geology training, she
was the logical candidate to become our first paid council coordinator.
Jan shepherded our first major funding program that resulted in many ecologically
significant restoration projects within the Applegate watershed. Ecological assessments
were made of every sub-watershed within the Applegate during Jan’s leadership. Jan
was a bridge builder who shaped and guided the Applegate Partnership and Watershed
Council into a model for others to follow throughout the country.
Prior to the founding of the Applegate Partnership, Jan ramrodded a group
called the Applegate Watershed Conservancy. Jan spent many sleepless nights writing
responses to environmental assessments in an attempt to change and/or improve on
federal forestland projects proposed within the Applegate Valley. Because of Jan and
other active volunteers, we can say with pride that there have not been any clear-cuts
on public lands in the Applegate for almost 15 years. The groundwork had been set
for federal agencies to eventually progress into ecological forestry, which we are now
beginning to experience with the Bureau of Land Management Pilot Joe and Pilot
Thompson projects.
Jan will be missed by family and friends, but the Applegate Watershed that she
dearly loved will particularly miss her educated, concerned, informed and smiling
leadership.
Jack Shipley
Secretary and founding Board member
Applegate Partnership and Watershed Council
541-846-6917
rockycreekfarms@apbb.net
For more tributes to Jan Perttu, see “Tall Tales from the Editor,”
page 18, and “Remembering Jan Perttu’s leadership” by
Jim Labbe, online at www.applegater.org.
Vote November 6
“I
f people let
government decide
which foods they eat and
medicines they take, their
bodies will soon be in as
sorry a state as are the
souls of those who live
under tyranny.”
—Thomas Jefferson