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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2005)
NOTICES Tree Walks Highlight Value of Trees Arbor Week, a celebration of the value and importance of trees, is ap proaching, and many Oregonians will have a chance on April 3 to learn firsthand about the trees in their own communities. At 2 p.m. on April 3, nearly 30 simultaneous “tree walks” are planned in cities, gardens, arbo reta, forests, and parks across the state as a kick off to Arbor Week 2005. These informational tours are free and open to the public. They generally will last an hour to an hour and a half, and will involve easy walking. Tree walks are sched uled to take place in Al bany. Ashland, Beaver creek. Benton County, Cannon Beach. Clackamas County, Cot tage Grove, Echo, Eugene, Forest Grove, Klamath Falls, La Grande, Portland, Roseburg, Salem, Silverton, Silver Falls State Park, Shore Acres State Park, Tillamook County, Tillamook State For est, and Wilsonville. Public agencies, non-profit groups, and local chapters of the Society of American Foresters are among the orga nizers of the local tree walks. “Trees are part of our culture here in Oregon, where we have some of the most productive forestland in the world, says Paul Ries, who manages the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Urban and Community Forestry Pro gram. “The tree walks are a great opportunity to learn more about the trees in your community, and to find out how trees make our lives better.” Trees and forests en hance quality of life in many ways, including by providing wildlife habitat, shade, wood and other products, and clean, healthy streams, Ries said. The Oregon Legisla ture has designated the first full week of April as Arbor Week, expanding on a na tional Arbor Day tradition of honoring the contributions of trees. To learn more about Arbor Week, visit www.arborday.org/Zoregon/ . More information on the April 3 tree walks, including a current list of sched uled walks, can be found at www. oregoncommunitytrees.org. 2005 Guide to Oregon’s Retail Nurseries Available Gardeners in search of quality plants The wider state-view map still in and gardening supplies - and helpful, cludes general listings of garden centers, professional, and knowledgeable advice all of which are members of the Oregon - will want to get the fourth edition of Association of Nurseries (OAN). OAN, the Guide to Oregon’s Retail Nurseries. a non-profit trade association represent The free guide features 200 retail gar den centers throughout Oregon and south ing the state’s nursery industry, produces the guide. west Washington, as well as 17 public gardens in Oregon. As with past editions, the 2005 guide provides names, addresses, and contact information for each retail operation, sorted alphabetically by city. Each list More than 11,000 guides were handed out during OAN's Yard, Garden, & Patio Show last month. Copies are available at the Oregon Garden in Silverton, at agricultural events such as ing has a designated number that corre Salem's AgFest in April, at OAN retail sponds to a plot on the guide's map. garden centers, and through the OAN of fice. Realtors and chambers of New this year is an alpha commerce also are distribut betical cross-reference of all ing guides. the centers. So if a friend recommends a nursery but Anyone wishing to is not sure where it's lo receive a free guide can cated. use the alpha list send a request to OAN ing to find the retailer's “Retail Guide,” 29751 city and map number that S.W. Town Center Loop you can use to look up the W., address or phone number in the by-city listing. It's easy! Even the mapping has improved. A blown-up view of the Portland metropoli Wilsonville, OR 97070, or send an e-mail to info@oan.org with "Retail Guide” in the subject line. Please include a name and tan area features pinpoint locations of re address with mail or e-mail requests. A tail nurseries. guide will arrive by mail. 10 • Siletz News • April 2005 State Launches Prescription Drug Discount Program Low-Income Oregonians to See Discounts of 15-55 Percent SALEM, Ore. - In March, state offi cials launched the Oregon Prescription Drug Program, which gives low- income, uninsured Oregonians the opportunity to participate in a prescription drug purchas ing pool. Once enrolled in the pool, members can receive discounts on prescription drugs not generally available to the uninsured. State Sen. Bill Morrisette was the chief sponsor of the 2003 bill that estab lished the program. “The high cost of prescrip tion drugs is creating such an extraordi nary financial burden for Oregonians - especially se niors - that some are cutting up their pills to make them go farther. In the worst cases, others are forced to choose between food and medicine,” said Morrisette (D-Springfield). According to Bruce Goldberg of the Oregon Health Policy & Research office, more than 1,000 Oregonians already have registered for OPDP. They could receive discounts of up to 55 percent and the pro gram is expected to save Oregonians $2.3 million this year. The program also allows government agencies, including cities and counties, to participate - a move that will help them save money. Morrisette said that a 2003 survey found that Americans without prescrip tion drug coverage pay 72 percent more on average for the 10 most commonly prescribed medications than the federal government does. The program is funded with receipts from a state settlement with Merck/Medco. Support for program growth will come from a grant strategy under devel opment by OPDP. Pharmacies around the state are participating, including most of the large chains. To qualify, applicants must be at least 55 years old. have income at no more than 185 percent of the federal poverty level, and have had no private insurance in the previous six months. Morrisette and other Democrats in the Senate already are working to expand the program. The Senate Human Services Committee, which Morrisette chairs, al ready has held a hearing on two expan sion bills. Anyone interested in applying for the program should call 1-866-544-5360 or go to the OPDP Web site at www.opdp.org. An application form is available on the Web site. Farm Loans Available for Women and Minorities PORTLAND, Ore. - The USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) offers farm loans to help qualified women and mi norities buy and operate family-sized farms and ranches. FSA reserves a portion of its loan and loan guarantee funds each year to assist socially disadvantaged applicants "Both targeted and non-targeted loan funds can be used to help members of socially disadvantaged groups buy and operate farms,” said Larry Frey, FSA's Oregon state executive director. Frey said that socially disadvantaged groups are those whose members have been subjected to racial, ethnic, or gen der prejudice because of their identity as members of the group without regard to their individual qualities. For the purposes of FSA's loan pro grams, socially disadvantaged groups are women. American Indians, Alaska Na tives, African Americans. Hispanics, and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders. "There are growing concerns over the future of agriculture,” Frey said. "Having access to available targeted and non targeted funds will help assure that women and minorities have an opportunity to own and operate farms and ranches.” FSA's loan and loan guarantee funds are available to individuals and entities that are primarily and directly engaged in farming and ranching on family-sized operations. Farm ownership loan funds are available to help qualified socially dis advantaged persons purchase a farm or ranch. To qualify, the applicant must have participated in the business operation of a farm or ranch for at least three years. For those applicants who have at least one year’s experience in managing or op erating a farm or ranch, operating loan funds are available to help with purchas ing livestock, machinery, and equipment, as well as with annual procedure expenses. During fiscal year 2004, FSA made 56 loans and loan agreements to women and minorities in Oregon, totaling nearly $4 million. So far during fiscal year 2005, 20 loans and loan agreements have been made to women and minorities in Oregon, totaling almost $2 million. People who would like to learn more about FSA's programs of assistance to women and minorities are urged to con tact their nearest USDA service center. These are listed in telephone directories under “United States Government, De partment of Agriculture.” Further information also is available on the Oregon State FSA Web site at www.fsa.usda/or/.
