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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 11, 2002)
Page 8 Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, September 11, 2002 Biscuit Fire rehab … Continued from page 7 Regarding the work of the BAER team, the key word would be “emergency,” with the team meeting on Aug. 30, to begin study and make rec- ommendations regarding the rehabilitation work that must come first. The team began field work the ollowing day in Zone 1, with work concluding in that zone on Thursday, Sept. 6. The team then proceeded to the west side of the fire, where it will conduct field study and then present a report on Sept. 15 regarding its rec- ommendations. The team al- ready has requested $180,000 for replacement of the dozens of pit/vault toilets that were razed by the fire, as well as to install signage to identify ar- eas of falling rocks, trees and other hazards. The team is comprised of approximately 25 U.S. Forest Service hydrologists, bota- nists, fisheries biologists, soil scientists, and safety experts from the Rogue River, Siski- you, Deschutes and Six Rivers National forests. Jon Brazier, hydrologist for the Rogue River/Siskiyou National Forest, is leading the team. Greg Kuyumjian from the Santa Fe National Forest serving as team coordinator. Kuyumjian has BAER team experience with other large fires. He coordinated BAER teams in the Cerro Grande fire in New Mexico last year, as well as the Hay- man Fire in Colorado and the Rodeo-Chediski fire in Ari- zona during this fire season. BAER information officer Erin Connelly explained the BAER team objectives as a sort of triage, with the team looking to prescribe treatment for the burned areas, and other areas affected by the fire. In preliminary work, the team viewed satellite imagery that assessed burn severity, which is different from fire intensity in that even with high-fire intensity, burn sever- ity can be moderate or low. In a draft burn-severity map prepared on Aug. 30, the area within the fire perimeter involved in high severity was approximated at 15 percent. BAER also examines evaluated soil quality and the potential for erosion. Brazier said that quite often the case is that suppression efforts are more damaging to the land than the fire itself. Mitigation efforts that will take place for both portions of the rehabilita- tion include creating berms that will slow the flow of wa- ter. It is yet unknown when access to U.S. Forest Service lands on the west side of Hwy. 199 will again be in place for the general public. Fire offi- cials have set Bear Camp Road as a priority for public access and hope to provide some vista points for people to view the fire area. BAER also will monitor effects of the treatments that are prescribed. Monitoring everything from the introduc- tion of noxious weeds to the condition of culverts will con- tinue after the team has com- pleted its study and report. Brazier estimated that the ini- tial cost of the study will be between $300,000 and $500,000, with the cost for implementing rehabilitation as yet unknown. Kuyumjian stressed that in many cases natural processes are the best at healing the land. Especially in regard to the Kalmiopsis Wilderness, Brazier said, “The intent is that we won’t treat the wilder- ness. If the need arises, any treatment will be done with an eye for wilderness characteris- tics.” The deadline for the BAER report to be completed is Sept. 15. The completion date for work to be completed on the emergency rehabilita- tion is Nov. 1, as that repre- sents the average date of the first significant rainfall in the area. At that point, officials believe that the Biscuit Fire will at last be declared con- trolled. Fire rules still in effect due to hazardous state The 2002 fire season has been one of the worst on re- cord for Southwestern Ore- gon. Fire danger readings are higher than they ever have been, and moisture content in vegetation is at an all-time low. With approximately two months of fire season left, fire officials are reminding area residents and hunters that compliance with regulations designed to prevent fires is crucial. On state, county, private and Bureau of Land Manage- ment (BLM) lands protected by the Oregon Dept. of For- estry (ODF) in Jackson and Josephine counties, the fol- lowing activities are prohib- ited: *Outdoor burning of any kind. *Use of fireworks. *Campfires, except in im- proved campgrounds such as state and county parks. *Smoking in areas of flammable vegetation, except in enclosed vehicles on im- proved roads free of flamma- ble vegetation. *Vehicle use in areas of flammable vegetation, except on improved roads free of flammable vegetation. *Cutting, grinding, and welding of metal. *Chainsaw use. *Use of power-driven ma- chinery such as backhoes, string trimmers, chippers, etc. *Non-agricultural mowing of dry grass. On the Wild and Scenic section of the Rogue River protected by ODF and the Siskiyou National Forest from Grave Creek to the mouth of Watson Creek, the following restrictions are in effect: *Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire is prohibited except in commer- cially produced pressurized liquid or gas stoves in areas free of vegetation between the river and the high-water mark. *Smoking is prohibited except while aboard a water- craft while navigating, or at rest, on a waterway and on sand and gravel bars naturally free of flammable vegetation. *Each party of boaters must carry at least one shovel and one bucket. No closures are in effect for the Rogue River. Officials were informing all river users of possible closure between Graves Creek and Agness if the Biscuit Fire continued to move forward toward the river. For more information on road and trail closures, visit the website at http:// www.or.blm.gov/medford. In the Siskiyou and Rogue River National Forests the following activities are pro- hibited: *Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire. (Use of commer- cially produced, pressurized, liquid or gas stoves is accept- Continued on page 9 Intimate partner abuse requires intervention: state epidemic expert By MEL KOHN, M.D. From emotional abuse to murder, the effects of intimate partner violence range from subtly debilitating to lethal. *In Gresham, a 23-year- old mother of two was shot and killed in front of her chil- dren by her former boyfriend, the girls’ father. *A Salem woman and her 7-year-old daughter were al- legedly killed by her live-in boyfriend, whom police said then committed suicide. *Outside McMinneville, a father killed his wife and four children and then himself. Forty-six women during 1999 and 2000 died by homi- cide in Oregon, and of these almost 60 percent were killed by their husbands, ex- husbands, partners or ex- partners. Intimate partner violence is a major public health issue, and health-care providers have a major role in lessening its scope and severity. Intimate partner violence is characterized as a pattern of coercive behaviors that may include repeated battering and injury, psychological abuse, sexual assault, progressive social isolation, deprivation and intimidation. Depending on the scope of definition, some 25,000 to 132,000 Oregon women are subjected to intimate partner violence annually. Yet, fewer than one in four Oregon women who are victims report that they dis- cussed the abuse with their health-care providers. The prevalence of inti- mate partner violence is suffi- ciently high; and its continu- ing emergence is such that health-care providers, particu- larly those providing primary care, will encounter victims regularly. Persons in clinical settings are more likely to have experienced intimate partner violence than non- clinical populations. It is a fairly common reason why women seek medical care. Even if a woman does not disclose this information, it is an opportunity for health-care providers to ask questions. Often just listening, acknowl- edging and letting patients know they are not alone can be therapeutic. Public health officials are urging health-care providers to screen patients for domestic violence. Universal screening is recommended for female patients by a variety of medi- cal authorities, including the American Medical Associa- tion (AMA) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. AMA recom- mends also that hospitals, community mental health agencies and other helping professions develop appropri- ate interventions. Such interventions might include individual and group counseling efforts, support groups and shelters. Providers should be sensitive to the fact that men can be victims of intimate partner violence too. As clinicians and public- health providers, we must in- crease our efforts to identify and respond to patients at risk for intimate partner violence. Intimate partner violence is a significant public health problem that affects a large proportion of the population. The role of health-care provid- ers in the prevention of seri- ous morbidity or even death is critical. Asking a patient if she is in an unsafe home; referring her to resources; and helping her develop a safety plan can be life-saving steps. Information about ser- vices in Oregon is available from the Intimate Partner Vio- lence Surveillance Program (503) 731-4025 or the Oregon Guide to Domestic Violence S e r v i c e s a t http://170.104.17.50/ SVC_DIR/dvmap2.html. (Mel Kohn is state epide- miologist with the Oregon Dept. of Human Services.) If you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you. (Lao Tze) If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance. (George Bernard Shaw) It’s not your blue blood, your pedigree, or your college degree. It’s what you do with your life that counts. (Millard Fuller) is pleased to announce Lucinda Kolo, M.D. will begin seeing patients TUES.,SEPT. 3RD at Siskiyou Community Health Center 319 Caves Highway, Cave Junction To schedule an appointment please phone 592-4111 Dr. Kolo joins us from Lyme, New Hampshire. She is available to provide primary care services for the entire family, including pediatrics, women’s care and OB. Presented by Josephine County Recycler of the Year Committee and the Grants Pass and Josephine County Chamber of Commerce Last year’s 2001 Recycler of the Year Award uncovered and honored some successful recyclers in Josephine County. These honorees reduce, reuse, or recycle materials used at their workplace. Winners included the following businesses: Gospel Rescue Mission, Kendall Art Glass Studio, and the following citizen Robert Halstead: All reduce, reuse and recycle. Once again we will repeat our program and we invite you to submit your nomination. Who will be our 2002 honorees? WH0 SHOULD ENTER? Businesses, Institutions or People that REDUCE, REUSE, OR RECYCLE. There are hundreds of ways to practice the 3 R’s around your home, office or business. Tell us what you or an office you are familiar with are doing. Are you familiar with any business, institution or person who recycles wood, paper, cardboard, metals, toner cartridges or something else? What about reusing materials? Do you take those plastic containers or Styrofoam peanuts and put them to good use? Do you reduce waste by making double-sided copies, buying in recyclable containers, or by leaving lawn clippings on the yard instead of bagging them? If so, you should enter! There are hundreds of ways to practice the 3 R’s around your home, office or business. Tell us what you or a business or institution you are familiar is doing. HOW TO ENTER: Describe, briefly, or in as much detail as you want, the nominee’s methods of reducing, reusing, or recycling. Information you may want to include is how long the company has been recycling and an estimate of the amounts of materials recycled, reduced, or reused. Winners will be judged on innovation, involvement, and demonstrated commitment to waste reduction. SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY TO: Josephine County Dept. of Health & Community Action, Recycling Awards 714 N.W. ‘A’ St. Grants Pass, OR 97526 - Attention: Barbara Lonas DEADLINE: TUESDAY, SEPT. 24 Whether you recycle a lot, or a little, we would like to hear about what you are doing. Awards for outstanding achievements will be presented and featured in the chamber newsletter and in other local media. Good corporate citizens are vital to Josephine County and will set an example for other community members. Name If business or institution: Contact person. If business or institution: Contact person. Phone number: Address Number of employees: How this business, institution or person reduces, reuses, and recycles.