Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Tuesday, July 14, 2004
Page 7
Suit filed
Timber industry sues USFS, Bush on salvage
(Continued from page 1)
While it comes as no
surprise that the Biscuit
Fire salvage Records of
Decision released Thurs-
day, July 8 would initiate a
barrage of litigation, few
would have anticipated
that the opening salvo
would be lobbed by the
timber industry itself.
The nonprofit Ameri-
can Forest Resource Coun-
cil (AFRC), filed suit in
U.S. District Court in
Eugene July 10, alleging
versing roadless protec-
tions,” according to Smith.
Additionally, “the plan
to log in Late Successional
Reserves will be a signifi-
cant setback in the stan-
dard of protection of old-
growth forests established
by NFP,” Smith said.
Furthermore, removing
trees in the post-fire land-
scape will retard recovery,
he noted.
Smith maintains that
SREP is not a “no-cut”
organization.
“We can accept some
logging, but the important
point is where, and how
extensively, he said.
Although founded in
1983 to protest old-growth
logging, SREP no longer
organizes demonstrations
in the woods, Smith said.
“We try to do what we
can to keep that as a last
resort,” he said, such as
filing administrative ap-
peals and taking the issue
to court.
Some, however, plan
to take direct forest action.
Local and regional
activists, as well as inter-
national group Green-
peace, have said that they
will go into the woods, and
are encouraging others to
do likewise.
During a recent rally in
Medford’s Alba Park, at-
tended by nearly 300 pro-
testors, activist Tim Ream
called on people to be
ready to “put their bodies
on the line” to stop logging
in old-growth.
A contingent of con-
cerned Illinois Valley resi-
dents, calling themselves
the Biscuit Alliance, have
been hiking the sales areas,
monitoring road hazard
tree removal, and securing
funding to publish columns
stating their concerns and
purposes, and to keep tabs
on activity in the area.
Said one participant,
“The forest has always
recovered without human
intervention. It’s doing so
right now.
“I’d like to see us de-
vote more resources to re-
pairing the damage
(incurred during the fire-
fighting efforts).”
Valleyites Jim Frick, and
Jim Nolan.
Said AFRC President
Tom Partin in a prepared
statement: “Too much time
has been wasted and criti-
cal wildlife habitats, key
watersheds and rural com-
munities are at stake to
allow this process to be
bogged down by environ-
mental groups who oppose
forest reforestation in the
area of the Biscuit fire.”
- Michelle Binker
Brevity, levity mark city council meet
Ellie Buell (Photo provided)
American Legion Auxiliary Unit 70
Unit, Buell big winners;
she’ll head to national
The American Legion
Auxiliary Glenn Morrison
Unit 70 meeting on
Wednesday, July 7 opened
with news of the American
Legion 2004 Convention
held in La Grande from
June 23-26.
Post and Unit 43 were
hosts. “It was nice meeting
new people and seeing
longtime friends,” said
Unit 70 Auxiliary.
The unit won two 10-
year traveling trophies that
were retired this year: one
for Overall Best Poppy
Program, and one for
Overall Best Poppy Dis-
play. The unit also won
trophies in Best Commu-
nity Service Project, Over-
all Best Poppy Program for
the year, and Best Poppy
Press Book that is going on
to national for judging.
Ellie Buell received
personal certificates in ap-
preciation for Community
Service of the Year and
Top Poppy Distributor.
Other certificates
awarded the unit were a
history award, national
citation meritorious service
in membership goal and
overall meritorious service.
“We are proud to say
that three of our five poppy
poster winners on the unit
level won at state level and
will go on to the national
level competition,” said
Unit 70 Auxiliary. “They
are Kenny Krska-Class 1,
Timothy Phlaum-Class 2,
and Lydia Beeman-Class
3.” All received cash
prizes along with a pin.
Mrs. Buell, District 4
president last term, is go-
ing on to state level as
Dept. of Oregon Poppy
chairman. She also was
voted to be a delegate for
the state of Oregon at the
National Convention in
Nashville, Tenn. at the end
of August.
Grants Pass Unit and
Post 28 will host a chicken
barbecue with homemade
sweets on Saturday, July
31 at 3 p.m. at the post in
Grants Pass (corner of F
and Fifth streets) as a
benefit to help Mrs. Buell
go to the national conven-
tion. There will be a fee for
the meal along with door
prizes and raffles. Anyone
can attend.
We need the support of
the whole district, units
and posts to send Mrs.
Buell to the national con-
vention, as she will be our
voice for all of us here in
Southern Oregon,” said the
Auxiliary. Tickets will be
available at the door or in
advance. For more infor-
mation: Sue Faubion, 597-
2397, or Tina Haemmerlin,
592-6190.
Also, a rummage sale
will be held soon as a
fund-raiser to send Mrs.
Buell to the national con-
vention. Anyone wanting
to donate items can contact
Valorie Squire, 592-4483.
Added wilderness? ‘Hold the gravy…’
By MICHELLE BINKER
Staff Writer
With the final plan for
salvage sales in the Biscuit
Fire area, last month Siski-
you National Forest Super-
visor Scott Conroy made a
surprise recommendation
to add some 64,000 acres
to Kalmiopsis Wilderness.
The proposal may
have been intended to
make the Biscuit salvage
plan more palatable, but
some environmental
that U.S. Forest Service
and the Bush Administra-
tion broke the law by not
moving more aggressively
to quickly salvage burned
timber and restore produc-
tive forests.
Among those joining
the lawsuit are Rough &
Ready Lumber Co., Cave
Junction; South Coast
Lumber Co., Brookings;
the Swanson Group, Oak
Flat LLC, Indian Hill LLC,
Cave Junction; and Illinois
groups are saying, “Hold
the gravy.”
“The wilderness pro-
posal is just a symbolic
distraction,” said Don
Smith, executive director,
Siskiyou Regional Educa-
tion Project.
“We don’t believe in
deal-making behind closed
doors,” he said. “The real
issue is the scale of what
the forest service is pro-
posing” in the Biscuit sal-
vage plan.
The wilderness idea
was initiated by Oregon
Gov. Ted Kulongowski’s
natural resources staff. He
and U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden
(D-Ore.) have been work-
ing for more land under
wilderness protection.
The idea was then put
before USDA Undersecre-
tary Mark Rey, who has
been the primary forest
policy adviser for the cur-
rent administration.
U.S. Agriculture Sec-
retary Ann Veneman deliv-
ered the wilderness pro-
posal to Congress July 8.
Only an act of Congress
can create new wilderness.
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By MICHELLE BINKER
Staff Writer
Brevity and levity
marked the meeting of the
common council of Cave
Junction Monday evening,
July 12 in city hall.
During the roughly
hour-long meeting, in
which exhaustive readings
of every ordinance and
memo were dispensed
with, the council heard a
request by developer PJW
Properties to lease or pur-
chase an unused street plug
(city property to be used
for street extension) on
Shadowbrook Drive.
PJW plans to build a
storm-water “detention
structure” on the site,
which is owned by the
city. It would eventually
own the structure itself..
One property owner,
whose home is adjacent to
the small parcel designated
a “street plug,” said he
would be concerned about
having an open pond-type
detention facility next to
his yard for fear of endan-
gering his children.
Public Works supervi-
sor Gary Biggs noted that
the structure could be en-
tirely underground, and the
land surface above main-
tained as a simple, park-
like setting.
While the concerned
homeowner insisted he did
not want any “Jubilee
Park-like activity” next to
his house, the council be-
lieved it a choice opportu-
nity to create a “nice little
pocket-park,” and decided
3-0 to approve the request,
with the conditions that the
structure be underground,
and the developer land-
scape the property.
Councilmen Ton y
Paulsen and Sandi Lund
were absent.
The council also voted
3-0 to adopt a wellhead
protection plan to protect
that portion of the city’s
drinking water supply
which originates in the
Daisy Hill well field.
City Recorder Jim
Polk informed the council
that due to clerical error
and publishing difficulties,
a notice of a public meet-
ing about part of the city’s
budget inadvertently was
not printed in “I.V. News.”
Required by Oregon
law to make the council
aware of such a mistake,
Polk made a statement de-
tailing the event.
Tongue-in-cheek,
Mayor Ed Faircloth imme-
diately called for “a mo-
tion for punishment,” and
Councilman Rita Dyer
concurred in good humor.
“I think discipline is in
order,” she said.
Those in attendance
laughed, and Polk was
thanked for his explana-
tion, which was accepted
by the council.
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592-4222 or 592-2892