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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, March 2, 2005
Fund OK’d
for salmon
in 5 states
Agriculture Secretary
Mike Johanns has an-
nounced that $2.8 million in
fiscal year 2005 funds will
help restore and conserve
salmon habitat in Oregon,
Alaska, California, Idaho,
Maine, and Washington.
These funds are part of
the Wildlife Habitat Incen-
tives Program’s (WHIP)
Salmon Habitat Restoration
Initiative, first announced in
March 2004.
Oregon received nearly
$420,000 in additional fund-
ing through this initiative.
“These funds will allow
NRCS, state agencies, local
conservation groups, tribal
governments and others to
work with land owners to
continue restoring the health
of critical salmon habitat in
Oregon,” according to Bob
Graham, state conservation-
ist for the Natural Resources
Conservation Service
(NRCS) in Oregon.
Through this initiative,
NRCS funds projects that
restore habitat for salmon.
Projects may include pro-
viding shade along streams,
restoring gravel spawning
beds, removing barriers to
fish passages, and reducing
agricultural runoff.
Maintaining healthy
watersheds will ensure long-
term salmon survival, said
NRCS.
Including the additional
salmon funding, approxi-
mately $600,000 will be
available for RFP’s through
WHIP in Oregon. This year,
Oregon is placing a priority
on habitat restoration for
salmon, sage grouse and
other “at-risk” species.
Oregon is now advertis-
ing a Request for Proposals
(RFP) at fedgrants.gov/ for
fiscal year 2005 WHIP
funds, including the addi-
tional Salmon Habitat Res-
toration Initiative funds.
WHIP is a voluntary conser-
vation program that pro-
vides technical and financial
assistance to land owners
and others to develop up-
land, wetland, riparian and
aquatic habitat areas on their
properties.
Since WHIP began in
1998, more than 18,000 par-
ticipants have enrolled more
than 2.8 million acres into
the program nationally.
During the first year of
the Salmon Habitat Restora-
tion Initiative, NRCS signed
47 contracts and agreements
with land owners, tribes and
municipalities totally $3.3
million to improve nearly
900 acres of riparian habitat
and to open hundreds of
miles of streams for fish
passage across the United
States, NRCS said.
I.V. boys end
hoop season
Illinois Valley boys
varsity basketball team
ended the Skyline Confer-
ence season with a 0-12 re-
cord following its 73-45
defeat by Mazama in Ken
Mann Memorial Gym on
Tuesday, Feb. 22.
IVHS was led against
the Vikings by Kalen
Snook, who scored 14
points and blocked eight
shots.
Jon Paul turned in nine
points; and Ben Latva eight.
It was the final game for
seniors James Gerhardt,
Paul and Latva.
Overall, the boys team
has a 3-20 record.
Support the advertisers
in the
‘Illinois Valley News.’
Record $6.9 billion noted
for Oregon direct travel
LORNA BYRNE TOP STUDENTS - Chosen Students of the Month for February are (from
left) Kevin Snook, Alexander Hess, Kenneth White, Lorraine Schlabach, Callie Harland
(rear) and Christeen Fierro. They were selected based on overall performance in a num-
ber of areas including academics, extracurricular activities, school spirit, positive atti-
tude and classroom demeanor.
Total direct travel spend-
ing in Oregon for 2004 reached
a new high mark: $6.9 billion,
according to the recent
“Oregon Travel Impacts Re-
port” by Dean Runyan Associ-
ates.
This represents a 6 percent
increase from the preceding
year -- the strongest rate in-
crease since 1999-2000. In
constant (inflation-adjusted)
dollars, travel spending in Ore-
gon is now at its highest level.
“This report reinforces
what I’ve known all along --
Oregon is not only a great
place to live and do business,
but it’s a great place to visit,”
Gov. Kulongoski said. “Our
targeted investments in the
tourism market are paying off,
and I am confident that as we
continue to make strides in
growing our economy, tourism
will remain a vital part of our
state’s success.”
Highlights of the report:
*Much of the increased
travel activity in Oregon was
fueled by increased passenger
air travel. Approximately 2.6
million domestic visitors trav-
eled to Oregon by air in 2004.
This is the same as in 2000,
and it represents the second
consecutive year of positive
growth.
*Overnight visitors in
hotels, motels and bed-and-
breakfast inns accounted for
nearly half of all visitor spend-
ing. During ‘04 these travelers
spent $3 billion (including one-
way air fares), or 48 percent of
all visitor spending in Oregon.
*During ‘04, direct travel
spending generated $81 million
in local taxes and $172 million
in state taxes -- equivalent to
$165 for each Oregon house-
hold.
*Direct travel spending in
Oregon generated 88,100 jobs
with earnings of $1.8 billion in
‘04. Three-fourths of these jobs
were in accommodations, food
services; and arts, entertain-
ment and recreation industries.
*Travel spending in Ore-
gon caused an effect of
127,600 jobs with earnings of
$3.2 billion during ‘04. This
includes direct employment by
tourism jobs and secondary
jobs including construction,
manufacturing and professional
services supporting tourism.
The estimates of the direct
effects were produced using
the Regional Travel Impact
Model (RTIM) developed by
Dean Runyan Associates. The
input data used to detail the
economic effects of the Oregon
travel industry were gathered
from various local, state and
federal sources.
MANSFIELD R. CLEARY
Attorney at Law
HWY. 199/LAUREL ROAD CRASH - No injuries were reported in a foggy morning
three-vehicle accident at Hwy. 199 and Laurel Road Tuesday, March 1 at approxi-
mately 8:15. Emergency personnel from American Medical Response and Illinois
Valley Fire District were on scene. Other information was unavailable in time for this
issue. (Photo by Shane Welsh)
Vet committee considering aid to military
House Speaker Karen
Minnis (R-Wood Village)
announced that the House
Veterans’ Affairs Commit-
tee will consider a series of
proposals to assist veterans
and Oregonians now serving
in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Many of the ideas come
directly from veterans and
organizations representing
veterans.
“The House has already
passed legislation that ex-
tends some benefits to na-
tional Guard members
called to active duty, and
we’re looking at what more
we can do,” said Minnis.
“The War on Terrorism
and the War in Iraq have
made us all more aware of
the thousands of Oregonians
who serve in the military,”
she said.
House Veterans’ Affairs
Committee Chairman Rep.
Donna Nelson (R-
McMinnville) said, “Our
veterans’ sacrifices and the
sacrifice of their families, is
what impresses me most.
They’ve secured our future,
and we’ve done little to se-
cure theirs.
“These men and women
are truly courageous, and we
owe them a tremendous debt
of gratitude. It’s time for us
to fight for them.”
In a package the Veter-
ans’ Affairs Committee is
calling “Vet Net,” the House
will be considering legisla-
tion that would:
*“Bridge the gap” of
health care, income, and
other disparities created by
deployment of National-
Guard and Reserve troops.
*Provide counseling
for longtime and newly re-
turning veterans to provide
assistance to them in under-
standing and navigating the
complexities of federal vet-
erans’ benefits, including
health care, education, men-
tal health, pension, and dis-
ability compensation.
*Provide education,
training, employment and
re-employment benefits at
the state-level.
*Re-establish the Ore-
gon Veterans Home Loan
Program.
*Defer or waive profes-
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sional license fees and vehi-
cle registrations, while de-
ployed and upon return.
*Repair, remodel and
replace National Guard fa-
cilities throughout Oregon.
Years of deferred mainte-
nance has left many facili-
ties in disrepair or in need of
upgrading, Minnis said.
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