Page 8 Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, July 25, 2007 Selma’s Camp lets Nature rehab forest BREEZY CONDITIONS made it difficult for Float & Fly participants to launch their aircraft. Laureano Mier, (above) was one of the grounded flyers. (At left) An uni- dentified flyer snoozed while awaiting better flight conditions. The 17th annual event was held Saturday and Sun- day, July 21 and 22 at Lake Selmac. (Photos by Illinois Valley News) River weed pull shows successful efforts the Illinois River corridor from the green bridge at Eight Dollar Mountain to Six Mile Creek. Riparian areas are especially impor- tant in strategic weed con- trol, as seeds and plant ma- terial can be transported during high-water events, potentially infesting remote locations within the Wilder- ness Area along the lower Illinois River corridor. Weeds in remote loca- tions can then quietly spread for years before being dis- covered, crowding out na- tive plants and limiting food sources for wildlife. This affects the value of public By SUZANNE VAUTIER Coordinator, FAC Weed Program Saturday, July 7 was the date for the second annual Illinois River Weed Pull, sponsored by Forestry Ac- tion Committee (FAC) in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service’s Wild Riv- ers Ranger District. A couple folks from the Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife came to give a hand, along with several Illinois Valley residents. Rogue Wilderness, of Mer- lin, again donated the use of its rafts. The weed pull covered land. During the event, a lot of Scotch Broom was pulled, and many Scotch Broom seeds were hand- pulled and bagged for later disposal. Some Meadow Knapweed also was found and removed, along with a patch of Star Thistle. It was with great satis- faction that we are able to report that there were less noxious weeds along this section of river than there were last year, showing that this project is gaining ground. Pain - Stress - Injuries Deep massage CranioSacral Therapy Gift Certificates Sign Petitions before Tuesday, September 4th to vote NO on the ‘Gay’ Marriage Law (HB 2007) and ‘Immoral’ Education Law (SB 2) in the November, 2008 General Election Petitions available at: Dave’s TV, GP ~ Hardwoods Plus, GP ~ Heritage Moments, CJ We’ ve moved to: 327 S. Redwood Hwy. in CJ behind Bi-RiteAuto Parts Free Estimates Installation Available Competitive Prices Special Orders Satisfaction Guaranteed We carry a huge number of major brands to meet your needs for c arpet, vinyl, tile, and laminate & hardwood floors. 10 to 6, Mondays - Fridays; 10 to 2, Saturdays 592-2413 Camp said. “This place was wiped out.” Camp began designing and building his house in 1969 and set about rehabili- tating the property. Instead of following conventional wisdom re- garding forest management, Camp applied his philoso- phy of natural selection to the land. He built several ponds, and set up 10 miles of looping roads. Over time, Camp found that the once-barren land- scape had become a thriving forest. Several of the ponds he created have become a habitat for endangered Coho salmon. Camp’s philosophy in- volves combining resource and recreational uses of forestland, with a focus on naturally selected dead tree extraction. According to Camp, the best way to manage a forest Benefit Dinner for the breast cancer foundation is to simply let Nature take its course. “I don’t know of a for- ester in the world who’s made a sustainable forest,” he said. Camp has a phrase for his brand of forestry -- “ecostry,” which he defines as “the art of seeing through Nature’s eyes.” Tours and workshops had been held at the Camp Forest during the past three decades. Camp, 72, said that he often puts in 10 to 12 hours a day maintaining the property. “There isn’t anything out there like this,” Camp said. “It has been a demon- stration project and an edu- cation project.” In an attempt to spread his ideas, Camp published The Forest Farmer’s Hand- book in 1984. He’s currently working on finishing an- other book. Friday, August 3rd Please join us for great food , music , & wine ! For information & reservations: 592-2009 Labor Day Saturday & Sunday September 1 & 2 2 p.m. both days, across from park Cash Prizes - 70% of entry fees 1st - 2nd - 3rd Get your trucks ready… Roll Bars & Seat Belts Required Sponsored by I.V. Lions Mondale (Continued from page 1) First office at I.V. Medical Center Monday - Friday by appointment By SCOTT JORGENSEN IVN Staff Writer Growing up in a timber family, Selma resident Or- ville Camp was accustomed to the world of mills and tree harvests. But somewhere along the line, he had a change of heart and decided to embark on a different path. “We were destroying our own forests. I didn’t like that,” Camp said. “I thought there had to be a better way, but I didn’t know what that was.” Camp’s family first came to the Illinois Valley in 1909, residing in the Thompson Creek area. While attending school at Illinois Valley High School at its original site, which now is Lorna Byrne Middle School, Camp and his uncle built and ran a lumber mill. After graduating from high school in 1953, Camp joined the U.S. Navy, where he specialized in electronics. Camp served his four- year military commitment, and then headed to Corvallis to attend Oregon State Uni- versity. While still a student, he started an electronics business, which grew rap- idly and prompted him to abandon his studies. It was during this time that Camp was invited to a “sensitivity group” by a friend who worked as a clinical psychologist. Dis- cussions with that group taught Camp about Charles Darwin’s theories on natural selection, which he began applying to forestry. “That became a chang- ing experience in my life,” Camp said. He returned to Selma in 1967 and bought a 180-acre parcel of property. At the time, Camp said, the land- scape left much to be de- sired, due to years of aggres- sive logging practices. “I started with nothing,” country in those duties. During that period, Mondale lived in Northern Virginia. But the fast pace of that lifestyle prompted him to look elsewhere for a permanent residence. “I had no inclination at all to live in that kind of setting again,” Mondale said. As a result, he and his wife, Elaine Wood, began looking for an ideal rural atmosphere. Wood’s family was from Oregon, and she had taught in Gold Beach and the Salem area. The couple had passed through South- western Oregon repeatedly during the years, and always marveled at the area’s natu- ral beauty. After three years of looking, Mort and Elaine found their slice of Heaven. “It was the very natural kind of property we were looking for,” Mondale said. “It just made a lot of sense.” They bought their Selma property in 1994 and moved in during fall 1996. Since arriving in Illinois Valley, Mondale has be- come actively involved in the community. Aside from establishing a Sierra Club chapter, he served as the first chairman of the Selma Center’s board of directors. “That was a great effort for the community to come together as a community,” Mondale said. He added that he has been pleased to see the Selma Center evolve, and enjoys noting that the struc- ture housing the Selma Farmer’s Market has solar panels that provide power to the center. “The Selma Center has steadily grown with the leadership of good people,” Mondale said. “I’m very, very proud of it.” Such civic involvement is almost second nature for Mondale, the younger brother of former Vice President Walter Mondale. He credits his dad for em- phasizing the importance of community and family. “My father was a Meth- odist minister who believed in public service,” explained Mondale. Mondale is also no stranger to political cam- paigns. His first stint came during his high school years, when he helped his brother run Hubert Humphrey’s campaign operations in Southwest Minnesota. These days, Mondale and Wood prefer the quiet life, and spend much of his spare time working on their property. But they wouldn’t have it any other way. “We like stretching out and meeting Nature on its own terms,” Mondale said. Fine Dining Steaks - Chicken - Fish - Large Hamburgers Restaurant separate from lounge Now Available Every Day! Prime Rib & Prime Rib Sandwiches Open 4 to 10 p.m. 7 days 592-2892 or 592-4222 Bridgeview Community Church -- Come for the music, stay for the Word All welcome