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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 2008)
4-act tragi-comedy Inside: County board suffers slings and arrows Can you dig it? FAC needs help for March 1 plant Pages 1, 3 Mule-skinner Harold Teague has lived history Page 4 Winter Gala IRVAC fund-raiser Sunday, Feb. 24 Pages 5, 12 JOINT loss Narcotics team disbanded Page 7 Cougar victories Wrestlers win at state tournament Page 12 Moon Tree replanting requested Josephine County com- missioners are being asked for permission to plant a new Moon Tree at Illinois Valley Airport to help bring the county positive publicity and involve the valley commu- nity. Cave Junction resident Roger Brandt, an advocate for a smokejumper museum at the airport, sent a letter to Commissioners Dave Toler, Dwight Ellis and Jim Raffen- burg, with a copy to Alex Grossi, airports manager. The original Moon Tree died some 22 years ago. The new tree would be planted in early April to coincide with Arbor Day. A reply is sought by Saturday, Feb. 23. Brandt wrote, “I talked with Becky Soules, the high school student in Coos Bay who wants to donate a Moon Tree, a Douglas fir, and have it planted where the Moon Tree story began, the Siski- you Smokejumper Base. “She still wants to have her tree planted at the base. “I told her I would find out if it is going to be possible to obtain permission from the county to plant the tree at the location where the original tree was planted in 1976 by Stuart Roosa, the former smokejumper who became an astronaut and carried the tree seeds with him to the moon on Apollo 14. “This location is behind the historic administration building. “There is a small pine tree growing in this location. We may need to remove it and dig a small hole for plant- ing the Moon Tree. There may also be a need to build a small, temporary structure to provide shade. This tempo- rary structure would be re- moved in 2009 or 2010 once it has been determined the tree is adequately rooted and acclimated.” If permission is not re- ceived, said Brandt, Soules will give the tree to the city of Coos Bay, Roosa’s adopted home town. “It is very unlikely we will have an opportunity like this again,” Brandt continued. “Becky has an extraordinary connection to the Moon Tree story. She won a national NASA writing contest with the Moon Tree story, and she was instrumental in getting the tree at the capitol listed as an Oregon Heritage Tree. (Continued on page 10) Rough & Ready Lumber Co. fired up its new $6 million co-generation plant Saturday, Feb. 16. U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore) was among dignitaries present for the occasion. Walden (right) and R&R president Link Phi- lippi (left) examine a panel which helps moni- tor the massive complex. Walden was enthu- siastic about the project, which furthers state- wide alternative energy goals. The plant will generate steam for electricity and to kiln-dry lumber, burning a 50/50 mixture of mill waste and forest debris (slash) which would other- wise be burned on the ground. (Photo by Mi- chelle Binker, Illinois Valley News) Volunteers sought for FAC tree plant By MICHELLE BINKER IVN Staff Writer Pointing to a map of Illi- nois Valley, Susan Chapp points out a profusion of black dots, representing prop- erties where Forestry Action Committee (FAC) has planted trees during its 16- year history. The dots line water- courses and reach into every corner of the valley. Largely through the work of volun- teers, FAC plants seedling trees in riparian areas and associated uplands where land owners have indicated an interest in planting and restoring the land. On Saturday, March 1, FAC will conduct its 16th annual volunteer Tree Plant- ing Day. Those interested should meet at 9 a.m. at FAC’s office at the lower compound of the U.S. Forest Service office in Cave Junc- tion. Volunteers and other crucial necessities are needed. “The amount of work that goes into Volunteer Day is beyond belief,” Chapp said. “You’ve got to line up all the volunteers, organizations, land owners and seedling trees. It’s just huge.” Contributions of food to feed the volunteer corps are needed as well. “We’re known through- out the Rogue Valley for the food provided for our volun- teers,” Chapp said. Because of that, she said, organized fly-fishing groups are some of the most dependable of volunteers. Besides the fishermen, area Scout, church and school groups usually turn out to help. Children’s groups have an added incentive: Illinois Valley Soil & Water Conser- vation District donates 25- cents per tree a child plants on Volunteer Day to that child’s school or group. Chapp said that the district’s faithful contribution is a valu- able partnership. Although children are among the most enthusiastic By WALLY AIKEN For IVN Josephine County com- missioners met Tuesday morning, Feb. 12 in their board room in the courthouse in Grants Pass for what prom- ised to be, based on the agenda, a routine meeting. However, it was any- thing but mundane. Commis- sioner Dwight Ellis was ab- sent due to illness. Fireworks were ignited in connection with a trip to Washington, D.C. that was booked by Commissioner Jim Raffenburg to attend a legis- lative meeting of the National Association of Counties (NACO). It will be held March 1 through 5. Raffenburg felt that his attendance is important to allow him to lobby on behalf of the O&C Safety Net fund- ing and to work against the Colorado contingent. It is lobbying NACO to limit or prohibit logging on federal land, Raffenburg said. Although the vote was 2- 1 against the trip, Raffenburg stated Tuesday morning, Feb. 19 on KAJO Radio that he is going to the conference. He added that it is important enough to the county that he will pay for it himself. Commissioner Dave Toler took issue with the trip on two counts. First he noted that none of the agenda items involved O&C funding and, second, that Raffenburg planned to spend $3,000 on the trip during a time of fiscal problems with the county. Toler noted that Raffen- burg had not discussed the trip with the board as in the past, a critical omission in Toler’s opinion. Raffenburg said that Chief Financial Offi- cer Rosemary Padgett told him he was authorized to book the trip. Toler countered that Padgett told him that only the board itself could authorize the trip and that authorization had not been requested. This discussion contin- ued for several minutes, growing more heated until it was suggested that Padgett be called into the meeting to clarify the situation. There were several min- utes of silence while Padgett was summoned to the meet- ing. When she arrived, both commissioners began ques- tioning her. Her answers were somewhat confusing, but she seemed to be saying that a commissioner can use his county credit card -- with a $5,000 limit -- to do anything, but that the board could deny the expenditure after the fact. The discussion became more confrontational with Padgett being put in the mid- dle of the dispute, each com- (Continued on page 8) About JoCo funding -- ‘We’ll get back to you’ FAC’s Susan Chapp with yearly tree-planting statistics. volunteers, it’s good to have the adults on hand to help dig straight, deep holes for the young trees, FAC staff noted. Property owners who would like to participate by having the tree-planters come should contact FAC, so that a plan can be formulated for that property. “We work with land owners to develop a prescrip- tion for the property,” Chapp explained, “Starting in the riparian zones, with concern for the fish and the banks of waterways, and then methodi- cally moving upland.” They like to be able to work with the land and indi- vidual land owners year after year, Chapp said. Most of the hard work is in developing land owners. “If you want to plant trees with us, we will work with you,” Chapp said, explaining that mutual courtesy and re- spect, and a grass-roots orien- tation, allows FAC to reach out to a diverse population. “People are always going to be a crazy mish-mash,” she said. “We take you where you are and inch you forward however we can. We think that’s most effective.” Chapp asks for patience, as the small FAC staff works through the many details. “If we forget to get back to someone, we’d really like to encourage them to call again,” she said, “because we really didn’t mean to let it fall through the cracks. We’re just overwhelmed.” Chapp said. FAC, she said, is under- going growing pains, due in large part to a tightening of funding sources and greater requirements placed on or- ganizations requesting fund- ing. The organization is being required to “grow up” as Chapp put it, by developing a stable, active board commit- ted to promoting the organi- zation’s welfare and finding private donors and commu- nity support. The more stringent grant requirements meant a two- month delay in receipt of Oregon Watershed Enhance- ment (OWEB) funding this year. That delay forced many of the paid staff to move on, Chapp explained. Fortunately, grants were available through the National Forest Foundation, and the Carpenter and Collins founda- tions, for board development work. And though delayed, OWEB funds have come through, making Illinois Val- ley’s Tree Planting Project the longest consecutively funded project statewide. Tree Planting Day volun- teers should dress for the weather, and are encouraged to bring planting tools. Volunteers can contact Ed Walden at 592-4098. Advertising in The Illinois Valley News is the best buy for your Reach more potential customers for less! By MICHELLE BINKER IVN Staff Writer Money. That was the prime topic when Josephine County com- missioners met with represen- tatives of the governor’s Eco- nomic Revitalization Team (ERT) to discuss county goals and issues. ERT Director Ray Naff, who also is the director of the governor’s Office of Inter- governmental Relations, and Jeff Griffin, ERT regional coordinator, spent nearly an revenue within the next year or two. “Based on knowledge from the forest service and BLM that there is the poten- tial to do that with sales that will go through,” Toler said, “how can we establish a mini- mal floor so that we can start getting some of those timber receipts in the next few years?” “That,” Naff answered, “is the million dollar ques- tion, and one of the reasons why extending the Safety Net Commissioners (from left) Dwight Ellis, Dave Toler, and Jim Raffenburg. (Photo by Michelle Binker, I.V. News) hour with the commissioners Thursday, Feb. 14 in Grants Pass. The meeting focused largely on county funding options. Naff said that while the state’s Federal Forest Pay- ments Taskforce is pursuing strategic opportunities, it’s crucial to look at the issue of Safety Net funding “from two paths at the same time.” “While it’s important to try and get this extended, we also have to look at life if there is no extension,” Naff said. “Are there things we can do to bring efficiencies at the state and local levels?” Commissioner Jim Raf- fenburg noted that there seems to be little promise of state help, and Naff agreed. “A lot of things that might have been on the table for this special legislative session are off,” he said, due to lower than forecast state revenue. Commission Chairman Dave Toler asked if there was any way to get more timber is so important.” “Even if all the stars align perfectly it’s going to take a while to get any kind of an increased timber cut in place. If we get an extension, then we have time to refocus our efforts on trying to achieve a higher level of cut to bring revenue back to the counties. “Whatever we do it’s go- ing to take time,” Naff said. He added that the gover- nor is not prepared to back the BLM’s proposed alterna- tive for Western Oregon Plan Revsion, due out in March. Griffin asked about pro- gress of the alternative energy taskforce organized by Toler. He replied that a broad spec- trum of citizens, from home- builders to alternative energy providers and citizens, are participating in education and development. Noted was the recent work in bio-mass en- ergy, specifically the new co- generation plant at Rough & Ready Lumber Co. in rural Cave Junction.
