Page 13
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Scotch Broom invasive, persistent
Although admired for its
yellow blooms, the Scotch
broom shrub has become an
invasive species throughout
the Pacific Northwest, where
it competes with native plants
and forms dense stands that
are difficult to manage and
remove.
Scotch broom was intro-
duced from Europe as a gar-
den ornamental by early set-
tlers of the Pacific Coast.
Later it was used to prevent
erosion and stabilize banks
and sand dunes. The woody
shrub establishes quickly in
disturbed areas, according to
Andy Hulting, a weed spe-
cialist for Oregon State Uni-
versity Extension Service.
“Its invasive habit and
economic costs have landed
Scotch broom on the State
Weed Board’s list of noxious
weeds, along with its relatives
French, Portuguese and Span-
ish brooms and gorse,”
Hulting said. Scotch broom
costs Oregonians an esti-
mated $40 million per year in
lost timber revenue and con-
trol efforts.
What can you do to con-
trol this noxious weed? Pre-
vention is the best method,
especially in areas where the
ground and other plants have
been disturbed by overgraz-
ing or development, Hulting
said. Care should be taken not
to transport soil that is con-
taminated with seeds.
“Quickly revegetate dis-
turbed sites with fast-
growing, competitive native
plants to limit Scotch broom
spread,” he said. “Native trees
(such as Douglas fir or red
alder), shrubs (such as woods
rose, currants and snowberry)
and native grass mixes can
help prevent and slow Scotch
broom infestations.”
OSU Extension recom-
mends that you learn to iden-
tify Scotch broom and the
other non-native broom spe-
cies in the Pacific Northwest
that have the potential to be-
come weedy. The publica-
tion, Scotch Broom (PNW
103), which has color photos,
identification information and
control measures, is available
online
at
exten-
sion.oregonstate.edu/catalog/
pdf/pnw/pnw103.pdf
If you find Scotch broom
on your property, Hulting
recommends:
*Dig it up, including the
crown.
*Cut it back to the
ground each year before it
sets seed.
*Keep an eye out for
seedlings each spring and pull
them up, roots and all, while
they are small.
Since Scotch broom seed
lasts for years in the soil, vigi-
lance is necessary to prevent
reinvasion by new seedlings.
Several broad-spectrum
herbicides, including gly-
phosate and imazapyr, can be
effective in controlling
Scotch broom infestations.
Avoid spraying when plants
are blooming; the flowers can
prevent thorough coverage to
plant tissues.
“Be careful when using
herbicides to minimize drift
and injury to nontargeted
plants,” Hulting warned. If
you are unsure about the use
of herbicides, contact your
county Extension educator.
Remember to wear protective
clothing, read the label and
follow instructions, and be
cautious. You can be liable
for injury or damage from
herbicide use.
Scientists continue to
investigate biological control
possibilities for Scotch broom
and other noxious weeds. The
Oregon Dept. of Agriculture
has released a species of seed
weevil whose larvae feed on
the developing Scotch broom
seedpods. They can destroy
up to about 80 percent of the
broom seed inside the pods.
You can pop open a ma-
ture, brown Scotch broom
seedpod to see if seed weevils
are working. Look for tiny
white larvae. Do not spray
plants with seed weevils.
Revaccination recommended for some
Health clinics and the
state Public Health Division
are working together to notify
patients after vaccine storage
errors were discovered in
facilities owned by three pri-
vate clinics in Oregon.
State public health offi-
cials recommend nearly
22,000 patients in 12 cities
receive revaccinations.
During routine investiga-
tions it was found that refrig-
eration units may not have
been maintained at the correct
temperature for vaccination
effectiveness. The vaccina-
tions posed no harm to pa-
tients, but the effectiveness of
the vaccines might have been
compromised so revaccina-
tion is recommended.
Mostly affected are
childhood vaccines intended
to prevent tetanus, diphtheria,
pertussis, polio, measles,
mumps, rubella, Haemophi-
lus influenzae type B, hepati-
tis A & B, human papillo-
mavirus, viral influenza and
pneumococcal disease. Be-
cause clinics typically store
vaccines in a single place,
some adult vaccines also may
have been affected.
“The affected vaccines
are safe, but they may have
lost potency because of being
stored at the incorrect tem-
peratures or in refrigeration
units where temperature
monitoring equipment was
absent or malfunctioning,”
said Dr. Mel Kohn, public
health director for the Oregon
Dept. of Human Services.
“We are recommending
people get revaccinated to
ensure they are protected
from illness, and we are
working with all Oregon clin-
ics to make sure they under-
stand proper storage tech-
niques,” Kohn said.
The nearest affected lo-
cations are Doctors Clinic in
Jacksonville, Medford Family
Practice, and Shady Cove
clinic.
“If anyone has a question
about whether they are af-
fected, they should contact
their health-care provider,”
said Kohn.
“If for some reason pa-
tients or their parents don’t
receive the notification letter,
their health-care provider will
see a red flag the next time
they visit and can administer
the revaccinations.”
V.A. notes Oregon good to veterans
Oregon is ranked first in
the nation in veteran pension
benefits and sixth in the na-
tion for veteran disability
compensation benefits.
The U.S. Dept. of Veter-
ans Affairs (V.A.), in releas-
ing its 2008 state rankings for
benefits, noted that rankings
are based on the average
monthly benefit amount for
service-connected disability
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compensation and non-
service connected pension.
Oregon veterans receive
an average monthly pension
payment of $1,017. This is
$266 more than the national
average. Additionally, Ore-
gon veterans receive an aver-
age of $1,016 per month in
service-connected disability
compensation, or $161 more
than the national average.
“I am proud of the work
done by our county veterans
service officers, our state vet-
erans service officers and our
national service officer in
providing excellent service to
Oregon veterans,” said Jim
Willis, V.A. director.
“The partnership we have
is obviously one of the best in
the nation because we focus
on our mission of serving
veterans, their survivors and
dependents.”
Oregon has consistently
been ranked among the top-
10 states providing veterans
benefits. During 2007, Ore-
gon ranked third in pension
and sixth in compensation
benefits.
For more information
about veteran benefits, phone
(503) 373-2386.
Say you saw it in the News
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church held a fund-raising dinner featuring baked salmon to benefit
Illinois Valley unit of the Boys & Girls Club on Tuesday, July 28. The effort was well attended,
with ‘standing-room only’ for a time, said Scott Thornhill, the I.V. unit’s executive director.
Some $1,500 was raised, Thornhill said. (Above) Bertha Miller brings out another pan of
baked salmon, which was caught in Alaska, donated and cooked by Jerry Miller. Side dishes
were provided by church members. (Photo by Michelle Binker, Illinois Valley News )
Lightning-sparked wildfires reported
Wildland firefighters
have made significant pro-
gress at containing more than
40 fires ignited by recent
thunderstorm activity in the
Rogue River-Siskiyou Na-
tional Forest.
Two new fires were de-
tected Tuesday, Aug. 4,
bringing a total of 44 fires
reported, primarily on the
High Cascades and Siskiyou
Mountains Ranger districts.
The largest of the fires is
the Golden Stairs Fire, north-
west of Union Creek on the
High Cascades District, esti-
mated at 25 acres. Fire staff
report that more than 50 per-
cent of all fires in the forest
have been contained, and
focused efforts to contain the
remainder.
U.S. Forest Service per-
sonnel have enlisted the aid of
Fixed-rate
mortgages
offered vets
The Oregon Dept. of
Veterans’ Affairs (ODVA)
has announced that its OR-
VETs home loan program is
currently offering loan inter-
est rates approaching 30-year
lows.
Qualified veterans may
now obtain a fixed-rate mort-
gage for as low as 4.75 per-
cent with a 1.5 percent loan
origination fee, or a 4.875
percent rate with a 1 percent
origination fee.
The ORVET home loan
program is a state of Oregon
veteran benefit separate from
the federal V.A. home loan
guaranty program. Even if a
veteran has purchased a home
using the federal V.A. pro-
gram, he or she may still be
eligible for an ORVET loan.
“Our veterans always
deserve the very best we can
offer them. They have served
our country with distinction,”
said Jim Willis, ODVA direc-
tor. “Our agency’s new re-
duced rates may allow some
of them to take advantage of a
great opportunity for home
ownership.”
A requirement for the
program is that veterans must
apply before they reach the
30-year anniversary of their
military discharge date.
The current maximum
loan amount for veterans us-
ing the ORVETs home loan
program is $417,000. Federal
rules prohibit ODVA from
refinancing most existing
mortgages.
For more information
about ORVET home loans,
contact ODVA at (888) 673-
8387 or (503) 373-2051.
Oregon Cascades and Siski-
you mountains early this
week. That is to be followed
by a change in the weather
pattern to a cooler showery
forecast toward the end of the
week that should assist the
firefighting efforts.
an additional 23 engines, 10
hand crews, a helicopter, and
an air tanker to assist in sup-
pression efforts.
The National Weather
Service is forecasting an ad-
ditional chance of thunder-
storms over the Southern
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The Battle of the
Water-logged
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with Bob Quinn
If you think a water-logged tank
is something that fell off a supply
ship and had to be abandoned be-
fore it reached the beaches of
Normandy in World War II, this
column is for you!
In a properly functioning well
water system your pump works in
partnership with the pressure tank.
As water is drawn off from your
system, the pressure in your tank
drops below a preset level and sig-
nals the pressure switch to activate
the pump.
In fact, the pressure tank allows
for the use of small quantities of
water without starting up the
pump every time you turn on a
faucet. A normal pump comes on
at 40 lbs. and shuts off when the
pressure reaches 60 lbs. with a cy-
cle time of a minimum of one full
minute.
If your pump cycles faster than
this, the well doctor’s diagnosis is
likely to be a “water-logged tank.”
Not only is the constant cycling
wearing out your pump, but the
extra power cost can add substan-
tially to your energy bills. Best ad-
vice: have your system examined
by a qualified technician.
Would You
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It takes
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Contact our professional staff by
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quinnswell.com
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