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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009
Miner arrest stirs unrest; sheriff urges calm
discuss issues that have arisen
since the Sept. 9 arrest of
Gold Hill resident Clifford
Tracy.
Tracy, 37, was arrested
during a traffic stop by U.S.
Forest Service law enforce-
ment officers. He had just left
his claim on Sucker Creek in
Illinois Valley, and was
lodged at the Jackson County
Jail in Medford
for two weeks.
Ron
Gibson,
Southwest Ore-
gon Mining As-
sociation
vice
president, told
the 75 audience
members
that
Tracy was pres-
sured into sign-
ing a document
stating that he
would not return
to the site.
The mining com-
munity disputes
the “chain of
events that has
happened,” Gib-
Gilbertson addressed miners’ concerns.
son said. He in-
(Photo by Scott Jorgensen, I.V. News )
sists that the fed-
By SCOTT JORGENSEN
IVN Staff Writer
Every month, several
groups of miners meet infor-
mally at Pottsville, near Mer-
lin. But the meeting was dif-
ferent on the evening of Fri-
day, Oct. 2, as Josephine
County Sheriff Gil Gilbertson
came to speak.
Gilbertson was present to
eral agencies have no regula-
tory authority over locatable
minerals.
Gibson said that he has
been contacted by miners
throughout the western
United States, and received
more than 150 calls regarding
the Tracy incident.
Gilbertson met with Gib-
son and a few other miners on
Friday, Sept. 25 at the sher-
iff’s office in Grants Pass to
listen to their concerns. Dur-
ing that meeting, Gilbertson
promised to come and speak
to the larger group to clarify
his department’s position on
enforcement of mining activi-
ties.
Josephine County Com-
missioner Sandi Cassanelli
also attended, along with
commission candidate Jack
Brown.
Prior to Tracy’s arrest,
Gilbertson said that he knew
“zip” about mining laws, but
has since spent much time
researching various federal
statutes. Gilbertson stated that
he issued a memorandum to
his deputies asking them to
not enforce mining laws until
he has fully examined the
issues involved.
However, he cautioned
the miners against taking the
law into their own hands to
protect their rights.
“I won’t tolerate vio-
lence,” he warned.
Gilbertson said that he
plans to discuss the issues
with the deputy he has under
contract to the federal Bureau
of Land Management. That
deputy was on vacation as of
Oct. 2, Gilbertson said.
Gibson told Gilbertson
that mineral estates issues
mostly involve “exclusive
possession” rights, which
should be protected.
“We’re not talking about
government lands here.
We’re not talking about fed-
eral land here,” Gibson said.
“It’s a private property issue
that is paramount here.”
Many area miners have
been cited for issues for
which they never should have
been cited, Gibson said. He
added “We either have a
granted right, or we don’t.”
Police agencies briefed on state data system
By SCOTT JORGENSEN
IVN Staff Writer
A new more powerful
and useful crime reporting
initiative is being used by
Oregon law enforcement
agencies.
It was described by Greg
Prins, executive director of
the Oregon Criminal Justice
Commission, during the Sept.
24 meeting of the Local Pub-
lic Safety Coordinating Coun-
cil (LPSCC) at Grants Pass
City Hall.
The Oregon National
Incident Based Reporting
System (O-NIBRS) already is
being used by police depart-
ments in Ashland, Central
Point, Jacksonville, Medford,
Phoenix, Rogue River, Tal-
ent, Eagle Point and the sher-
iff’s offices in Douglas and
Jackson counties.
Prins said that the O-
NIBRS system provides more
“rich” data than that collected
through traditional police
reporting methods. O-NIBRS
is part of a national move-
ment, Prins said, adding that
Oregon State Police would be
the “funnel” for such a sys-
tem on the state level.
“I think it will be useful
to us,” Prins said.
According to documents
Prins furnished to LPSCC
members, the benefits of O-
NIBRS include the ability to
report crimes by Oregon Re-
vised Statute, share informa-
tion and control records that an
agency does not wish to share
with others and form a virtual
task force with other agencies.
The information obtained
through O-NIBRS can enable
agencies to engage in crime
mapping, as well as gather
personal information on par-
ties involved in incidents. That
could include gang affilia-
tions, the documents state.
Terry O’Connell, direc-
tor of OSP’s law enforcement
data system, said that more
than 50 law enforcement
agencies in Oregon are on O-
NIBRS. The system has just
been upgraded for the first
time, O’Connell said, and has
new software programs and
Website access capacity for
agencies to better obtain in-
formation.
Federal grant funds paid
for those upgrades, he said.
O-NIBRS collects more
data than the Oregon uniform
crime reporting system,
O’Connell said, which aids in
interagency investigations.
Much of that data is sent to
the FBI, and often is used to
help justify federal grants to
state and local agencies, he
added.
“It provides a richer data-
base to derive our statistics
from,” O’Connell said.
Although the Legislature
has placed O-NIBRS under
the control of OSP, that
agency cannot force police
departments to carry the sys-
tem, O’Connell said. None-
theless, he said, many decide
to do so voluntarily because
they see its benefits.
“We don’t have any
structure in our statute that
would allow us to require
agencies to meet certain
guidelines and standards,”
O’Connell said.
O-NIBRS is a regional
system, O’Connell said. The
state “encourages” law en-
forcement agencies to adopt
O-NIBRS when upgrading
their systems, he added.
O’Connell said that po-
lice departments in Eugene
and Portland plan to imple-
ment O-NIBRS within the
next couple of years.
Hunters reminded to keep fire safety in mind
By Keep Oregon Green
Oregon hunters overall
are a safety-conscious group.
Considering the thou-
sands of hours they spend
afield each year, there are
relatively few gun-related
mishaps.
The same goes for wild-
fires. During 2008, only 14
fires were linked to hunting
activities in the woods, and so
far this year only one.
Before going afield,
check the current fire restric-
tions where you plan to hunt:
*Are campfires allowed?
*Is off-road use of mo-
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THURSDAY, OCT. 8
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Beef soft tacos, chicken strips,
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Chicken fajitas, BBQ sandwich,
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chicken wrap; chef, antipasto
or garden salad
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 14
Taco salad, sweet & sour
chicken rice bowl, spicy
chicken burger, hamburger;
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turkey & cheese sandwich,
turkey wrap; chef, garden or
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torized vehicles permitted?
*What about smoking?
Some areas of the state
are still in fire season. Check
with the nearest Oregon Dept.
of Forestry office for fire
safety regulations on state and
private land. For federal for-
estland, check with the U.S.
Forest Service (USFS).
Regarding campfires,
follow these simple steps to
ensure your campfire doesn't
become a wildfire:
*Always keep your
campfire small.
*Have a shovel and
plenty of water, or a fire ex-
tinguisher, ready at hand.
*Never leave the fire
unattended.
*When extinguishing a
campfire, drown it, stir the
ashes and then repeat twice.
Motorized vehicles ? The
exhaust system of off high-
way vehicles and ATVs is a
potential source of ignition
for dry grass and shrubs.
*Inspect the exhaust sys-
tem on an ATV or off high-
way vehicle to ensure that it
is undamaged and free of
grass and twigs. ATVs must
have a U.S. Forest Service-
approved spark arrester.
*Avoid driving or riding
where dry vegetation can
contact the exhaust system.
Smoking: Depending on
current fire regulations,
smoking may be restricted to
inside a closed vehicle or
building. Make sure your
cigarette is dead out and dis-
pose in an ashtray, not on the
ground.
For more tips on fire
safety in forests, visit
www.keeporegongreen.org.
Water Wells
Pump Sales
Installation
Service
592-6777
1470 Caves Highway
Licensed • Bonded • Insured
Locally owned and
operated in the valley
for over 25 years.
WWC #1504 • CCB #152266 • CPl #7-113
Member Oregon Ground Water Assoc.
ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT
Pizza ~ Chicken ~ Salad
5 to 8 p.m. Adults $9 Kids $5 (10 & younger)
Illinois Valley Community
Service Projects Class
Students ages 11-14 are invited to reflect on, plan, and execute service
to the community while:
Gaining consultation skills
Learning to work with others
Finding spiritual empowerment and joy through service
Every Thursday beginning October 8.
Students will be picked up at Lorna Byrne Middle School at 3:10 p.m.
and returned to LBMS parking lot at 5:30 p.m. for parent pickup.
Call Bobette Heern 592-5234
Need help getting a job done?
Call our service project class with your project!
Your Money Can
Make a Difference.
So can your time and talent.
Now that you have enough to make a real difference in
your community or even the world, how do you make sure
that what you give matters? At Morgan Stanley Smith Barney,
we can help you plan your philanthropic efforts.
NELSON R. MALER
Second Vice President-Wealth Management
Investment Management Specialist
Financial Planning Specialist
1867 Williams Highway, Suite 209
Grants Pass, OR 97527
(541) 244-2609
fa.smithbarney.com/nelsonmaler
nelson.r.maler@smithbarney.com
JoCo EFSP applicants sought
Josephine County Emer-
gency Food and Shelter Pro-
gram (EFSP) is seeking a
new member to fill the desig-
nated position of being a
person who is currently
homeless or has experienced
homelessness.
EFSP members are re-
sponsible for recommending,
to the county commissioners,
funding allocations to or-
ganizations that provide
emergency food and shelter
services. The EFSP board
meets quarterly with funded
providers to review program
services and emerging needs.
To learn more about
EFSP, contact its administra-
tor, Janet Bell, at 474-5234.
©2009 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC.
Tom & Mom
October Campaign ‘09
Every fall all those kittens that were born in the spring are now
having their own litters. Stop the cycle now, get your Tom cats and
Mom cats fixed. Save lives by having your cat, your neighbor’s cat,
or a stray fixed during this exceptional time limited offer!
Cat spay or neuter
only $25!
For more info:
Thanks to the generous support of numerous
donors and volunteers, the Cave Junction
branch of Josephine Community Libraries Inc.,
opened on Sept. 5th. Come in and meet the
branch manager and the staff of enthusiastic
volunteers.
While here, check out the New Books section
with a number of recent additions, revisit old
favorites, and discover untried treasures. For
the delight of pre-school children, a story and
art program is being presented every Wednes-
day through Nov. 18th from 11 a.m. to noon
(sign-ups are encouraged).
visit www.spayneuter.org or call 858-3325.
We look forward to seeing you — Welcome to
all!
Certificates can be purchased at the following locations during October:
Pet Country, Medford, White City, and Ashland Grange Co-ops, all Medford Mini Pet Marts, and
Grants Pass Mini Pet Mart (on 6th). Certificates are valid at all participating veterinary offices.
Check-out our library online at www.josephinelibrary.org
The 2009 Tom and Mom campaign is a Spay/Neuter Your Pet program
with funding support from Friends of the Animal Shelter.
Joining forces to save lives through spay/neuter.
592-4778
illinois-valley-news.com