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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 2, 2017)
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, August 2, 2017 Page A-11 BLM protecting Valley areas of concern Jason McMillen IVN Contributing Writer The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has been actively taking measures to protect four Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) in the Illinois Valley area at French Flat, Rough & Ready and, perhaps most importantly, the newly declared Waldo- Takilma and Reeves Creek ACEC. Stacy Johnson, a botanist with the BLM, and Allen Bolschweiler, field manager for the Grants Pass resource area, outlined their plan to protect Waldo-Takilma’s sensitive location. Both ACEC were, after along and time consuming process, declared in 2016 following the establishment of the new Southwestern Oregon Record of Decision and Resource Management Plan. Waldo-Takilma was declared of critical concern mostly because of its archaeological significance but also because it contains potential habitat for an endangered plant species called Cooks lomatium, the plant for which the ACEC designation was primarily given to Reeves Creek. Speaking towards Waldo-Takilma’s archeological significance, the ACEC is host to remnants of an old gold mining town complete with equipment and a cemetery. The first step in the BLM’s plan to protect the newly designated ACEC will be to put up signs. The signs will educate, warn and deter off-roaders, trash dumpers, or any other person who frequents the area with intent to destroy the natural and sensitive landscape. Those who ignore the signs may face a penalty as the presence of law enforcement is planned to be ramped up as much as possible. In addition to warning signs and an increase of law enforcement, the BLM plans to put up fences along with other types of barriers so as to keep the most important areas blocked off. However, Bolschweiler said that they’re under no delusions that they can just put up fences and expect them to stay there. Because of this, the BLM has concluded that the best method for protecting ACEC is to reach out to the public and explain why the area is important and, therefore, needs to be protected. Part of the outreach initiative will likely include working with, and educating, local high school students so that they can see the area’s importance through the eyes of a botanist or archeologist. Although working with the high school is more about education than anything else, Bolschweiler said the students will hopefully be able to assist the BLM in cleaning up the area and constructing the aforementioned barriers. Admittedly, the high school program is still in the concept stage and has yet to have any solid groundwork laid out. For now, measures toward protecting the newly designated ACEC have yet to be assigned a firm deadline but the BLM is doing their best to have more of a presence out there. “We’re kind of working behind the scenes right now for our next big push,” Bolschweiler concluded. Winding Trails: by Al Hobart If all of our great scientists would take a moratorium on creating ingenious devices to carry us into outer space and down into the ocean’s depths; and making our lives so pleasant and easy that our muscles, notably our heart muscles, are becoming so weak and flabby that they’re giving up in disgust; and inventing even more efficient gadgets to enhance the universal pastime of mass murder–if they would forget all those things for a time and concentrate their vast collective brain power on this one subject, I wonder if they couldn’t come up with a magic potion or wonder pill that would prevent puppies, kittens and kiddies from developing beyond the “cute” stage. Think of the relief from civilization, struggling clumsily and erratically and at a snail’s pace toward realization, would come to a grinding halt. That definitely wouldn’t do–so we’ll, just have to change the formula, at least half of the puppies, kittens, kiddies, etc., will have to be allowed to develop normally. Dogs, cats, and delinquents I could, if allowed to, do nicely without but puppies, kittens, and tiny tots (especially those in the 2-5 range) I purely adore. The pleasure I’ve experienced in my contact with these little human elves has been mixed but, on the whole, a real pleasure none the less. An example or two will show you what I mean. My aunt came to our house one time for a week-long visit, and brought with her a little doll-like girl of 3, a distant cousin or something. Like so many mites of that age she was not only cute but amazingly sharp, coming up with occasional utterances and performances so unexpected as to leave the grown-ups gasping, giggling, and wondering where she could have picked up such knowledge. Unlike the prim oldmaid’s parrot that someone had slyly taught a shocking phrase of two from some muleskinner’s hair-raising vocabulary, her speech was relatively untainted although her conduct in toto suggested probable contact with some pretty salty character down in her own bailiwick. One day she was romping rather boisterously with a couple of neighbors’ tots in the room where I was busy at something or other. Finally my patience brimmed over, and, in a vicious undertone – that I hoped wouldn’t carry to the folks’ ears in the adjoining room–I F U LL B A proceeded to threaten painful consequences if she didn’t change her roughhouse tactics. The result wasn’t exactly a change, but more of a refinement of tactics, one that not only took me by surprise but left a lasting impression as well. In mock anger I was glaring at her as though contemplating wringing her impertinent little neck. This ferocious attitude was calculated to scare her into immediate obedience but she just didn’t scare. SEE AL ON A-14 ♥ R ♥ G R EAT C Inventions – Kids and Other Shin Kickers worry and expense, and of the continuing joy of watching the little tykes performing in their innocent baby-world. Of course a certain amount of chaos would ensue while the producing generations were passing inevitably to their reward–the disappearance of watchdogs would so embolden burglars, thieves and their ilk they would soon become an intolerable burden to our faltering society; and mail-carriers would get so careless and slovenly with the removal of the traditional need for alertness to the danger of mailman- hating dogs that their deteriorating efficiency would soon necessitate their own removal. With the disappearance of mature cats we’d soon have mice running out of our ears; and, as much as we’ve squawked about it, what kind of life would it be if we were never again to hear that summer- night serenade on the backyard fence? And, of course, our own SI Thursday, August 3, 1967 Illinois Valley News ♥ L F OOD 2017 Josephine County IV E M U 1 DAY CARNIVAL PASS CARNIVAL WRIST BANDS PRE-SALE $ 25 Today - Aug. 15th DON’T MISS THE FUN! COASTAL FARM & RANCH CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS BULL RIDING 7PM • Wed., Aug. 16 JOSEPHINE COUNTY BATTLE OF THE BANDS 7PM • Thurs., Aug. 17 WGAS — DAILY ACTS — Legendary Longhorns, Mutton B ustin ’ , 7PM Annie the C lown , Fri. & Sat., Aug. 18 & 19 Godfrey the Magician , FREE ADMISSION Jest In Time ON THURSDAY! & More! red MOTORCYCLE METAL MULISHA & MOTOCROSS Sponso by — Wednesday - Saturday August 16 th - 19 th General Admission: Adults $10 ; Youth (6-12) $6 ; Children under 5 FREE 1451 F AIRGROUNDS R D ., G RANTS P ASS • JOSEPHINECOUNTYFAIRGROUNDS . COM
