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Aufl I» 1902 tS*c I ) SANDY (Ore ) POST—$
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Near Rhododendron
Enola Hill logging studied
by M IC H A E L P. JONES
Post Correspondent
Enola HUI. a 2.768 foot knoll snug
gled above the town of Rhododendron
at the base of West Zig Zag Mountain,
is currently being studied by the U S
Forest Service for logging
The small mountain, its terrain e t
ched with a lucrative history of an
cient Indian pony trails, an old wagon
road and the remains of two of the
area's earliest known homesteads,
was the subject of a meeting held F ri
day evening between representatives
of the Zig Zag Ranger D istrict and
members of the Rhododendron
Neighborhood Group
The ranger district has proposed to
open the area up for a tim ber sale in
1986. which would allow the removal
of an estimated 1.5 m illion board feet
of tim ber The RNG is opposed to the
logging, fearing it could disturb the
water quality of Henry Creek, which
is the domestic water source for 350
households
Joel Holtrop. the district's forester,
told the small crowd in attendence
that public input is needed in this
sale, as well as in future sales,
because logging operations “ are now
beginning to move into more sen
sitive areas ” He said he hoped the
meeting would be a beginning for get
ting the public involved.
Holtrop, and Zig Zag Ranger
Chuck Smay, say the E nda H ill
tim b e r sale area has a lre a d y
u n d e rg o n e
e x te n s iv e
re c o n
naissance This area is comprised of
roughly 600 acres, but not all of this
w ill be logged
In the near future an intensive
reconnaissance w ill be conducted by
a interdisciplinary team comprised
of a silviculturist, a hydrologist, a
geologist, a w ildlife biologist and a
cultural resource person
Once this has taken place, an en
vironm ental assessment w ill be
drafted and the boundaries of the
specific units to be cut w ill be
established, as well as the fragile
areas identified
Retired Colonel Jack Baker, a
RNG representative who also serves
on the board of directors of the
R hododendron S u m m e r Home
Association, a non profit corporation
that operates the water system, ob
jects to the logging operation. He
claims by logging the mountain’s
steep northern slopes the water
system's source, Henry Creek, could
be affected by the increased turbidity
that would result.
In this area of the Henry Creek
watershed. Baker said the slopes
average anywhere from 35 to 37 per
cent. In one quarter mile there is a
400-foot drop.
Baker told Smay and Holtrop that a
new 100.000-gallon water tank, which
cost each of the system's customers
$175, was recently installed at the re
quest of the U S. Environmental Pro
tection Agency on account of turbidi
ty. The tank would accommodate
water users for up to two days during
periods of high turbidity
“ If that was to happen we’d be
forced to dig wells,” said Baker. “ Of
course we'd expect the Forest Ser
vice to pick up the tab if we have to go
to any extra expense on our (water)
system.”
Baker said since the trucks 7ould
be using Zig Zag Mountain Road for
hauling out the timber, he calculates
the logging would be taking place one
m ile or less from the water system's
intake
Mabel G riffin, a retired school
teacher whose fam ily has lived on
Henry Creek Avenue in Rhododen
dron since 1941, had sim ilar con
cerns
G riffin said in 1951 Elsie and Walt
Creighton had their fam ily's 160-acre
homestead on Enola H ill logged
A fter the logging had been completed
the amount of water draining into
Henry Creek increased substantially
The result was high water, which
eroded and threatened to wash out
stream banks.
“ If it's a bare, open slope, the
water w ill just gush down and we w ill
have problems.” said G riffin.
P rior to the Creighton s logging
operation, G riffin said the banks
along the creek were quite stable
“ There is no doubt that logging w ill
have an impact on the ( Henry Creek)
watershed,” agreed Holtrop “ There
w ill be much more of a chance of soil
in filtra tin g the stream ”
Holtrop, however, said this pro
blem would be mitigated by such
things as planting grass to stabilize
the slopes
Another concern was the distur
bance of numerous springs that feed
Henry Creek from Enola Hill, as well
as the potential adverse affect on the
salmon, steelhead and resident trout
populations that inhabit its waters.
“ Henry Creek, in our terminology,
is a class I 3tream ," said Holtrop
“ By class I it get more protection ”
Holtrop said the report of the
hydrologist would be thoroughly
studied before making the decision
on the method of logging the area,
determining whether it w ill be a
clear cut or a partial cut.
Holtrop said if clear cutting is
decided upon for Enola H ill, it w ill be
limited to an area 10 to 15 acres in
size In sensitive areas there could be
smaller tracts However, he added
that due to the climate and species of
trees in the district, clear cutting is
considered the best method to
employ for the best tim ber manage
ment results
Dale Lamoureux, a Rhododendron
homeowner, questioned whether it
would be profitable for the district to
log Enola H ill He said the steep terr-
rain would provide less of a return
than logging a flat or rolling terrain.
Holtrop responded that tim ber
management has been mandated
through legislation, and the timber
on Enola H ill has to be cut sometime
He said, however, the sale would
have to prove to be “ an economically
viable opportunity for a tim ber com
pany to get involved. ”
“ It is not (an) absolute that we
have to cut it now,” said Holtrop. “ It
is not absolutely impossible that we
can’t go somewhere else and cut the
tim ber But these somewhere elses
are getting rare Eventually we’ll
have to come back and log it.”
“ Mother Nature has been manag
ing it for thousands of years,” said
Beth Baker, RNG secretary “ We
didn’t begin to get into trouble until
man started managing it.
“ If you didn’t cut on the north side
of Enola (H ill),’’ said Baker, “ then
you wouldn’t have to be concerned
about anything.”
If it was just a little creek that
horses and cows drank out of it would
be another story, said G riffin. “ But
we have a water system with real
clean w a te r and it m ust be
protected ”
Feds close loan file on hydro project
by M IC H A E L P. JONES
Post Correspondent
The loan application filed for a
hydroelectric facility proposed for
South Boulder Creek has been closed
and the conditional use perm it ap
plication for the project has been
canceled, according to state and
Clackamas County officials
The project’s developer, Steven
Sweitzer of Wemme, had sought a
federal loan of $1.2 m illion for the
construction of a 1,957 theoretical
horsepower micro-hydro, located ap
proximately one mile above the
mouth of South Boulder Creek
The proposal called for the con
struction of a hydroelectric plant on a
stream on Huckleberry Mountain
that flows into the Salmon River near
Brightwood. The hydro would have
been the first project of its kind in
Oregon to have been build with a
federal loan
The state is administering funds as
an incentive for private developers to
find alternatives to nuclear or coal-
fired power plants
The interest rate for the loans are
currently 12 percent. It is expected it
w ill be increased to 13.5 percent next
year
Dave White, of the small energy
loan program, said Sweitzer's “ loan
file " has been closed due to a lack of
communication The developer had
not responded to the letters sent to
him by state officials
In addition the answers to ques
tions raised by a hydrologist at an
Aug 12 hearing before the Board of
Water Resources were not provided
as requested
F E A S IB IL IT Y Q UESTIO NED
Testifying on behalf of the Sierra
Club and the Environmental Com
mittee On Suitability, Dr Robert L.
EXPERT
APPLIAKCE
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Beschta, a forest hydrologist and
water quality expert who teaches in
the school of forestry at Oregon State
University in Corvallis, questioned
the economic feasibility of the pro
ject. Such proof is required of any
p ro je c t re c e iv in g sm a ll-e n e rg y
loans
Beschta disputed Sweitzer’s claim
that his hydro would produce an
estimated 2.3 m illion kilowatts. He
said his own calculations showed 37
percent less energy production. He
raised questions concerning the
amount of water available for such
power generation.
The feasibility question raised by
Beschta played a m ajor role in
Sweitzer’s pursuit of his loan, ac-
coridng to White
White said he wrote Sweitzer
earlier this year requesting informa
tion on the stream's water volume,
which he is supposed to be gauging in
order to determine the financial
feasibility of the project.
After receiving no response, White
said he wrote to Sweitzer a second
time requesting the same inform a
tion.
Sweitzer was to have monitored the
stream during the high-flow period
this winter
According to White, he was to take
readings on the stream twice daily.
The state requires a device that is
p la c e d
in th e s tre a m
and
automatically measures and records
the stream’s flow,
“ We wanted to know its instant
c h a ra c te ris tic s , not its d a ily
(characteristics),” said White
The cost for such a device is high,
admitted White The rental ranges
anywhere from $2,000 to $3,000, or it
could be purchased for about $20,000.
Due to the unusually high amount
of rain and snowfall this year, the in
formation would not have shown the
“ true” average volume of water.
In the second letter, dated March
11, White said he warned the
developer that if the information was
not received the fate of his $1.2
m illion loan would be in jeopardy.
When Sweitzer failed to respond to
a third letter from White’s office the
loan file for the Boulder Creek hydro
was officially closed.
White said he could not understand
why Sweitzer had not responded to
his letters as he had gone through the
m ajor portion of the loan process, a
task White admitted is not an easy
one
“ If he (Sweitzer) wants to pursue a
loan someday on his hydro project,”
said White, “ he'll have to reapply ”
APPLICATIO N W ITHDRAW N
Sweitzer’s pursuit of constructing
his hydro fa cility on South Boulder
Creek has been further complicated
by the Clackamas County planning
department withdrawing his applica
tion for a conditional use permit.
Gary Naylor, a senior planner for
the department, said that Sweitzer
has not requested a hearing and so
after this long, it has in effect “ been
withdrawn
A ll communications concerning
The Mt. Hood Citizens Planning
Organization w ill meet Aug 23 at
7:30 p m at the Hoodland Women’s
Club
Topics include discussion of the
Clackamas County Commissioners’
presentation of the Mt Hood Com
prehensive Plan to the LCDC
There w ill be a report on the sewer,
When Sweitzer was finally reach
ed, he refused to comment on his
plans concerning the project.
and selection ot a new CPO
secretary
The Ferndale subdivisionpartition
application w ill be considered, as
well as a zoning request from
American Guaranty concerning the
building of condominiums on the east
side of the golf course below Salmon
River Road.
by M ICHA EL P. JONES
Post Correspondent
The conclusion of the contract
dispute between Welches Grade
School teachers and the district has
been prolonged by the school board's
unanimous vote to reject the recom
mendations of an independent fact
finder
I^ast Monday, Aug 9, the school
board rejected the recommendations
contained in a factfinding report
prepared by John H Abernathy The
report was prepared after listening
to both sides air their differences in a
hearing July 1.
E arlier that same day, the report
was unanimously approved by the
Welches Education Association,
after much discussion.
The bargaining team was compris
ed of chief negotiator Tom Well,
Je a n in e B o ld t and K a th le e n
McDougall, who report 21 full- and
one half-tim e certified teachers
voted to approve the recommenda
tion in attempt to avert a strike.
D ick H offm an, school board
chairperson and chief negotiator,
said the findings were close to what
district was seeking but not quite
close enough He refused to specify
what problems the board had with
the report.
Hoffman said for the next 30 days
the district and the WEA are in a
“ cooling o ff” period During this
time the district's negotiator, Russell
B. G range, a la b o r re la tio n s
specialist with the Oregon School
Board Association, w ill request the
state mediator call the two parties
back together in an attempt to reach
a settlement
Well said the negotiating team
would happily meet with the board,
but only to listen. He said the WEA
w ill stand fast on its demands
“ We w ill have n o th in g to
negotiate,” said Well. “ We w ill listen
to what the school board has to say
but we’ve given up enough."
This same concern was echoed by
Boldt, who said the teachers have
already compromised as much as
they can.
“ We have already given away
more than we originally intended,
and that is 1.2 percent of our own
salary,” said Boldt. “ We accepted
the factfinder’s report only with the
hopes the school board would also ac
cept it."
In future negotiating sessions,
Boldt said “ unless the school board
wants to give us more than the fact
fin d e r" it w ill be difficult to accept
anything less.
“ It seems the negotiations are get
ting to a point of give and give and
give from our side,” said Well. " It
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At a later date, said Naylor, if
Sweitzer wishes to re-submit his pro
ject for a conditional use permit, it
would be processed without an addi
tional $250 application fee due to the
planning department's error which
resulted “ in in su fficie n t public
notification and an improper hear
ing.”
“ As far as I know," said Naylor,
“ the project w ill be resubmitted
sometime in the future.”
Welches board rejects
factfinders report
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A t the first conditional use permit
hearing, held on July 16, 1981, the
hearing required close to three hours
of testimony. However, after the
hearing the planning division learned
that a property owner w ithin 250 feet
of the proposed hydro had not been
notified This was in violation of the
requirements of the county’s zoning
and development ordinance, as well
as state law
Mt. Hood CPO meeting set
eG.E.
RiECELmonrtr
Sweitzer's intent to pursue the pro
ject, according to Naylor, have not
been responded to. He said he did not
wish to withdraw the application,
considering all Sweitzer has been
through, but was forced to.
U . Steven Maryck, left, played by I)an Brown, and Lt. Barney Greenwald, his
attorney, played by Rick Matter, perform a scene from “ The Caine Mutiny
Court-Martial.” On Aug. 21 the Mountain Players will serve dinner along with
the performance. Aug. 28 is cabaret night. For more information call 622-3150.
OPEN 10 6
Tues Sat
AT Zig Zag Inn
Every Fri.-Sat. 9:15*2:15
Music by "The Special Edition"
featuring Clarence ft Mickey.
Aug. 2 0 — Fifties Night
Prizes for dance contest, best costumes from 1950s
622*4779 Hwy. 26 Rhododendron
Come earfy 4 enjoy dinner . . then donee the ntghf owayf "
seems the board doesn’t want to give
a little on what they are negotiating.”
The WEA was seeking a three-year
contract with a 6 percent increase
plus increments. The factfinder
recommended a 4.8 percent increase
with only a two-year contract.
Beginning in the second year the
salary schedule w ill be tied to the
Portland consumer price index
Based on the factfinders recom
mendations, Well said the salaries
for the Welches teachers, as com
pared to the rest of the school
districts in the state, would have still
been low, even if the district had ac
cept the recommendations. The
average settlement reached this ye !r
was 6.2 percent of base pay.
Well said the average teacher’s
salary in the state is $20,000. The 4.8
percent increase would have raised
the average teacher’s salary at
Welches from $16,127 to $17,100 This
would still put them $2,900 below the
1981-82 statewide average
When school opens Sept 7, the
teachers could be entering their 69th
day without a contract. The orignal
contract expired on June 30 after
numerous negotiating sessions bet
ween the WEA and the board failed
The WEA anticipates the teachers
taking a vote on the course of action
they wish to take, either on Sept. 1, 2
or 3, when they return for in-service.
At that time, said Well, if a settle
ment has not yet been reached, the
teachers w ill make a decision based
on one of three options available to
them.
The negotiating team reports the
first option would be to continue
working without a contract for an
undetermined period of time.
The second option is a teacher
slowdown What this actually means
no one on the negotiating team would
specify.
“ Option three, if worse comes to
worst,” said Well, “ is a teacher's
strike ”
Well said the board’s decision to re
ject the factfinder’s report is a ploy
to see how fa r the WEA can be push
ed. He said they are determined to
stand their ground and secure a good
contract so the teachers can begin
earning a salary comparable to those
being paid in other districts.
“ The board is really pushing us,”
said Well. “ Whatever w ill come out
of this push, whether it be a
slowdown or a strike, w ill have the
greatest im part on the kids if a settle
ment isn’t reached soon.”
’ t ’s “ too bad we have to get into
this position," added Boldt “ The
school board has said for the past
seven months we re so close, and that
a settlement is right around the cor
ner.”
Scott Cuddeford
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