‘Breakfast by bike’ – Sun., Aug. 14th
Grange Pancake Pedal
Take a fun 5-mile ride to the Spencer Creek Grange for homemade pancakes.
Local whole grains, eggs, honey and fruit. 8–11am. Lorane Hwy. at McBeth.
Get Pancake Pedal tickets at our store!
Details on facebook – arrivingbybike
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Mon–Fri 11–7, Sat 10–6, Sun 12–5
JANE GIBBONS
GARDEN DESIGN
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a 2 hour consultation
(regularly $85)
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off er good through August 31, 2011
(541) 484-9058
Eugene, OR
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NEWS BRIEFS
Oregon and headed out to Oregon’s east
side to check out a proposed forest restora-
tion plan on the Malheur National Forest.
Susan Jane Brown of the Western Envi-
ronmental Law Center says CEQ Chair
Nancy Sutley headed out to John Day to
check out the Soda Bear Project on the Mal-
heur National Forest and meet with a col-
laborative group called the Blue Mountains
Forest Partners that Brown says “is working
on community-based solutions.” Brown says
she has been working with the collaborative
for about six years and says the diverse
group of stakeholders includes environmen-
talists, loggers and county officials.
The group has proposed restoration-
based logging on the 20,000 acre Soda Bear
Project that Brown says is based on the
science of forestry professors Norm
Johnson of Oregon State and Jerry Franklin
of the University of Washington, two of the
authors of the Northwest Forest Plan, which
has managed logging on much of Oregon’s
federal forests since 1994. The Soda Bear P
roject would draw on the scientists’ “dry
forest restoration principles.”
Restoration work on Oregon’s dry east
side has been made trickier by what Brown
calls the “21-inch rule” that retains trees over
21-inch dbh in order to preserve old-growth
values. But Brown says that rule “can get in
the way of some restoration that needs to be
done.” The 21-inch rule was intended to be
temporary until a new ecosystem
management plan could be created for the
non-Northwest Forest Plan lands, like the
Malheur, in the Pacific Northwest.
The Soda Bear plan, whose environmen-
tal analysis is in the midst of its 30-day
objection period under the Healthy Forest
Restoration Act, would allow for logging of
trees greater than 21-inch dbh under a
“regional forester’s eastside forest plan
amendment” that would retain all trees that
are older than 150 years, as opposed to trees
greater than 21 inches.
Brown says this is also based on the
research of Robert Van Pelt (aka Big Tree
Bob) and the need to look at more than just
diameter in terms of a tree’s old-growth
characteristics. She says that after years of
fire suppression a fast-growing white fir can
crowd out the ponderosa pine, but the
21-inch rule can keep those trees from being
cut. According to the Soda Bear Project legal
notice, “Diameter limits can deter the harvest
of young, relatively large trees that crowd
older trees, greatly increasing the risk that
the old trees would die as a result of either
wildfire or insect attack.”
The legal notice, available at http://
wkly.ws/13g says the age of the trees will
be determined by Van Pelt’s guidelines
“Identifying Old Trees and Forest” and
through coring some of the trees.
Brown says of the plan “It’s a little bit
risky, but we feel very strongly that this is
based in science.” — Camilla Mortensen
CORRECTIONS/CLARIFICATIONS
In our New Briefs last week (“A Search for Solutions”) we wrote that all are welcome to attend the
Downtown Neighborhood Association Steering Committee meeting at 6 pm Aug. 25 at the Eugene
Library, but we heard from David Mandelblatt of DNA that “If everyone in Eugene comes to the Steering
Committee meeting we’ll have chaos, and nothing will get done. I don’t remember exactly what I said, but
assuming that IS what I said, it’s a really bad idea!” Mandelblatt suggests interested community members
send comments to dna.eugene@gmail.com or post to the forum at www.eugenedna.org/forum
ACTIVIST ALERT
• A town hall meeting on state and national Alzheimer’s plans will be from 4 to 6 pm
Thursday, Aug. 11, at the Campbell Senior Center at 155 High St. The recommendations and
comments expressed at this town hall event will inform the creation of an Oregon state plan for
Alzheimer’s and will be shared with officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services. A panel of local experts will include Adele Ismert, Donna Peterson and Liz von
Wellsheim. For more information, email jon.bartholomew@alz.org
• Oregon’s Fish Passage Task Force will meet from 8 am to 5 pm Friday, Aug. 12, at the
Hilton in Eugene to consider current statewide fish passage issues. Members of the public are
welcome to attend. The nine-member group meets quarterly to advise ODFW on fish passage
policies and issues. For more information, call (503) 947-6224.
• The Eugene Solutions Team has free events coming up, starting with an Amazon Creek
work party from 4 to 6 pm Friday, Aug. 12, at West 16th and Polk, to help build pet waste
receptacles along the Fern Ridge Bike Path. Next is the Jefferson Westside Garden Tour from 10
am to 2 pm Saturday, Aug. 13. Meet at Charnel-Mulligan Park. Next is a “Growing a Healthy
Neighborhood” workshop on improving local water quality by making small changes in our own
yards, from 2 to 4 pm Sunday, Aug. 14, at Charnel-Mulligan Park. Aimee Code will lead. A free
“End of Summer Celebration” and community meal will be at 6:30 pm Sunday, Aug. 14, at
Charnel-Mulligan Park. For more info visit eugenesolutions.org or call (503) 480-9278.
• The third annual Pollinator Party is coming up in early September and the deadline for
discounted tickets is Aug. 12. The dinner and auction in support of the Eugene-based Northwest
Center for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP) will be Sept. 9 at the Downtown Athletic Club. Buy
tickets online at www.pesticide.org and for more information email info@pesticide.org or call
344-5044.
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John D. Wilson, M.D.
1200 Hilyard St., Suite S-560
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us at travelclinic3436028 @ gmail.com
8 AUGUST 11, 2011
EUGENE WEEKLY
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