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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (April 29, 2017)
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, APRIL 29, 2017 Parks Dunes from 1A Russell told the attentive audience his department had a draft proposal ready for the public to approve a couple of years ago. However, after receiving comments from the community, department man- agers decided their original plan was ill suited to the needs of county residents. “In 2015 there was a release of a draft plan. We had several meetings like these around the county, and from the public feedback we learned that the draft plan did not necessarily reflect the values of our com- munity,” Russell said. “We are basically in a reset mode. We are rewriting the plan and we are starting over.” Russell then made a point of highlighting three basic con- cepts to consider when dis- cussing the recommendations for the Master Plan: an Accessible Water Based System, a Nature Based Recreation System and a Connected Trail Based System. Russell added that these three types of parks could be thought of as stand alones or they can be grouped so that connecting trails, paths or road- ways can access parks with dif- ferent features. He also pointed out that MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS Mike Russell, a manager at the Department of Public Works, led the public forum that solicited ideas for the creation of a new plan for utilization of area parks water is one of the main draws to county parks. He empha- sized the desire of residents to spend time on or near the water. “A big focus of Lane County Parks is access to water. And you will see that we have boat ramps, docks, five camp- grounds with 250 campsites and we have marinas at three different locations that provide over 300 marina slips,” he said. After setting the stage for the evening’s discussions, Russell asked those in attendance to join in a group activity. Parks staff attached posters to the wall that had the three different types of parks delin- eated. Then the public took col- ored dots prepared by staff and stuck them to the poster that reflected their ideas of a desired park. They also includ- ed dots for types of parks they would like to see in their area and any ideas they had for alternate park usage. This activity was followed by the formation of discussion groups and recommendations from those groups. Lane County Parks staff has created a survey that was hand- ed out to the group. These sur- veys can also be filled out on line at the Lane County Parks PAID POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT JOIN US website. The recommendations from the public forums and from the survey will constitute a large part of the data the department will use to determine the shape of the final plan. Russell also said during the evening that the task of main- taining and upgrading the sys- tem is daunting. The county’s park system, as it is presently constituted, has 71 parks that encompass approximately 4,300 acres. These parks are situated in a variety of settings from moun- tains to seaside. Moreover, because there is such a large area that is served by these parks, the department will be conducting public meeting in each of six regions over the next few weeks to recieve as much public input as possible on the new Master Plan. One of these public meet- ings is scheduled to take place in Florence on Thursday, May 4, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue Main Station, 2625 Highway 101. For more information on Lane County’s Master Park Public meetings, the survey and the department’s eventual recommendations, visit LaneCounty.org/ParksPlan. from 1A “Our special dune ecosys- tem has been severely impacted by invasive species such as Scotch broom. Other plant species like European beachgrass has also slowed the progression of sand and, essentially, frozen much of our dunes in place,” Marohl stated. “This can have a great impact on our local economy which is heavily reliant on recreation and tourism.” The work the students and teachers are doing on local dunes is part of a larger endeavor overseen by the Oregon Dunes Restoration Collaborative, a group com- prised of state agencies, edu- cators and private citizens. According to Lisa Romano, public affairs staff officer for the Siuslaw National Forest, the protec- tion of the dunes is para- mount and the time for action is now. “The need is overwhelm- ing, expensive and complex. Identifying where and how 7 A we can make the best impact will assure success today and into the future,” Romano said. “Developing the dunes restoration strategy was an important first step in what will be a long process of on- the-ground restoration.” Marohl points out that restoring the dunes to their natural state is a long-term process that will require attention and labor for years to come. Marohl and others, partic- ularly STEP member Jim Grano, have been working on this for years. They believe that the students that partici- pate in the removal will con- tinue to care about the dunes and local ecosystems as they grow into adulthood. “We hope to have this tra- dition for our school contin- ue for many years to come. As the program moves for- ward, we will continue to focus on salmon, watersheds, restorations and education. Our students will learn about these topics both in the class- room and through hands-on field trips,” Marohl said. MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS Middle schoolers dig up Scotch broom in the dunes Friday. Siuslaw Middle School Principal Andy Marohl said students will continue to learn about species, ecosystems, restoration and more in class and through field trips. IN SAYING NO to save our local jobs and protect Coos County’s future Jessica Engelke Stephanie BAY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PRESIDENT Measure 6-162 IS CONFUSING & POORLY WRIT TEN WILL KILL JOBS HURTS HARD WORKING FAMILIES GET INVOLVED BEFORE THE MAY ELECTION savecoosjobs.com Matt Jack Honesty • Quality • Integrity Pest Tech Inc. is locally owned and operated. We are dedicated to providing professional pest management solutions. We service the greater Florence area, Central Oregon Coast and Southern Oregon. Our team of friendly certifi ed technicians have the experience and knowledge needed to help our customers with their pest control needs. Give us a call to learn how we can help protect your home or business. 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