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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (July 21, 2021)
SN THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM | WEDNESDAY EDITION | JULY 21, 2021 | $1.00 Siuslaw News Sports & Lifestyle Seeing the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area from sandrail gives recreationists a view of the dunes and the Pacific Ocean south of Florence. SPORTS CALENDAR Sandland Adventures is ‘dune’ it right To add your activity’s summer sports schedule, email Sports Reporter Zeahna Young at zyoung@ thesiuslawnews.com Tide Tables Entrance Siuslaw River Low Tide High Tide By Zeahna Young/Siuslaw News Just south of the Siuslaw River Bridge on the west side of Highway 101 is Sandland Adven- tures. Owned and operated by Chris and Dar- la Hague, the company was created in 1986 by Chris’s parents, Larry and Ilene, who originally started it as a rental company. Currently, the company offers speedy sandrail tours on buggies that carry up to seven passen- gers, as well as giant dune buggy tours that hold as many as 27 passengers. The park also features a miniature golf course, go karts, bumper boats and train rides. After the logging industry was shut down in the area, Larry and Ilene, who were still fair- ly young at the time for retirement standards, bought a company that had vehicles and started renting them out. Two or three years after start- ing, the business began to morph into a tour company. “Originally, when we had the rentals, we needed buggies to go out and rescue people,” said Chris. “People would break down on the See SANDLAND page 2B Gage Miller describes the topography and history of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area while leading a sandrail tour for Sandland Adventures. July 21 5:40 a.m. / -1.0 5:14 p.m. / 2.3 12:11 p.m. / 4.9 11:10 p.m. / 7.3 July 22 6:33 a.m. / -1.5 -46 1:06 p.m. / 5.2 6:14 p.m. / 2.2 July 23 7:22 a.m. / -1.7 7:10 p.m. / 2.1 12:04 a.m. / 7.4 1:55 p.m. / 5.5 July 24 8:08 a.m. / -1.7 8:02 p.m. / 1.9 12:57 a.m. / 7.4 2:39 p.m. / 5.7 July 25 8:53 a.m. / -1.6 8:53 p.m. / 1.7 1:47 a.m. / 7.2 3:21 p.m. / 5.8 A Sandland Adventures tour group pauses to take in the ocean while on a sandrail tour of the Oregon Dunes. Commission uplists marbled murrelets from ‘threatened’ to ‘endangered’ status On July 9, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commis- sion voted 4-3 to reclassify the marbled murrelet from Threatened to Endangered under the state’s Endan- gered Species Act. A total of 28 people testified for and against uplisting the murrelet, in- cluding several panelists invited to testify. The Oregon Endan- gered Species Act (ESA) sets out criteria and pro- cedural requirements that apply to the commission’s determination on wheth- er to reclassify a species. To reclassify or uplist the marbled murrelet as En- dangered, the commission must determine that since 1995 (when the species was listed as Threatened), the likelihood of survival of the species has dimin- ished such that the species is in danger of extinction throughout any significant portion of its range within Oregon. Per Oregon ESA criteria and procedural require- ments, commissioners first voted 4-3 in deter- mining that survival of the species has diminished such that marbled mur- relets are in danger of ex- tinction throughout any significant portion of its range within Oregon and that state lands can play a role in the conservation of the species. They then voted 4-3 on determining that the fol- lowing two factors exist: Most populations are undergoing imminent or active deterioration of their range or primary habitat; and Existing state or federal programs or regulations are inadequate to protect the species or its habitat. Commission Chair Mary Wahl noted the risks of changing ocean condi- tions on the seabird’s food supply and wildfires as a factor in her decision to vote yes to uplist. Commissioner Kath- ayoon Khalil noted that conservation measures are only voluntary for the Threatened seabird in her decision to vote yes to uplist. As part of the uplisting requirements, the com- mission also voted 5-1 to adopt amended survival guidelines as proposed by staff. With the marbled mur- relet uplisted to Endan- gered, state natural re- source agencies that own, manage or lease lands with murrelet habitat are required to develop an en- dangered species manage- ment plan and submit for approval by the Commis- sion within 18 months of uplisting. To see all the public testimony and full dis- cussion between commis- sioners, a recording of the Zoom meeting is available at https://youtu.be/Pqfad- PM9V_c. Learn more about the marbled murrelet in Or- egon at www.dfw.state. or.us/wildlife/hot_topics/ marbled_murrelet.asp. A Marbled Murrelet floats on the sea. (Photo by: Martin Raphael, U.S. Forest Service) Happy summer to all! It’s been a busy time for everyone in town. Remember to have patience at retail businesses who are struggling for help, especially the restaurants. As for real estate, sales are still brisk, but demand for homes for far outweighs supplies. If you need help buying or selling your home, give me a call. I am the guidance and journey for your real estate needs. 100 Hwy. 101, Florence, OR • 541.997.7777 Lynnette Wikstrom Broker “We’re next to the Bridge.” lynnette@cbcoast.com · Cell: 541.999.0786 COAST REAL ESTATE
