Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2021)
2B | JULY 1, 2021 | COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL Timberland owners close access to private lands for fire season Umpqua National Forest moves to ‘High’ fire danger The Umpqua National Forest increased the fire danger to “High” on all ranger districts across the forest, effective at 12:01 a.m. July 1, 2021. Similarly, the Industrial Fire Precaution Level ad- vanced to level 2, on June 28. Public Use Restrictions (PUR’s) Level 1 went into effect at 12:01 a.m. on July 1, 2021. Fire danger is quick- ly increasing across the country and more recently across the Northwest. The Umpqua National Forest has responded by request- ing additional resources and fire detection flights, increasing fire and law enforcement patrols, and monitoring regional and lo- calized weather forecasting. Fire agencies in south- west Oregon are urging caution for all those partic- ipating in outdoor activities this season. The right con- ditions can mean that just one small spark from an unattended campfire, oper- ating equipment, or a vehi- cle can ignite fine fuels. “It is important for us all to adhere to fire use restric- tions. Summer is heating up quickly and with tempera- tures well above normal we could be in for a long fire season. These restrictions are critical to lessen the likelihood of human caused wildfires,” Forest Supervisor Alice Carlton stated. It is important for every- one to be aware of current public use restrictions. A full list of restrictions can be found online at www. fs.usda.gov/detail/umpqua/ news-events/?cid=FSE- PRD926277. All motorized vehicles need to take appropriate precautions and only park in areas free of dry vegeta- tion when out in the woods. If you are towing or utiliz- ing a trailer, make sure that chains are not dragging (which could cause sparks). The public is encouraged to enjoy public lands and help keep them protected by minimizing fire igni- tions. For more information on current fire restrictions, call 540-830-3806 or 541-957- 3200. GIRLS said Royse. “So we will be a different team next year, definitely. You can’t go from having a dominant post and a really strong point guard … taking two of those ele- ments out of the equation and still be the same team. We have a lot of players returning, like Gracie (Ar- nold), and hopefully Halle (DeGarlais) will be able to get back out there the last half of the season recovering from her knee injury.” Certainly senior-to-be Arnold, who averaged 14.6 points, 7 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks will be expected to make a big impact. Arnold plans to be playing this summer on the Oregon Elite travel team from Portland. “I could feel from the first game that we were going to have a good program for the entire season, and it was really fun to play with this group of girls,” Arnold said. “It definitely will be differ- ent next year, but it will be something to build on.” “We also have Tean- na (Child), who will step into the one (point guard), Emma (Hitt) and Kennedy (Sturman-Royse), Logan (Zolezzi), Adrianna (Glenn) and Jerzie (Epperson),” said coach Royse concerning next season. “We have no 6-2 post players, but we do have a bunch of players who will be playing a big role in where we are next year and what our team will look like.” She continued, “We had a great group of seniors, who did a great job just being present every day, show- ing up and setting a tone in practice and in games of what to expect. It was a fab- ulous season, being able to be around these players. I look forward to next year.” from B1 “My freshman year I was thinking I wasn’t going to (play basketball), but it’s been a big part of my life, and I’m definitely happy I did,” Ladd said. “It was ex- citing to be part of the top eight this year.” Point guard Blomquist led the team in assists with 62 (4.2 per game) and scored almost six points per game. It will be a tall order for next year’s team to accom- plish as much as the Lions did this season. “It’s tough to replace those seniors,” With a combined tim- berland acreage of around 600,000 acres, a group of private timberland own- ers consisting of Seneca, Lone Rock Resources, Gi- ustina Resources, Camp- bell Global, and Giustina Land & Timber Compa- ny, closed public access to their lands starting June 28. Due to drought condi- tions, and above-average temperatures, Oregon is already experiencing a bad fire season. The number of fires so far this year is already 1.5 times higher than the 10-year average, and the acreage affected has been more than four times greater than the 10- year average. Landowners have been monitoring fuel condi- tions this spring, as well as reviewing snowpack, weather forecasts, and drought impacts. The limited precipita- tion across the region this spring has significantly affected the moisture con- tent of woody debris, as well as the condition of live vegetation fuels and their susceptibility to fire ignition and spread. Since most of Oregon’s wildfires are started by people, public visits to private land have the po- tential to be dangerous for both the public visitors as well as the timberlands. “This historic heatwave is smashing records. It is important for us to pro- actively close our lands down to the public for the safety of our timberlands, firefighters, and all Orego- nians,” said Casey Roscoe, Seneca’s senior vice pres- ident of marketing and communications. The group has timber- land in Benton, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Lane, Linn and Polk counties. Speak your peace. Write a Letter to the Editor. Editor@CGSentinel.com On July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress, marking the birth of the new nation we celebrate today! 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence $332 Million Value of fireworks imported into the United States in 2018 Source: United States Census Bureau 44 Average age among the Declaration of Independence signers 266 Million Pounds Fireworks used by Americans each year Source: American Pyrotechnics Association (APA) 2.5 Million People living in the new nation in 1776 329 Million Estimated U.S. population in 2020 $6.7 Billion Spent on July 4th food and drinks Source: National Retail Federation Source: United States Census Bureau 9,700 Population of nesting pairs of bald eagles in the lower 48 states in 2020 Source: Defenders of Wildlife Starfire Lumber Quality Cleaning Creswell (541) 942-0420 Fountain Gutters JIM DOWNING Realty 616 E Main Street Cottage Grove (541) 942-6077 Whitsell Mfg 32910 E Saginaw Rd Cottage Grove (541) 726-6637 150 Million Hot Dogs consumed by Americans on the Fourth of July Source: National Hot Dog and Sausage Council The Bookmine 702 E Main Cottage Grove (541) 942-7414 Hitch Pro & Tow 4701 W 11th Ave Eugene (541) 434-2403 NextStep Reuse Store 987 Garfield St. Suite 2 Eugene (541) 868-0904 Cottage Grove Sentinel 1498 E. Main St., STE 104 (541) 942-3325