2A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • May 20, 2015
BLM looks to public for input on plan
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For inclusion in the
Wednesday edition of the
Itemizer-Observer May 27
edition. Deadlines are
shorter because of Memori-
al Day.
Social news (weddings,
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saries, births, milestones) —
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(today).
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Public notices — Noon
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HIGH LOW
May 12.............. 55
May 13.............. 65
May 14.............. 72
May 15.............. 61
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May 17.............. 71
May 18.............. 77
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Management options include sustainable timber products on 2.5 million acres
By Jolene Guzman
RAIN
.37
.00
.00
T
.00
.00
.01
Rainfall during May — 0.61 in.
Rain through May 18 — 14.57 in.
POLK COUNTY — Ore-
gon Bureau of Land Man-
agement is holding a series
of open houses and work-
shops on its draft resource
management plan (RMP)
and environmental impact
statement for Western Ore-
gon.
Five of those meetings
will be in Salem, including
an open house on Thursday
at the Willamette Heritage
Center.
The draft RMP outlines
how the BLM will manage
its lands for the recovery of
threatened and endangered
species, providing for clean
water, and producing a “sus-
tained yield” of timber prod-
ucts, among other objec-
tives. There are 2.5 million
acres in Oregon, which in-
cludes a portion in Polk
County.
There are five alternative
management plans, which
include a “no action” option,
plus two sub-alternatives
under consideration in the
document.
The open houses, which
are being held in several
cities in Western Oregon,
will provide the public a
chance to learn about the
plan, ask questions, and
provide comment.
At about 1,600 pages,
BLM spokeswoman Sarah
Levy calls the document
“daunting,” so the hope is
the open houses will make
the information more acces-
sible to the public.
Tables will be set up to
provide information on as-
JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer
BLM’s draft resource management plan aims for “sustainable yield” timber harvest on
its land in Oregon, among other objectives, could have an impact on local production.
pects of the plan addressing
forest management, wildlife,
recreation, and socio-eco-
nomics.
“We are looking for public
feedback,” Levy said. “It’s re-
ally important for the public
to get involved in the plan-
ning process.”
The purpose of the plan
revision is to update the cur-
rent RMP, which was ap-
proved in 1995.
The “no action” alterna-
tive would be a continuation
of that plan, the practices
and harvest outcomes of
which have never been real-
ized.
Levy said much has
changed in the 20 years
since that plan was ap-
proved, and the BLM needs
to revise its RMP to keep up
with current scientific infor-
mation and management
policies.
“The BLM has been un-
able to complete what has
been projected in the 1995
resource management
plans,” Levy said.
BLM’s preferred alterna-
tive at this point allows an
annual harvest of 234 mil-
lion board feet.
Forest products industry
representatives have said
that alternative does little to
break the pattern of “anemic
harvest levels” on BLM land
in Oregon.
“The BLM’s preferred al-
ternative outlines a harvest
level of only 234 million
board feet, which is less than
20 percent of the annual
growth of these lands and
far short of the level needed
to maintain the health and
resiliency of these forests or
address the economic plight
of our rural communities,”
said Tom Partin, the presi-
dent of the American Forest
Resource Council, which
represents the forest prod-
ucts industry.
Levy said the preferred al-
ternative for the purposes of
What: Oregon Bureau
of Land Management
Western Oregon draft re-
source management
plan (RMP) open house.
When: Thursday, 4 to
7 p.m.
Where: Willamette
Heritage Center, the Dye
House, 1313 Mill St. SE,
Salem.
Want to commen t?
Members of the pub-
lic have until July 23 to
provide written com-
ments via internet,
email, or postal mail.
To c o m m e n t v i a
email: blm_or_rmpwo_
comments@blm.gov or
by mail: Draft EIS for
Western Oregon, P.O.
Box 2965, Portland, OR
97204
For more informa-
tion: www.blm.gov/or/
plans/rmpswesternore-
gon/.
the draft plan is not binding
or a final decision.
That will be left until after
the comment period ends
on the draft plan on July 23.
“It is not a commitment
or a decision,” she said. “It is
just a starting point the BLM
is using to construct a pro-
posed final RMP.”
Levy said input from the
public between now and the
end of the comment period
is needed to make the plan
better.
“This is the time for the
public to get involved,” Levy
said. “This the time for the
public to tell the BLM what
they think about this plan.”
Pertussis case confirmed at Whitworth Elementary
By Emily Mentzer
DALLAS — A child at
Whitworth Elementary
School has been positively
diagnosed with a case of
pertussis, or whooping
cough. The Dallas School
District sent out letters of
the confirmed case on Fri-
day afternoon.
Pertussis is a highly con-
tagious, serious bacterial in-
fection, according to the in-
Monmouth~Independence Rotary Club
STRAWBERRY SALE
From the same club that has been doing this for over 25 years.
30 lb. containers of fresh
locally grown strawberries
$
Learn more
The Itemizer-Observer
The Itemizer-Observer
WEATHER
RECORDED
Polk County News
48
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ready to eat, freeze or cook.
DEADLINE TO ORDER JUNE 1
PICKUP: INDEPENDENCE, DALLAS, or CORVALLIS
To place your order email:
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formational letter sent by
DSD. It is spread by cough-
ing and sneezing.
“It starts with a mild cough
and can be very similar to
cold-like symptoms,” said
Katrina Rothenberger, public
health administrator for Polk
County Public Health.
If a cough persists longer
than two weeks — or causes
gagging or vomiting — that
person should be tested for
whooping cough, she said,
especially if the patient is a
child or infant.
“Our recommendation is
to test patients with a cough
of two weeks duration or a
close contact with a con-
firmed case with acute
cough,” she said.
People who are up to date
What to Look For
What are the symptoms of pertussis?
• The first symptoms — runny nose, sneezing, mild fever
and cough — usually appear five to 21 days after a person is
infected.
• After one or two weeks, the cough gets worse and usu-
ally starts to occur in strong fits of coughing. This may last
six weeks or longer.
• In children, coughing fits are often followed by a whoop-
ing sound as they try to catch their breath.
• After coughing, infected people may have difficulty
catching their breath, vomit or become blue in the face from
lack of air. The coughing spells may be so severe that it is
hard for babies to eat, drink or breathe.
— Source Oregon Health Authority
on DTap vaccinations —
having received five vaccina-
tions upon entering kinder-
garten — are considered pro-
tected against the disease.
Children who are not up to
Come to the
FREE
HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS
WASTE
COLLECTION EVENT!
or call: 503-838-6687
www.mirotaryclub.org
Please leave your phone or email.
We will notify you when they’re ready.
TO BENEFIT ROTARY YOUTH PROGRAMS
Matinees are all shows
before 6pm. New pricing for
matinees are: Adult $7.25
Children $6.75 • Senior $7.00
Pricing does not reflect
3D showings.
Friday - Monday May 22 - May 25
AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON (Digital 2D) (PG13) (12:15 3:20)
(1:40 4:25)
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (Digital 2D) (R)
(1:15 4:00)
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (Digital 2D) (R)
AGE OF ADALINE (Digital) (PG13)
(1:00 3:50)
TOMORROWLAND (Digital) (PG)
(11:50 2:40 5:30)
TOMORROWLAND (Digital) (PG)
(12:45 5:15)
POLTERGEIST (Digital 2D) (PG13)
(3:00)
POLTERGEIST (NEC Dolby 3D) (PG13)
(11:30 2:00 4:40)
PITCH PERFECT 2 (Digital) (PG13)
(1:30 4:10)
PITCH PERFECT 2 (Digital) (PG13)
6:30 9:30
7:10
6:40 9:20
9:40
6:45 9:35
8:20
7:30
9:45
7:20 9:55
6:50 9:25
Tuesday - Wednesday May 26 - May 27
AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON (Digital 2D) (PG13)
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (Digital 2D) (R)
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (Digital 2D) (R)
AGE OF ADALINE (Digital) (PG13)
TOMORROWLAND (Digital) (PG)
TOMORROWLAND (Digital) (PG)
POLTERGEIST (Digital 2D) (PG13)
POLTERGEIST (NEC Dolby 3D) (PG13)
PITCH PERFECT 2 (Digital) (PG13)
PITCH PERFECT 2 (Digital) (PG13)
(12:15 3:20)
(1:40 4:25)
(1:15 4:00)
(1:00 3:50)
(2:40 5:30)
(12:45 5:15)
(3:00)
(2:00 4:40)
(1:30 4:10)
6:30 9:30
7:10
6:40 9:20
9:40
6:45 9:35
8:20
7:30
9:45
7:20 9:55
6:50 9:25
Thursday May 28
AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON (Digital 2D) (PG13)
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (Digital 2D) (R)
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (Digital 2D) (R)
AGE OF ADALINE (Digital) (PG13)
TOMORROWLAND (Digital) (PG)
TOMORROWLAND (Digital) (PG)
POLTERGEIST (Digital 2D) (PG13)
POLTERGEIST (NEC Dolby 3D) (PG13)
PITCH PERFECT 2 (Digital) (PG13)
PITCH PERFECT 2 (Digital) (PG13)
SAN ANDREAS (Digital 2D) (PG13)
(12:15 3:20)
(1:40 4:25)
(1:15 4:00)
(1:00 3:50)
(2:40 5:30)
(12:45 5:15)
(3:00)
(2:00 4:40)
(1:30 4:10)
6:30 9:30
7:10
6:40 9:20
9:40
6:45 9:35
8:20
7:30
9:45
7:20 9:55
7:00
DATE: Saturday, May 23rd, 2015
TIME: From 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Polk County Public Works 820 SW Ash Street___
SPONSORED BY: Polk County, The Cities of Dallas,_______
Independence, Monmouth, Falls City and Salem
date on their DTap vaccina-
tions would have been ex-
cluded from school on Feb.
18, Rothenberger said, unless
the child has a medical or
non-medical exemption, in
which case, parents should
work with school officials and
with their health care
providers to see if they should
take extra precautions.
The vaccination is one
that requires boosters,
Rothenberger said, noting
that the vaccine is only good
for five to 10 years.
It is not uncommon for a
case of pertussis to be con-
firmed, she said.
“I wish it was rare, be-
cause it’s pretty bad, espe-
cially if you get it as a baby,”
Rothenberger said. “It is seri-
ous in that if we do get an
outbreak, if we have several
kids in a school that have
confirmed cases of pertussis,
we will work with that school
district about excluding kids
who are not vaccinated.”
For more information:
Polk County Public Health,
503-623-8175; Dallas School
District nurse, 503-623-8351;
or your health care provider.