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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 26, 2015)
Wildfires Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, August 26, 2015 A5 What now for burned forests? Forest Service developing plan to salvage logs By George Plaven Blue Mountain Eagle AID Continued from Page A1 'unn said the community has always managed to pull to- gether during hard times, but the Canyon Creek Complex was unlike anything she¶s ever expe- rienced. “Canyon Creek going up looks like a bomb went oII,´ she said. “2ur hearts Must go out to the people who lost everything.´ Beyond *rant County, good Samaritans have loaded their cars, trucks and horse trailers with donated goods driven down Irom Pendleton, Portland, Bend and even as Iar as Boise. A truck rolled in Saturday Irom Big R 2regon out oI Redmond, carry- ing pallets oI donated horse tack, Ieed, hoses and even a chainsaw. Mike and Hilda Allison made the 70-mile drive Irom Hines with a special delivery oI Iood and water. The couple used to own a logging business together and still know plenty oI locals in the -ohn 'ay area. “We woke up this morning, The Eagle/George Plaven Charred snags are left behind from the Parrish Cabin fire that broke out east of Seneca in 2012. It is up to the Malheur National Forest to come up with a management plan for the landscape once firefighters finally extinguish the Canyon Creek Complex that continues to burn south of John Day. have the Canyon Creek BAER ¿nished within 30 days oI when the bla]e is Iully contained. As oI Tuesday, Aug. 25, the Canyon Creek Complex is 74,744 acres and 37 percent contained. 2nce Ioresters are able to ac- cess the ¿re area, Beverlin said they expect to ¿nd little vegeta- tion leIt on the steep hillsides to soak up spring rain snowmelt. Without that natural cover, wa- ter Àows down into the creek as iI it¶s coming oII concrete, washing dirt and ash into the stream and creating Àooding concerns around homes. Water quality is an important and Mike said µ/et¶s go do some good things,¶´ Hilda Allison said. “It¶s ama]ing how these small communities rally.´ Volunteers help unload and ¿nd shelI space Ior all the new items, while, behind the scenes, another group oI volunteers up- dates a 10-page list oI businesses and individuals oIIering services such as health, housing and ¿nan- cial assistance. -enniIer Mooney said it is impossible to know exactly how much has been donated so Iar. Items keep coming in every day, more than they could ever give all away. “All this is love Ior the ones who need it,´ Mooney said. “It¶s pretty awesome.´ Mooney, a retired Mustice court clerk in Canyon City, has worked at the Fairgrounds RelieI Center since it opened Aug. 15 at the peak oI the ¿re¶s intensity. Her Mob is to greet Iamilies at the door, make sure they sign in and help them ¿gure out what it is they¶ll need to take with them. “Most oI them are so numb, they can¶t think,´ she said. “So we think Ior them, and try to pick out the things they¶ll need.´ Mooney said she has no idea how people think to donate the things they bring in; things as simple as ¿ngernail clippers that are so basic they¶re easy to over- look. There are bigger things too, like Iurniture, beds and a spare generator. It¶s all needed and all going to good use, Mooney said. The relieI center keeps an updated list oI things victims need on its Facebook page, Fair- grounds RelieI Center, which is now Iollowed by 709 people. “As long as there is a need, we will stay open at the Iairgrounds,´ said Mindy Winegar, oI¿ce as- sistant at the *rant County Fair- grounds, who has been helping organize the donations being brought to the pavilion. Mooney said they plan to keep taking donations until the need is no longer there. “We¶ve done this out oI love,´ she said. “We¶re all helpers, and we want to help.´ 'unn still tears up when she thinks about everything that¶s happened the past week, and es- pecially how her husband¶s child- hood memories have essentially gone up in Àames. They might be in limbo now, she said, but they will rebuild. And they will make it better. “It¶s Must going to take time,´ 'unn said. “It¶s been a roller- coaster.´ To reach the Fairgrounds Re- lieI Center, call 541-575-1900. issue, since the creek is prime habitat Ior bull trout and steel- head, Beverlin said. ³We¶ll have to do a lot oI up- land soil stabili]ation work,´ he said. ³,t¶s our Mob to slow down WE CAN TAKE YOU THERE Your Rural Fa mily Health Clinic 541-575-1113 24 hrs/7 days wk debbie.ausmus@ countryfinancial.com HEALTH Department Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm Karen Triplett, FNP • Primary Care • Acute Care • Women’s Health Exams • Men and Children Exams • Immunizations • Family Planning • Contraception • Pregnancy Testing & Referrals • HIV Testing & Referrals • Cacoon • WIC • High Risk Infants • Maternity Case Management Grant County Health Department does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, or age in admission, treatment, or participation in its programs, services and activitie s, or in employment. Appointments available Call and schedule your appointment today! TOLL FREE 888-443-9104 or 541-575-0429 MARCIEL Well Drilling & Pumps Call for a FREE Estimate! John Marciel 541-932-4334 Serving John Day, Canyon City, Mt. Vernon, Prairie City, Monument & Long Creek Areas: Debbie Ausmus 245 South Canyon Blvd. John Day, OR 97845 OPEN WED. & THUR. 9 am - 5 pm Grant County 528 E. Main, St. E, John Day Services Provided: The damage caused by the Canyon Creek Complex wild- ¿re south oI -ohn 'ay isn¶t Must limited to 39 destroyed houses. Flames have also torched tens oI thousands oI acres oI trees and vegetation throughout the Canyon Creek watershed, leaving the barren landscape vulnerable to Iuture soil erosion and Àooding. 2I¿cials at the Malheur 1a- tional Forest are already at work developing a rehabilitation plan to protect the environment while also allowing some opportuni- ties Ior logging burned up trees to boost the local economy. The plan, known as a Burn Area Emergency Rehabilita- tion team, or BAER, outlines site-speci¿c proMects to water- shed health, such as planting new trees and repairing inIra- structure, including bridges and culverts. Forest Supervisor Steve Bev- erlin said the planning is done in conMunction with *rant County and local property owners. The BAER team has already started discussing what proMects will look like along Canyon Creek to minimi]e the ¿re¶s impact. ³,t outlines the actions we¶re going to do, and where, when and who¶s going to do them,´ Beverlin said. The Iorest service expects to and intercept the precipitation we get so it doesn¶t all come running down at once.´ In addition, Beverlin said there should be some opportu- nities to salvage burned logs. Exactly how much will depend on the ¿re¶s ¿nal Iootprint. The Iorest service does not allow salvage logging in the wilderness areas or within 300 Ieet oI streams. The BAER team must also discuss with oI¿cials Irom Malheur /umber, the lo- cal mill in -ohn 'ay, about the mill¶s capacity Ior new logs, Beverlin said. “We are exploring oppor- tunities Ior salvage, and there appears to be some,´ he said. “We¶re Must trying to determine the appropriate places and the appropriate amount.´ Some species oI animals are able to carve out habitats Irom burned up tree snags, Beverlin added. In particular, the Mal- heur 1ational Forest has one oI the most diverse groups oI woodpecker species anywhere in the country, which Ieeds on insects Iound in the decompos- ing wood. Beverlin said the Iorest ser- vice would like to get started with rehabilitation beIore the ¿rst maMor snow oI winter, and so Iar it is ahead oI the game. *rant County has already identi- ¿ed 'oug Ferguson as a liaison Ior the group, and conversations are underway with the Blue Mountain Forest Partners col- laborative group. “We¶re being proactive,´ Beverlin said. “We really need to get on rehabilitation in a time- ly manner.´ M-F, 8AM-5PM SAT, 9AM-4PM Dial-a-Ride: (541) 575-2370 Call for complete schedules. www.GrantCountyPeopleMover.com WWC#1606 • CCB#156965 • CPI#101 02516 FREE! Community-Wide Concert for Eastern Oregon! 3 Bands, Concessions, Door Prizes, and More! Dealer Laptops Batteries Stop in today for these, and other great products! Cell Phones Julie Turner & Desirae Bronson Country/Folk Dish Network TVs The Middle Eight Alternative Rock/Pop Ryan Stevenson Pop/Rock/Electronic Thursday, September 3rd | Baker Memorial Stadium 9th & E Street, Baker City, OR | Concert Begins at 6:30pm Kick off your Labor Day Weekend with this free concert featuring Desirae Bronson and Julie Turner, The Middle Eight, and singer/songwriter Ryan Stevenson, who tours with TobyMac. Doors open at 6:00pm, concert starts at 6:30pm. Support local youth through food concessions and fundraising, from 6:00 to 7:30pm, followed by headliner Ryan Stevenson. Door prizes and an opportunity for a backstage pass are all part of an evening of fun for all ages! DP Home Entertainment 139 E Main St., John Day • 541-575-1637 Stadium and handicapped seating available, or bring your blanket or lawn chair and be up close to the bands! For more information, visit: www.KTSY.org 02587
