Friday, August 2, 2019 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com • A3
Celebration
inaugurates new
mountain bike
trail network
Riders hit th
e Klootchy
Creek trails
Ju
ly 20.
Seaside Signal
A
Submitted
Mark Morgans, GreenWood Resources area manager,
performs the “ribbon-cutting.”
‘Operation Ship Shape’ targets
lapsed boat registrations
Seaside Signal
The Oregon State
Marine Board, in partner-
ship with 32 county sher-
iff’s offi ces and the Oregon
State Police, will be out in
force Aug. 3-4, looking for
expired boat registrations
as part of “Operation Ship
Shape.”
“We want boaters to
look at their boat’s decals,
the registration numbers,
and their registration card
and make sure they’re
up-to-date,” said Randy
Henry, boating safety pro-
gram manager for the
Marine Board. “Make sure
you’ve renewed your reg-
istration, and make sure
you’ve put the decal on
your boat, or you could
face a $265 citation.”
“Any boat that is pow-
ered by a motor — elec-
tric, gas, diesel or steam,
and all sailboats 12 feet
GEARHART
FIRE DEPT.
FIRE LOG
June 19
7:24 p.m., Pine Ridge, Gearhart:
Emergency medical response.
June 20
5 a.m., Ocean Avenue, Gear-
hart: Emergency medical re-
sponse.
and longer — must be
currently registered when
on the water, even when
docked or moored,” said
Henry. This includes infl at-
able rafts with an electric
motor, even a standup pad-
dleboard or fl oat tube with
an electric motor. ”
Boaters can renew their
boat registration online
at www.boatoregon.com/
store, or can visit their local
registration agent. Boaters
can print off a temporary
permit after successfully
completing their transac-
tion online or will be issued
a temporary permit through
an agent for an additional
fee. For assistance renew-
ing online, contact the
Marine Board at marine.
board@oregon.gov
or
503-378-8587.
For a list of registra-
tion agents, visit oregon.
gov/osmb/title-registra-
tion/Pages/Where-to-Reg-
ister.aspx.
ers, but organizers have developed a long-range master
plan that envisions a broad network of nonmotorized rid-
ing trails on GreenWood’s Lewis and Clark Tree Farms
property.
Trail Alliance President Steven Blakesley said the
group — a chapter of the Northwest Trail Alliance
cycling organization — had been trying unsuccessfully
to fi nd suitable trail sites on public lands before a part-
nership with the private timberland company was forged.
Klootchy Creek County Park is the trailhead for the
riding network. County Natural Resource Manager Steve
Meshke said he looks forward to seeing increased vis-
itation to the small park on the bank of the Necanicum
River, which has seen visitor numbers dwindle since the
area’s landmark Sitka spruce heritage tree was felled in a
2007 windstorm. Parking space at the park was expanded
in anticipation of the new trails, and further improve-
ments, including restrooms, are planned, he said.
Use of the trails is free, but is subject to fi re closures
and other restrictions. Riders must also obtain a free rec-
reational permit from GreenWood Resources.
NCLC volunteers go deep into the weeds
By CARA MICO
Seaside Signal
A “spectacular num-
ber” people showed up to
pull policeman’s helmet, or
Impatiens glandulifera, Sat-
urday, July 20, for the fi nal
of three weed-pulling events
aimed at eradicating the inva-
sive weed on the North Coast
Land Conservancy’s Circle
Creek property just south of
Seaside, and it wasn’t “the
usual suspects” according
to Jeff Roehm, a long-time
volunteer.
The weather was perfect
for volunteers and staff who
spent several hours pulling
and stomping the fl owering
shrub. By Roehm’s estimates,
that volunteer spirit at the
Conservancy is only grow-
ing. Most of the 17 volun-
teers who showed up to work
on Saturday had been to the
Circle Creek farm prior to the
event, but there were many
newcomers as well. Volun-
teer John Rippey called the
work “satisfying.”
NCLC received a three
year grant from the Oregon
Watershed
Enhancement
Board to remove the inva-
June 25
July 10
July 14
12:54 p.m., Pacifi c Way, Gear-
hart: Odor of smoke.
9:00 a.m., Ocean Avenue, Gear-
hart: Public service assistance.
8:46 a.m., Beach/Ocean Shore,
Gearhart: Fire reported.
3:41 p.m., Seventh Street, Gear-
hart: Emergency medical re-
sponse.
July 11
July 24
10:58 a.m. Sixth Street, Gearhart:
Emergency medical response.
7:49 p.m., Sheridan, Gearhart:
Emergency medical response.
July 12
July 25
4:30 p.m., Pacifi c Way, Gear-
hart: Hazardous conditions.
2:12 p.m., Saddle Mountain: Ex-
trication, rescue.
July 4
1:20 p.m., Cottage, Gearhart:
Smoke alarm activated; no fi re
found.
Cara Mico
Intern Delaney Newport
highlights
characteristics
of policeman’s helmet for
volunteers.
6:12 p.m., Pine Ridge, Gearhart:
Public assistance.
9:34 p.m., Marion, Gearhart:
Emergency medical response.
7:12 p.m., Fairway, Gearhart:
Alarm system activation; no
fi re found.
June 23
5:09 p.m., Highway 101, Gear-
hart: Emergency medical re-
sponse.
8:49 p.m. Dunes, 10th Street
beach access, Gearhart: At-
tempted burning, illegal ac-
tion.
June 24
July 7
11:36 p.m., Sandy Ridge, Gear-
hart: Emergency medical re-
sponse.
large crowd, including dozens of mountain
bike riders, gathered Saturday, July 22, to cel-
ebrate the grand opening of what organizers
hope will become the destination trail cycling
spot on the North Coast.
The Klootchy Creek Trails network, located off U.S.
Highway 26, two miles east of the U.S. Highway 101
junction, is a collaborative project of the North Coast
Trail Alliance, land manager GreenWood Resources and
the Clatsop County Parks Department.
County Commissioners Kathleen Sullivan and Pamela
Wev were joined by representatives from GreenWood,
the trail alliance and others involved in the project, before
a chainsaw “ribbon-cutting” offi cially opened the trails to
the waiting riders.
Volunteer trail-builders were thanked for their work,
which totaled more than 5,000 hours over eight months.
Currently about four miles of trails are open to rid-
Submitted
7:05 a.m., Ridge Street, Gearhart:
Emergency medical service.
7:26 p.m., Highway 101: Emer-
gency medical response.
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sive riparian weed from their
Necanicum watershed prop-
erties including upstream
waterways. Since police-
man’s helmet seeds travel
downstream during win-
ter fl oods and readily recol-
onize disturbed banks, it is
important to remove it from
the uppermost headwaters
before it reseeds. The goal of
the grant was to completely
eradicate the weed from the
Necanicum watershed in
three years and the conser-
vancy is close to accomplish-
ing that goal.
The weed is very shallow
rooted and self sows from
seeds that eject themselves up
to 20 feet if even slightly dis-
turbed, hence the other name
for the plant, touch-me-not.
Policeman’s helmet is
an annual plant and its pres-
ence leaves the winter soil
exposed. Left unchecked, the
weed can lead to increased
erosion on the banks where it
grows which destabilizes the
river channel.
NCLC’s
upcoming
hands-on stewardship event
is Swampathon weekend.
Volunteers are invited to
spend Saturday and Sun-
day, Aug. 10 and 11, at the
Blind Slough Swamp Hab-
itat Reserve on the Lower
Columbia River, east of
Astoria pulling purple loose-
strife and English ivy. Simi-
lar to policeman’s helmet, the
invasive purple loosestrife
spreads easily. On Saturday,
volunteers will work at the
Big Creek location from 1
to 5 p.m. Sunday volunteers
will paddle to pull weeds
from hard to reach places
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Rubber boots, gloves, long
pants and a long-sleeved shirt
are highly recommended and
NCLC will bring the tools.
Pack water and lunch. If
you’re camping, dinner and
breakfast are provided. For
more information check out
the conservancy’s website
at https://nclctrust.org/event/
swampathon-2019.