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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (April 19, 2000)
Page 20 The INDEPENDENT, April 19, 2000 “Community Waters” theme of 2000 Soil and Water Stewardship Keeping community waters clean and plentiful is a com mon goal all Americans should embrace, according to organiz ers of the 2000 Soil and Water Stewardship Week, set for April 30 to May 7. The focus of this year’s national observance is on the total watershed man agement approach to natural resource conservation. A watershed is defined as an area of land that sheds wa ter into a common water body, such as a river or lake. There are thousands of identified wa tersheds in America. Since we all live in a watershed, what we do in our own backyard has im portant consequences to every one else who lives downstream from us. “Developing a positive stew ardship attitude is important as we work together to maintain an adequate supply of clean water,” said Kay C. VanNatta, chairperson of the Columbia Soil & Water Conservation Dis trict (SWCD), local sponsor of this year’s Soil and Water Stewardship Week. “Our local conservation district would like to help take the leadership to bring all interested groups and individuals together to discuss how to improve the health of our own watershed,” VanNatta added. Columbia SWCD sponsors three active watershed coun cils in Columbia county, the Nehalem River Watershed Council (Maggie Peyton, Coor dinator), the Lower Columbia River WC (Margaret Magruder, Coordinator), and the Scap poose Bay WC (Co-Presidents, Maddy Sheehan and Kehn Gibson). Numerous salmon restoration, assessment, habi tat enhancements and water quality improvement projects are underway with each of the watershed councils. People interested in water shed activities should contact their local Council for informa tion on projects and programs. Columbia SWCD can provide contact numbers. The abundance of good, clean water in our communities is not guaranteed as some kind of right. Rather, it is a resource that must be earned and re- eacned as time passes and conditions change. While over all per capita consumption of water has decreased in the last decade, water conservation ef forts should never be aban doned. Modern conservation efforts are now focused on ways to keep our natural water supply system clean, helping to keep down costs in water treat ment facilities. For example, farmers are now installing Spring gardening tips at m eeting Chip Bubl, Columbia Coun ty Extension Agent, will offer some tips on Spring gardening, May 11 at 10:00 a.m., at the First Christian Church, 410 North Street, Vernonia. Everyone is welcome. For more information, call 429- 8202. grassed waterways and filter strips along the edges of their fields and streams to prevent soil and nutrients from being washed into major streams. Similar good management practices are being installed around construction sites and large buildings and parking lots in suburban and urban areas. The technology is available to ensure a clean water supply. The real challenge, according to VanNatta, is to develop the collective community and polit ical will to get the job done. To learn more about how you can help protect your wa tershed, call Columbia SWCD in St. Helens at 503-397-4555. PLEASE SUPPORT THE ADVERTISERS W HO MAKE YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER POSSIBLE Power windows, locks, cruise control, tilt, AM/FM cassette, ^tinted windows, roof ■ fe rack. #2455. VÄ'Äi' $27,675 $5,476 (inancWO $22,199 Sale Price XLT, 5.4L V8 engine, power w indow s, locks, tilt, cruise co n tro l, trailer tow package, sliding rear window, skid plates, AM/FM cassette. #2804. HUP Fort Rakete $31595 Doherty Discount -$5.098 $500 ice S2 5 J9 9 ¡S z * * ....J w 29,200 Sale Price take a TEST D rive ANO ENTER TO Sunday anda yo UV» be el!g,'b^ dnes^ V th ro u g h brand new è'/2 fo o t aranFv» b & J ° W,n one o f three action Ugly S,ickOa ^ Î ^ aS^ s P e reel. D raw ing to be he"d Ä h e * " " ' " 9"
