Friendship Jamboree
Pull-out Guide inside
PRESORTED STANDARD
U.S. Postage Paid
Vernonia, OR 97064
Permit No. 37
Vol. 26, No. 15
THE
FREE
INDEPENDENT
The Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley for Over 25 years
August 3, 2011
Keasey Tree Farm named
2011Oregon Tree Farm
Tree farmers and others await the beginning of the Summer Tree Farm Tour at the Keasey
Tree Farm on July 23. Keasey Tree Farm was named the 2011 Oregon Tree Farm of the Year
by the Oregon Tree Farm System, Inc.
City responds to councilor interviews
The City of Vernonia pro-
vided the following information
in response to interviews in the
July 20 issue of The Indepen-
dent, “Recall election under-
way for two Vernonia city coun-
cilors”. According to the City,
some statements were made
that need correction or clarifi-
cation. They include the follow-
ing:
• All loan reserve funds that
have been required by the City
of Vernonia auditors have been
completely funded in the 2011-
2012 City budget.
• The Brown & Caldwell
engineering firm presented the
Vernonia Wastewater Treat-
ment Draft Conceptual Design
Report in March 2010. The cost
estimate for the wastewater
option recommended by the
City Public Works committee
was approximately $10 million.
City Administrator Bob Young
received that report and
passed it on to the City Coun-
cil.
• On February 7, 2011, all
five Council members were
informed of the history and sta-
tus related to the personnel
issue with employee Michael
Kay.
• On March 28th, 2011, the
Vernonia City Council was
introduced to Kathy Peck, a
labor and employment law spec-
See City on page 4
47J seeks one new board member
The Vernonia School District
47J board of directors has one
open position, created by the
July 1 resignation of board
member Kim Wallace.
Information about, and the
application for, the position can
be found on the district web-
site, www.vernonia.k12.or.us,
under ‘school board’, or on the
front counter at the district
office, 475 Bridge St.
Applications
will
be
accepted through Friday,
August 19. Interviews will take
place prior to the board work-
shop on Thursday, August 25.
The appointment is expected to
take place in September. The
person chosen will fill the
remainder of the term that
expires on June 30, 2013.
Applicants must be registered
to vote and must have lived in
the school district for one year.
The Keasey Tree Farm in
Vernonia was chosen as the
2011 Oregon Tree Farm of the
Year. The Keasey Tree Farm
was selected by the Columbia
County Small Woodlands
Association (CCSWA), which
made the recommendation to
the Oregon Tree Farm System,
Inc. (OTFS). OTFS, since
1966, has selected one tree
farm from those submitted by
the six Oregon regions. Each
tree farm nominated must have
a management plan signed off
by a professional forester to be
certified. The certification
shows the farm is sustainably
managed and mills ask for cer-
tification information in order to
be recognized for their sustain-
able practices.
The Keasey Tree Farm is
managed by Dennis Nelson,
who also owns and operates
Dennis Electric. Nelson, a
graduate of the OSU Woodland
Managers class, took over
management of the tree farm in
2000. Ralph Keasey had been
the manager at that point. Nel-
son is related to the Keasey
family by marriage.
Of the state award, Nelson
said, “It is an honor and I think
the Keasey family felt honored
to be chosen and I felt honored
to be chosen. The board nomi-
nated us as they believed we
had something to offer.” Stihl
supplied a $250 gift certificate
for the Keasey Tree Farm.
CCSWA, along with the
OSU Extension Service held
their Summer Tree Farm Tour
at the Keasey Tree Farm on
July 23. Attendees went on a
tour of the tree farm and were
able to see what helped make
it the tree farm of the year. After
the tour, there was lunch,
music, and a tour of the
Keasey home.
The Keasey home site,
named Homewood, is on the
same 392 acres as the tree
farm. The land, along with a
two-room house, was pur-
chased by Eden Keasey from
the original owner in 1889. The
current home, attached to the
original house, was built in
1896. The Keaseys are on the
seventh generation now.
Homewood was originally
covered in old growth. One
cedar tree still on the property
is estimated to be between 500
and 1500 years old. The sec-
ond growth was cut in 1999,
while Ralph Keasey was the
manager. The Oregon-Ameri-
can Railroad ran right behind
Homewood in 1922. Keasey
Road runs from Vernonia to
Homewood and beyond, and
was originally named Rock
Creek Road.
Next up for the Tree Farm of
the Year designation are the
naming of four regional farms
from the nation, then the final
award to the National Tree
Farm of the year. There have
been four regional winners
from Oregon, but only one, K.C
VanNatta’s, has been from
Columbia County.
Governor asks
for forest road
review, page 3