Noted biologist to speak this evening
There has been a lot of talk in recent years about the impacts of habitat loss and environmental change on native salmon. While the major changes have threatened the very existence of wild Coho and other salmonids, the fish themselves are pretty adaptive.
Rebecca Flitcroft – “You know our Pacific salmon have an amazing variety of life history characteristics that allow them to really take advantage of the environment and to be very responsive to disturbance. And that is their adaptation. What is built into their genetics already.”
Dr. Rebecca Flitcroft has spent much of her scientific career as a fish biologist for the U.S. Forest Service studying climate and salmon in the Coast Range. She’ll be speaking this evening to directors of the Siuslaw Watershed Council in Florence.
Rebecca Flitcroft – “Well you know what I’d really like people to come away with is really think about our environment, and our river systems and our fishes, and maybe think about them in a different way. And to realized that this is an opportunity as well as a challenge as we move forward.”
Doors open at six at the Bromley Room of Siuslaw Public Library. The meeting is from 6:30 to 8:30.
Rotary meets fund raising goal… by the hair of their chinny chin chin
For the second year in a row, the Florence Rotary Club has raised more than $100-thousand at their annual charity auction and dinner. The dinner was March 12th, but club members have been tallying up the proceeds over the past two-and-a-half weeks. Co-organizer Kevin McMullen says all of it will be used for the community.
Kevin McMullen – “All the money stays locally. It goes for scholarships and local community projects.”
Roughly half of it will be passed on to area students in the form of scholarships.
Kevin McMullen – “Right close to 50, 51-thousand.”
McMullen said last week they saw they might fall just short of last year’s record setting amount. Some of his fellow Rotarians urged him to take drastic action, encouraging him with pledges…
Kevin McMullen – “Raised over $2,000 to cut my beard off.”
A group of club members had their scissors and shears out yesterday, trimming McMullen’s chin clean for charity.
Lane County considering future of Forest Work Camp
The approximately 70-acre Lane County Forest Work Camp on the upper reaches of the Siuslaw River southwest of Eugene could be on the market. The former correctional facility was closed in 2008 as a cost-cutting move. But it’s sat vacant for several years now. Lane County Commissioner Jay Bozievich said they have to spend up to $250-thousand a year just on security to keep vandals and metal thieves from gutting the buildings.
The Board of Commissioners discussed the possibility of selling or leasing the facility yesterday. They directed Lane County Staff to develop a specific “request for proposal” for possible uses.
The land is zoned forestry and there are limited uses that would be allowed. In fact, Lane County is looking at a deadline of next spring to do something with the land or their conditional use permit allowing the camp will expire.
Tree planting tradition
In 1945 students at Reedsport schools began a tradition that continues. Today is the 71st annual Lower Umpqua Tree Plant.
Fifth and Sixth Graders at Reedsport’s Highland Elementary School will be joined by students from Elkton on private timberland along Weatherly Creek, 22 miles east of Reedsport.
There, they’ll learn about forestry and land management… and plant several hundred Douglas Fir seedlings.
The Umpqua event is the longest running tree planting event in the United States.
It’s hosted by Roseburg Resources Company, the Oregon Department of Forestry, Coos Forest Protective Association, Douglas County Forestry Department and the Bureau of Land Management.
Prescription drop off reopens
Area residents will now have an environmentally safe way to dispose of excess and unused prescription drugs. The drug disposal drop box at the Florence Justice Center has been reopened.
It had been removed last year for a variety of reasons. One of those was that some people were using it to dispose of “sharps”… used needles and lancets. Those are not allowed.
Only solid prescription drugs… no liquids… from residential and family users. Megan Messmer with the City of Florence said it is not intended for use by commercial facilities.
The box is inside the entry of the Florence Justice Center just off Ninth Street and is available Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM.
Higher prices sprout for gasoline
Higher crude oil prices, increased demand and reduced production continue to be the listed causes for an increase in retail gasoline. Locally, the average cash price for a gallon of regular increased five cents this week to two-dollars-even.
Oregon’s statewide average, as measured by Triple-A, went up two cents and is at $2.17 this week.
The national average price went up six cents and is at the highest point so far in 2016… $2.04 a gallon.
