News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 151 - 175 of 177
In a year of political turmoil, one of Congress' important achievements was passage of legislation to boost wildland firefighting resources. According to U.S. Forest Service sources, congressional funding increased to the tune of approximately $2 billion for wildland firefighting and support positions nation-wide. Catastrophic fires in Montana and New Mexico played a key role in catalyzing congressional action. Some of the new resources are specifically designated to create new "Hot Shot" firefighting teams, like those... Full story
Another important step has been taken on the Metolius River toward the reintroduction of salmon populations to Central Oregon. Officials from the U.S. Geological Survey and Portland General Electric installed two large salmon smolt traps at the Gorge Campground, two miles downstream from Camp Sherman last week. The traps are designed to capture live smolts for study. One of the traps belongs to PGE and the other, which just arrived from a similar steelhead project in Idaho, was provided by USGS. A PGE crew and boom-lift... Full story
Recent controversy surrounding a Multnomah Publishers proposal involving a swap of Forest Service land has a lot of people asking questions about the practice of exchanging public land to private interests. Many of those skeptical about the swap seem to consider Forest Service lands to be inviolate wilderness bastions in perpetuity. In reality, National Forests sometimes bear more similarity to banks than hereditary real estate holdings. Like a bank -- where dollars bills withdrawn are usually different dollars than those act... Full story
Last month, a major federal reorganization consolidated the management of many federal lands in Central Oregon. Already, the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests are being managed as one, and Bureau of Land Management holdings are being brought under the same banner, as well. It's all part of the Federal Government's "Central Oregon Initiative," which is designed to "streamline" land management practices. "Reorganization" and "streamlining" are buzzwords tossed around in corporate and government circles and generally refer... Full story
The job is nearly done, but late last week the Forest Service called a halt to its own burning program. For the past few weeks, Forest Service employees have been racing the advancing winter weather to finish burning thousands of slash piles. Most of the slash consists of fallen limbs and small trees cut to thin the forest. "Last week was a pretty big week for burning, " said Mark Rapp, Assistant Fire Management Officer for the Sisters Ranger District. "We've ceased new ignitions, however, primarily because of the air... Full story
The Forest Service's controlled burns along the Highway 20 corridor will likely continue until about Thanksgiving. Daryl Davis, U.S. Forest Service representative, says that the Highway 20 burn project is going well and is working its way down from Santiam Pass toward Sisters. The Forest Service has been working to enhance forest health and fire safety in an area that was hard hit by insect damage and a long history of fire suppression. The controlled burn program is designed to restore the natural pattern of cyclic burning... Full story
When he first took over Squaw Creek Ranch, Frank Deggendorfer says that the stream bed was usually "bone dry" in the summertime. Today, he can point to "thousands of fingerling trout" where the river runs through his property. Squaw Creek Ranch isn't one of those big western spreads that took John Wayne three days to ride across. Nestled in an inconspicuous canyon, just east of the Sisters airport and McKinney Butte, the ranch encompasses a relatively modest 316 acres. A sign at the main gate warns, "Beware grumpy... Full story
Most irrigation canals in Central Oregon run through highly porous volcanic soils that soak up water like a sponge. In some cases, over half the water flow in an unlined irrigation canal may be lost by the time the water reaches its intended destination. To prevent that, a major project is underway to pipe the Cloverdale Ditch. The Deschutes Basin Resources Conservancy brought together local, state, federal, tribal and private representatives in Sisters last Thursday, October 19, to review this and other area projects... Full story
The Forest Service has labeled last week's controlled burn of Black Butte Swamp a success. Meadow burning is relatively new to the Sisters Ranger District, and this burn, conducted Friday, October 6, had a few surprises. The burn started out as planned, with "blacklining" conducted along the meadow border. Blacklining is the process of burning a ring around the blaze to keep the subsequent primary fire inside the prescribed limits. Smoke warning signs were placed along Highway 20, just east of Black Butte Ranch, but the... Full story
Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District residents should all be able to take advantage of lower fire insurance rates, according to Fire Chief, Chuck Cable. Cable reports that the entire Cloverdale district now qualifies for a "Level 6" rating from the Insurance Services Office (ISO). "We've done all the work to meet the conditions," said Cable. "The problem is that insurance companies are slow to change rates." He also pointed out that the ISO is an independent office, but insurance companies use the ISO evaluation. An ISO... Full story
Fall has just begun, but already cooler temperatures have prompted the Forest Service to consider resumption of prescribed burns in the Sisters area. Topping the list is a highly visible meadow known as Black Butte Swamp. The meadow lies along Highway 20 just east of the entrance to Black Butte Ranch. Mark Rapp, Assistant Fire Management Officer for the Sisters Ranger District, said that the area to be burned includes "all the visible portions of the meadow, from the highway to the edge of the willows." The purpose of this... Full story
A report just released by the World Wildlife Fund and the Oregon Natural Resources Council suggests that rural economic growth is linked to the presence of nearby roadless and protected lands. The report is supportive of President Clinton's recent steps to alter public use and access on millions of acres of federal lands. A joint news release by the WWF and ONRC quotes economist Rob Southwick, co-author of the report, as saying, "People and communities in counties with protected wilderness have witnessed increased economic... Full story
Blue skies, nice people and good music. The 10th High Mountains Jazz at Sisters festival is in the books, and festival Director Ray Buselli risked a smile late Sunday afternoon. "Well, everything worked out great," said Buselli, with a hint of relief in his voice. This is his baby. For the last six years, Buselli has been in charge of putting together the Sisters jazz festival. It's a big job that begins even before the curtain comes down on the previous festival. The 2000 edition of the Jazz Festival had a distinct... Full story
The 2000 Sisters Folk Festival was such a big success that latecomers had to be turned away on Saturday night, September 9, for want of room. The fire marshal closed the gate to last-minute arrivals when an overflow crowd of more than 700 folk music fans packed the mainstage tent on The Village Green. From the moment that Chuck McCabe opened the festival on Friday afternoon until headliner Guy Clark closed it down before a raucous crowd late Saturday night, Sisters swayed to the beat of some of the best folk music in the... Full story
The woods around Sisters are a tinderbox. According to Mark Rapp, Assistant Fire Management Officer for the Sisters Ranger District, local fire conditions are rated "extreme." So far, no serious fires have broken out in the Sisters area, but the potential for problems is rapidly increasing. Smokey Bear's warning gauges are all pegged to the right, with fire danger needles solidly lodged in the red zone. Smokey isn't the only one concerned about the level of fire danger in the area. Rapp pointed out that the Forest Service's... Full story
Glaze Meadow, bordering present-day Black Butte Ranch, was frequented by Native Americans for thousands of years. In the 1860s, settlers of European descent began to colonize the area -- and things haven't been quite the same since. Today, however, steps are being taken to restore the meadow to its natural state. "The Glaze Meadow project is a partnership for the restoration of habitat for both plants and animals," Lauri Turner, a wildlife biologist with the Sisters Ranger District, explained. Partners with the Forest... Full story
Inner-city kids are being exposed to the arts in the wilds of Central Oregon -- at Camp Caldera on Blue Lake. The brainchild of Dan and Bonnie Wieden of Portland, the project was launched four years ago. "This was a dream of the Wieden family," said Greg Brand, year-round facilities manager of the camp. "They wanted this opportunity for kids who would never have a chance to do something like this in such a beautiful outdoor setting." The camp is designed for at-risk middle school children, who would not normally have the... Full story
The Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce won't get a boost in room tax revenue from the City of Sisters -- and the organization is sorely disappointed. The Sisters City Council turned down a budget request by the chamber for a bigger share of the Transient Room Tax, an 8 percent surcharge on each motel room rented in the city. Chamber president Jeff Jones stated that the "City of Sisters currently has the region's highest room tax (8 percent) and the lowest share going to the Chamber of Commerce (25 percent)." He proposes that... Full story
Six suspicious fires in the Sisters area have ignited more than some local acreage. They've also sparked the attention of the Central Oregon Arson Task Force. "The frequency of fires in that short window of time raised a big red flag for us," said Ron Pugh, Resident Forest Special Agent and Task Force coordinator, Five trained arson investigators took a close look at the burn sites. Principal agencies involved in the Task Force are the U.S. Forest Service, Deschutes County Sheriff's Office, Oregon State Police, Oregon... Full story
A prison work camp is no picnic, but it's not meant to be. The work is hard and the hours long: six 10-hour days per week. Still, the 40 inmates clearing forest debris near Black Butte Ranch see the experience in a positive light. "Believe it or not, I'm enjoying this," said inmate Mike Ratliff. "You've got to remember, I'm from the city; and I've never appreciated the woods." Ratliff is a recovering heroin addict who admits he's been in and out of prison more than once on drug-related offenses. But, at 43 years of age, he... Full story
Memorial Day weekend will bring the long-awaited opening of the second nine holes at Aspen Lakes Golf Course. The facility is eventually slated for a total of 27 holes. The second nine will open on Saturday, May 27. A formal Grand Opening will take place from June 30 to July 4. Views of the Three Sisters highlight the new course, and the mountains themselves lend their historic names to each of three nine-hole courses. In the 1840's, the Three Sisters were named Mounts Faith, Hope, and Charity by members of the Methodist... Full story
There's word on the street of a new Sisters Outlaws sports fund-raiser that's as big as a house. Actually, it is a house. Outlaws boosters have formed a limited liability corporation established to purchase land, then build and sell a house. Not your typical high school sports fund-raiser. "It was just sort of a brainstorm that popped out when we were talking to parents about fundraising," said Outlaws baseball coach Brian Stevens. "One of our parents works with Adair Homes and sort of volunteered." "We can do it. We've done... Full story
The Sisters region won't feel much effect from a sweeping Clinton administration plan to end road construction in large areas of the West. Forest Service Chief Mike Dombeck unveiled last week the policy that would effectively end road construction on 43 million acres of Forest Service lands -- nearly a quarter of the 192 million-acre National Forest system. Sisters District Ranger Bill Anthony said the proposal would have no visible impact in the Sisters area. "I don't see any change locally that will affect current public... Full story
Funding of the Deschutes National Forest has dropped 41 percent since 1990, and 15 percent in just the past two years. However, the Deschutes National Forest remains the most highly funded forest in the nation, according to Bill Anthony, Sisters District Ranger. For various reasons, high profile forests in the Northwest have traditionally received more funds -- and still do. As an example, Anthony cited a Colorado forest of exactly the same size (1.6 million acres) which receives a budget allocation of less than one-third... Full story
Sixth grade students from Sisters Elementary School spent most of last week in the woods learning about nature -- and about themselves. The site for the special outdoor school was Camp Tamarack, in the heart of Deschutes National Forest west of Sisters. Carol Packard, sixth grade teacher at Sisters Elementary, coordinated the program that teaches youngsters about the natural world in a format that combines fun with a memorable outdoor experience. Packard praised the high school seniors who served as volunteer camp counselors... Full story
