Hot Topics
Oregon will delay release of a controversial wildfire risk map for the second time as the state Legislature takes up the issue.
A number of bills have been introduced this session that could impact how the map, meant to classify wildfire danger statewide, comes together, leading the Oregon Department of Forestry to postpone release.
“We want to avoid expending resources on work that may not align with new direction that may come from the Legislature this session,” said Cal Mukumoto, director of the Oregon Department of Forestry.
The original map was released last June after passage of Senate Bill 762, which came in the wake of the 2020 Labor Day fires that burned over 1 million acres and destroyed regions of the state seemingly unprepared for the scale of the calamity.
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Emergency Management Commission and Budget Committee are looking to fill positions now.
Got a few free hours each month? Want to meet new friends? Want to leave a lasting positive mark on this city? If YES, then we’ve got an opportunity for you! Throughout its existence, Shady Cove has relied heavily on volunteers to help City Hall “get things done”. It is thanks to these individuals that Shady Cove can not only comfortably exist, but also thrive and even have fun! Sadly, at present, our volunteer base is extremely lean, and this is having a negative affect on some of Shady Cove’s critical services, two of which are Emergency Management and Parks & Recreation. If you have some free time and feel that you can contribute in these areas, please apply! Not sure what these positions entail? Please contact City Hall and they can answer any questions you may have, but in summary:
Emergency Management Commission: (5 Openings) Meets 1 or 2 times a month to study, recommend and promote changes and improvements to how Shady Cove prepares and responds to emergencies. This can include recommendation of a siren, reader board, or other technology to help alert citizens; it can include creation of community response teams to help citizens in times of need; it can include working to ensure that Shady Cove has the resources to save this City from fire . . . the list goes on.
BUDGET COMMITTEE (3 Openings)
Meets only a couple of times during the Spring. Equal numbers of citizens and Councilors meet to recommend to the City Council the next fiscal budget. Currently there are 3 open positions. These are for a three year term.
Applications must be received by Tuesday, March 6 at 4 PM
Application for Committee 2023
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The City is looking to develop Digital Community Calendars to assist businesses, citizens, and tourists in knowing when all Community Events are occurring.
Please contact City Hall at 541-878-2225 or email to donate your local pictures and/or tell us about your local events coming up in 2023.
300 DPI minimum and many formats allowed. You will be required to sign a release for publication.
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https://ktvz.com/community/community-billboard/2022/10/31/with-the-end-of-fire-season-oregon-dept-of-forestry-urges-disposing-of-yard-debris-responsibly/
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) – The Oregon Department of Forestry and other fire prevention experts urge the public to exercise caution when disposing of yard debris this fall.
With the end of fire season, many Oregonians have debris piles ready to be disposed of that cured over the summer. Preferable options for removal, aside from burning, include composting or recycling. Check with your local disposal company for recycling options.
If burning now is the only option to dispose of yard debris, fire prevention specialists ask people to follow safe burning practices. The following tips can help stop run-away burn piles:
- Call before you burn – Burning regulations vary by location depending on the weather and fuel conditions. If you are planning to burn, check with your local Oregon Department of Forestry district, fire protective association, fire department, or air protection authority to learn about current burning restrictions or regulations, and if you need a permit. – Jackson County – 541-776-7007
- Know the weather – Burn early in the day and never burn on dry or windy days, because fires can spread out of control more easily.
- Clear a 10-foot fuel-free buffer around the pile – Scrape a ten-foot trail down to mineral soil around the perimeter of the pile to keep the fire contained in one place. Make sure there are no tree branches or power lines above
- Keep burn piles small – Large burn piles can cast hot embers long distances. Keep piles small, maximum of four feet by four feet. Add debris to the pile in small amounts as the pile burns.
- Always have water and fire tools nearby – When burning, have a charged water hose, and shovel on hand to put out the fire. Keep the area around the pile damp during the burning process. When finished, drown the pile with water, stir the coals, and drown again, repeating until the fire is out cold.
- Stay with the fire until it is out cold – State laws requires monitoring of debris burn piles from start to finish until it is out cold. This law is intended to ensure sparks or embers that jump from the fire can be put out quickly.
- Recheck burn piles. They can retain heat for several weeks and restart when the weather warms up and winds blow.
- Never use gasoline or other flammable or combustible liquids to start or speed up your fire.
- Burn only yard debris – State laws prohibit burning materials or trash that create dense smoke or noxious odors.
- Costs of run-away debris burns– State law requires the proper clearing, building, attending and extinguishing of open fires all year. If your debris burn spreads out of control, you may have to pay for suppression costs, as well as the damage to your neighbors’ properties. This can be extremely expensive.
More tips on wildfire prevention, including campfire safety, motorized equipment use, and fire-resistant landscaping can be found on the Keep Oregon Green website. Find public use restrictions for Oregon Department of Forestry protected lands before your burn.
Yard and Landscape contractors with biz lic
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CALL BEFORE BURNING 541-776-7007
https://www.oregon.gov/odf/fire/pages/fireprevention.aspx
https://www.roguereimagined.org/
Within the last 147 day fire season, there were 240 fires and 21,703 acres burned in Jackson and Josephine counties. Lightning started many of the fires, starting a total of 72 in the area.
Start Preparing Now!
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Our Welcome to Shady Cove signs are in need of repair. Our City Council is requesting your assistance to design what they will look like.
Wood, plastic, stone?
Please email your ideas or comments to or call 541-878-2225.
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MEDFORD — The Jackson County Domestic and Public Well Assistance Program offers up to $7,500 per person to owners who faced challenges with their domestic and public wells located in Jackson County throughout our severe drought in 2021.
On April 13, 2021, our State Governor, Kate Brown, signed executive order No. 21-08 declaring a state of drought emergency in the Jackson County area. This drought has caused issues with water flow and the concentration of particulates in water flowing from wells in Jackson County.
The program aims to financially assist the affected owners of domestic and public wells located within Jackson County to repair existing wells or even construct new ones.
CRITERIA FOR PARTICIPATION
- The residential property was occupied by the legal owner as their primary residence during the 2021 declared drought, and the residence uses a domestic use well for residential needs
- The residential property was occupied by a family member of the legal owner during the 2021 declared drought, and the residence uses a domestic use well for residential needs
- There existed a legal agreement between the legal property owner and a renter of a property during the 2021 declared drought, and the residence uses a domestic use well for residential needs.
- The well existed within a Public Water System and was registered as an active well for domestic use during the 2021 declared drought
And you have filed a Dry Well Report via one of the two options below:
- The legal owner contacted the Jackson County Watermaster’s office and registered a dry well or slow recharge domestic well complaint during the 2021 declared drought; or
- The legal owner completed a Dry Well Reporting Form on the Oregon Water Resources Department web page.
During the 2021 declared drought, If the legal owner did not file a well complaint but is or has experienced well issues after April 13, 2021, as a result of the 2021 declared drought, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Jackson County Watermaster’s office.
DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY
Financial compensation will be established based on the following criteria:
- A complaint was made, or a Dry Well Form was submitted due to the 2021 declared drought.
- The legal owner incurred financial costs due to issues with a domestic well as a result of the 2021 declared drought.
- The legal owner is seeking financial assistance to address their well issues due to the 2021 declared drought.
WELL OWNER PROCESS
If you are an interested domestic well owner, you may obtain an application form from the Jackson County Watermaster website, OR the Jackson County Watermaster’s Office at 10 S Oakdale Avenue, Room 309, in Medford.
Jackson County Watermaster stated that you must complete this application and provide all the information and documentation requested to become eligible for financial compensation. Required information and documentation include a w-9, receipts/invoices and proof of payment, or estimate from a well driller, pump installer, or other professional, and any other supporting documentation you may have.
Submit your application and other documents by either emailing , or by mail or in-person to the Jackson County Watermaster’s Office.
JACKSON COUNTY PROCESS
Jackson County will review your application and all supporting documentation for completeness following your submissions.
They will determine if you meet the criteria and are eligible to participate in the Domestic and Public Well Assistance Program. Financial compensation will be awarded to qualified applicants on a first received basis, as long as funds are available. Funds may be taxable, so consider consulting with a tax advisor.
AWARD
By accepting funds, you agree to allow Jackson County staff access to the property to complete a compliance check as deemed necessary. The maximum award is limited to $7,500.00 per applicant, property owner, or public water system.
- $7,500.00 toward new well construction due to an existing well going dry due to the 2021 declared drought.
- $5,000.00 toward deepening an existing well that qualifies under Oregon Construction Standards (OAR Chapter 690, Divisions 200 through 230) due to the 2021 declared drought.
- $1,500.00 toward installing a new holding tank, meeting the requirements of NSF Standard 61, as a result of the 2021 declared Drought.
- $2,000.00 toward treatment, including disinfection, Arsenic, Nitrate, Iron, and hardness removal; this includes well casing cleanout and reconditioning due to the 2021 declared drought.
- $500.00 for hauled water due to a dry well during the 2021 declared drought.
The Oregon Department of Transportation has placed No Parking signs along the lot just south of the Shady Cove Welcome Sign.
The ban on parking there will be enforced by both the State and local authorities.
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The Oregon Department of Forestry is has funding available to assist residents in reducing fire fuel loads on their property.
Please contact ODF at 541-664-3328 for details and a site inspection.
https://www.oregon.gov/odf/aboutodf/pages/grantsincentives.aspx
https://idyllwildfire.com/defensible-space.html
https://www.nps.gov/articles/what-is-hazard-fuel-reduction.htm
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