Hot Topics
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
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
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
Read More
Here is the site that shows Alert Wildfire cameras throughout the West.
Scroll down under Cave Junction for all the cameras.
https://www.alertwildfire.org/region/oregon/?camera=Axis-CaveJunction
While Vestal Butte is not yet installed, it does say it is “Planned”.
Municipalities have not been hit yet with maintenance costs.
Here is the full list – https://caltopo.com/m/8FVVH
Read More
The City has changed the Ordinance regarding Weed Abatement. It is now all year round. It does not begin in May.
(See below)
Please DO NOT WAIT until you receive a letter from the City regarding your property. This applies to both developed and undeveloped properties. If your property is along a route that people may use to evacuate, the time to begin is crucially important.
The City has had the limb trailer up for a month and very few have taken advantage of this free and local service.
The Oregon Department of Forestry is also able to assist those facing hardship.
Letters have started going out and the CSO is beginning to seek out properties in need of fuel reduction.
Let us assist now in doing a survey of your property.
Please also remember to CALL BEFORE YOU BURN – 541-776-7007
Call City Hall at 541-878-2225 if there are any questions.
ORDINANCE # 304 – Weed Abatement
To assist in preventing wildland fires, the Mayor and City Council of the City of Shady Cove adopted Ordinance # 304, which replaced Ordinance # 301, and it became effective on January 1, 2022. This mandates that all weeds or grass be held under 10” tall all year round. Also, blackberry bushes are restricted and any vegetation that is a health or fire hazard such as downed tree limbs, leaf piles, or other combustible items.
The City was at the mercy of a huge fire not that long ago. We must prepare now for the future. We are still in what has been called a mega-drought. Lakes and reservoirs are at all time lows.
The City has partnered with many other organizations to seek out funding, including, but not limited to: Oregon Department of Forestry, Fire District 4, Rogue Valley Council of Governments, Business Oregon, and FEMA. We have received a map showing all excessive fuel loads on properties.
We will be contacting some property owners in the near future to offer assistance from the Oregon Department of Forestry.
Please assist us now by beginning to get your properties in shape for what is looking like a very dry fire season once again.
Contact City Hall at 541-878-2225 with any questions you may have.
We are all in this together.
Thank you for your time and efforts.
Read More
ORDINANCE # 304 – Weed Abatement
To assist in preventing wildland fires, the Mayor and City Council of the City of Shady Cove adopted Ordinance # 304, which replaced Ordinance # 301, and it became effective on January 1, 2022. This mandates that all weeds or grass be held under 10” tall all year round. Also, blackberry bushes are restricted and any vegetation that is a health or fire hazard such as downed tree limbs, leaf piles, or other combustible items.
The City was at the mercy of a huge fire not that long ago. We must prepare now for the future. We are still in what has been called a mega-drought. Lakes and reservoirs are at all time lows.
The City has partnered with many other organizations to seek out funding, including, but not limited to: Oregon Department of Forestry, Fire District 4, Rogue Valley Council of Governments, Business Oregon, and FEMA. We have received a map showing all excessive fuel loads on properties.
We will be contacting some property owners in the near future to offer assistance from the Oregon Department of Forestry.
Please assist us now by beginning to get your properties in shape for what is looking like a very dry fire season once again.
Contact City Hall at 541-878-2225 with any questions you may have.
We are all in this together.
Thank you for your time and efforts.
Read More
As the devastating war in Ukraine unfolds, Hunter Communications wants to help you stay connected with your loved ones and business partners.
From February 26th through April 7th, all calls to Ukraine will be free.
Whether you’re calling a landline or a mobile phone, your call will be free. If you have an international coverage plan, you can call Ukraine without using any of your minutes.
Hunter is dedicated to keeping our customer connected and supports the pursuit of peace across the globe.
https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2022/02/28/oregon-california-washington-will-lift-most-mask-mandates-on-march-12/
The joint announcement follows dropping case rates and hospitalizations on the West Coast
Masks will no longer be required in stores and other public indoor places on March 12.
Masks will no longer be required in schools but state officials will recommend they still be used, according to a news release.
The joint announcement reflects declining cases and hospitalizations across the West. It also reflects the movement of the virus. It is blind to borders. The first case in the U.S. was identified on Jan. 21, 2020 – in Washington state. Less than a month later – on Feb. 19 – a man in Washington County tested positive for the virus.
“Covid-19 does not stop at state borders or county lines,” Brown said in a statement. “On the West Coast, our communities and economies are linked. Together, as we continue to recover from the omicron surge, we will build resiliency and prepare for the next variant and the next pandemic.”
In Washington state, Gov. Jay Inslee said: “While this represents another step forward for Washingtonians, we must still be mindful that many within our communities remain vulnerable. Many businesses and families will continue choosing to wear masks, because we’ve learned how effective they are at keeping one another safe.”
Masks will continue to be required in Oregon in high-transmission settings like health care facilities and on public transit. The latter is required by federal law.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said that the requirement will also remain in his state for homeless shelters, emergency shelters and in long-term care facilities. Brown’s office didn’t immediately respond to a question about whether that would be the case as well in Oregon.
“There will be some exceptions for state employees,” said Liz Merah, one of Brown’s spokespeople, told the Capital Chronicle in an email. “For example, state employees working in health care or correctional settings may still be required to wear a mask.”
Merah said Monday’s announcement would not affect government buildings that are currently closed. State office buildings in Salem and the Portland State Office building in Northeast Portland that only have been open to the public by appointment will reopen May 1, as announced last week.
Last Thursday, Brown and the Oregon Health Authority said that indoor and school mask mandates would be lifted Friday, March 19, nearly two weeks earlier than originally announced because of the rapid decline in people hospitalized with Covid.
On Friday, 527 people with Covid were in an Oregon hospital bed, with 98 in intensive care and 52 on a ventilator, according to Oregon Health Authority data. That compares with 1,130 people hospitalized on Jan. 27 at the peak of the omicron hospitalizations. A total of 169 people with Covid were in an intensive care bed.
An Oregon Health & Science University prediction said last week that hospitalizations would fall to 400 by March 20. That’s the number that the state wanted to reach to lift the remaining Covid mandates.
At the moment, the risk of becoming infected with the virus is only low in two counties in Oregon: Malheur and Grant. The bottom half of Oregon from Lane, Benton, Jefferson and Crook counties east through Harney County and south to the California border remain at high risk for Covid, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The northern part of the state faces a medium risk. Only Columbia County in the north is at high risk.
Brown said last week that the state of emergency would end April 1. That won’t change, Merah said.
“As we learn to live with this virus, we must remain vigilant to protect each other and prevent disruption to our schools, businesses, and communities – with a focus on protecting our most vulnerable and the people and communities that have been disproportionately impacted by Covid-19,” Brown said.
- « Previous
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- Next »