News & Information
JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. — Gov. Tina Kotek declared a drought emergency in Jackson County on Tuesday, due to low stream flows and May being one of the warmest months on record.
“While conditions have improved since the beginning of water year 2023, a majority of Jackson County is experiencing moderate drought conditions (D1), and the rest of the county is experiencing abnormally dry conditions,” Kotek’s office said in a news release. “Streams benefitted from the above average snowpack the basin received, (but) stream flows quickly receded and are currently measuring below average conditions and continue to trend downwards throughout the county.”
“Drought is likely to have a significant economic impact on the farm, ranch, recreation, tourism and natural resources sectors, as well as an impact on drinking water, fish and wildlife, and important minimum flows for public instream uses and other natural resources dependent on adequate precipitation, stored water, and streamflow in these areas,” the release said. “Extreme conditions are expected to affect local growers and livestock, increase the potential for wildfire fire, shorten the growing season, and decrease water supplies.”
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Shady Cove Volunteers kicked into full swing in May, helping Jackson County Parks to address some latent maintenance issues at the Upper Rogue Regional Park. With tools, paint supplies and muscle, the group swept thru the park rebuilding the rotted picnic tables, weed whacking, trash pickup and bbq pit cleanout. When the crew was done, the park looked loved. Note: Due to a lack of supplies, there are 2 tables still to be rebuilt. These will be restored once the supplies arrive.
As Mayor Jon Ball stated, “the hard work of volunteers is very much what Shady Cove brings to everything”. So cheers to the great volunteers of Shady Cove!
If you would like to be part of this great team helping to beautify Shady Cove (weeding, sweeping, painting, handyman services, coordinating volunteers, etc, etc), please sign up via the City Website (under the Commissions & Committees; Volunteering tabs). Together we can make Shady Cove a City we are all very proud of.
Special thanks to our volunteers on this project –
Kathy Nuckles
Mary Pulcini
Jeff Pulcini
Steve Nuckles
John Edwards
Scott Hatch
James Weidman
On May 23rd, between 12:00 and 3:00 pm, Jackson County will conduct the annual May county-wide test of Citizen Alert. The test alert will be sent to all residents who have opted into Citizen Alert.
If you haven’t signed up as of yet, please do so soon.
https://jacksoncountyor.org/emergency/Resources/Citizen-Alert
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Jan Wilson and her family donated a beautiful park bench to the City in remembrance of Richard J. Wilson and Patrick Morris Meyer.
We thank them for their kind actions.
Come join us on May 29 as we honor those who sacrificed so much for the freedoms we enjoy!
psssst . . . Secret is out . . . Retiring Fire Chief Greg Winfrey and our soon-to-be Fire Chief Travis Crume will perform the honors of raising the Stars and Stripes at Shady Cove’s upcoming Memorial Day Flag Raising and Pancake Breakfast event (May 29th at 9am, City Hall). Come celebrate with us!
- Supplies, furnishings and materials needed for classrooms and early learning spaces
- Repairs or updates to a child care center or home-based facilities
- Outdoor play structures, new fencing and other equipment
- Up to six months of start-up funding, including wages for staff
- Technology and software
- Insurance costs and licensing fees
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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Volunteers for All Events are needed.
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. 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:
Application for Commission or Committee 2023
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The City is looking to develop both Digital and Paper Visual 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.
600 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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