This year the Alvord Ranch has put up signs that Pike Creek is a fee area-$2.50
per person for a day pass and more for camping. Most of the other canyons in
this area are also posted, several with access for hunters only. The Alvord
Hot Springs attendant said that they are regularly in conflict with the BLM
about this. The fee is being charged to cross the Alvord Ranch property to
access BLM lands. Despite an easement for access the attendant said that the
public is trespassing when we cross Alvord Ranch property. I discussed this
with the Burns Chamber of Commerce and they knew about the camping fee but not
the day use fee. There were no improvements to the road into Pike Creek or any
other improvements found. Shawn SchmelzerPortland
From: Karan Fairchild <alderspr@xxxxxxxx>
To: roygerig@xxxxxxxxx; obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; BOO List <boo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2016 7:38 AM
Subject: [boo] Re: [obol] Interior coast range birds, Polk County
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your respectful response, Roy. Times they are a changing.Last Saturday while
doing Western Bluebird surveys for a National Audubon Society pilot project on
climate change, Karan and I also found many roads through O&C checkerboard
lands, built and maintained by federal dollars to high standards, are still
largely open. Some have been appropriated by private industrials by gate or
‘permit entry’ signs, and in places have been duplicated nearby to stay in the
public checkerboard, only adding to the road network, its impact, plus a
confused driver and GPS plotting. The most recent clearcuts, the most suitable
habitat for WESTERN BLUEBIRDs, were all behind gates. Older clearcuts did
harbor a wealth of interesting “early seral” birds, including PURPLE MARTIN,
McGILLIVRAY’S WARBLER, WILLOW and OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, and ubiquitous
robins and white-crowns. Within the 100 meter radius plots, there really
weren’t that many birds. Once BLM refused me access to BLM land on a BLM road
through private land when I was reviewing a planned timber sale. When I
pointed out this fell under their road agreement to access for administrative
purposes, BLM relented. Jim FairchildBenton County From:
obol-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:obol-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Roy ;
Gerig
Sent: Wednesday, June 15, 2016 3:15 PM
To: obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [obol] Interior coast range birds, Polk County I went up the Stott
Mtn Rd from Grande Ronde a couple miles when a white pickup came up fast and
said did you know this is private land? Well I did, I said. I am on a BLM Rd.
Yes said the white pickup, but it is not open to the public. Oh, I worked
here 25 and 20 years ago, I was taking this road to get into BLM land. it was
open to the public then and I thought it was OK. No he said. We talked, he
still being a security guard but respectful. Times have changed he said. I
haven't been to the coast range of Polk, Benton, Yamhill, Tillamook Counties
much for 15 years. I spent much of my time there in the 1980-90s. This is not
a comment or criticism or political, but times have changed and you can't
always get there from here anymore... At low elevation, WILSON'S WARBLERS most
noticeable, then a little higher OC WARBLERS and WARBLING VIREO. Into a mature
forest, HERMIT WARBLER, with PAC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER, PACIFIC WREN, SWAINSON'S
THRUSH and a HUTTON'S VIREO. On the way back down from a slide at 3000' I
heard about half of a 'TOO-Ok' from a Mtn Quail, a little later an unmistakable
tail (gray band at the end of a long tail) of a large bird flying over the
road, a SOOTY GROUSE. I heard a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK up there, where there is a
little Old-Growth at about mp 5 on the Gold Creek Rd. That was new to me, but
not surprising.
