There was a time when timber companies encouraged public recreation. Now they
are charging for it. Weyco bought the Longfibre property in nw Oregon and
charges for everything. I know an elderly couple who paid for the right to go
elk hunting. They were told if they got an elk they couldn't enlist the help of
their children, because the children hadn't paid. When so much of the roads are
public and maintained by taxes I think it's outrageous that the BLM allows the
sort of limited access I'm reading about. It's really untenable. Lars
On Jun 16, 2016, at 9:50 AM, shawn birder (Redacted sender "shawnbirder" for
DMARC) wrote:
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 Schmelzer
Portland
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
Thanks for 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 Fairchild
Benton 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.
