Back in 1982 I lived in North Bend, was a paid firefighter there...in a miserably run department. I moved on and find myself in New York State, one of the worst possible places to live.


I write because I am a member of OFF and they have linked to your successful campaign to essentially un-enforce Oregon's oppressive gun laws.

What surprises me is that the two commissioners balk at gun rights...they must have sneaked up from California overnight and borrowed local addresses to run.,  I found NB to be a very conservative place.

I know the libs say you "can't do that" you know, much like Obama "can't write executive orders for everything" but the neat piece is there is very little mechanism to force a sheriff to enforce the law.

Congratulations on your successful initiative; Coos County is a safer place to live.  In the perfect world the two commissioners would be run out of town for their utter failure to enable their constituents to protect themselves.  Maybe in your part of the country this could happen.  I think the two commissioners should proudly display signs on their lawns, "this house is proudly unarmed."  See how that works.

I also lived in Reedsport for a number of years.  Love the Oregon Coast and delighted that Roseburg protested the visit of His Highness from DC...who was not able to totally control the media at that event.

John Tyson,
Saint James New York
Proud volunteer firefighter - 343

OMRP Completes Marine Reserve Interpretive Panels for Oregon's South Coast 

Collaborating with community members, partners, and Lodestar Studio, Inc., the Oregon Marine Reserves Partnership just completed designing interpretive panels for the Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve in Port Orford and the Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve at both Sea Lion Caves in Florence and Siuslaw National Forest sites along Highway 101. Production of these signs completes the first of three phases of marine reserve interpretive panels for the coast of Oregon. Installation of all 14 signs will occur within the next several months, in time for the spring tourist season along the coast.

The Redfish Rocks interpretive panels take visitors on an underwater journey from the shore of the Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve to the base of Redfish Rocks, discovering the marine fish and animals that call those habitats home. The panels also featured the important role of community fishermen, research at the reserves, and the abundant fish and wildlife resources found in the reserve.

Sea Lion Caves panels focused on the "Legacy of Protection," the story of Sea Lion Caves and the long-term stewardship of the site by private landowners. In addition, upwelling, Stellar sea lions, and research at the caves were featured on the panels.

Siuslaw National Forest panels feature the 41 square mile Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve, including the critical "Land-Sea Connection," the Globally Important Bird Areas (e.g., Heceta Banks) that attract birds from all over the world, the hundreds of species that call this marine reserve home, and the "Giants of the Land and Sea," - the whales and Sitka spruce that define the marine and terrestrial ecosystems of Cape Perpetua.

To view all of the interpretive panels produced, click here.

Related Posts:
County Planning Reopens Record for Comments Part of LNG Project Dec. 29, 2015
USDA Disguising Access for Sustainability in Region's Travel Analysis Reports
USACE Quarterly Permitting Process Meetings Coos County Feb. May, Aug. & Nov
TNC Benefits from States Loss & $450 Million More from Taxpayers for LWCF
NOAA Proposed Recovery Plan for Coho Salmon September 2015
Fish and Wildlife Commission delists wolves statewide in split vote (4-2) ‏
Coos Bay Area Chamber of Commerce Breakfast Meeting w/ODFW October 16, 2015
Coos County Approves Nature Conservancy's Tide Gate for China Camp Creek
ODFW ~ Conservation Opportunity Areas for Stealing Private Property
USACE ~ Comment on Permit Application Process Wednesday November 18, 2015
USFWS ~ Treating Private Property off the Bandon Marsh
The Mosquitoes Return to the Coquille Valley
Why does the Government Own & Hoard Resources?
Senator Wyden’s O&C Plan will Bankrupt Counties Part #2
Senator Wyden's O&C Plan will Bankrupt Counties  Part #1
Senator Whitsett---Oregon: Transfer public lands from feds?
Natural Resources Committee--State Forests Management Superior to Federal Forests
O&C Land---Timber Bill and Log Prices
BLM---Lawsuit expands to lock-up 90 million bd-ft of timber    
B-Corporations:  The Redefining of what it means to be a Corporation
The Federalization of Local Urban Renewal Agencies
The National Fish & Wildlife Foundation

Forest Service Publishes Region’s Travel Analysis Reports

Release Date: Dec 16, 2015  

Portland, Ore -- The U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region released 17 travel analysis reports this week that outline existing road systems and identify opportunities to achieve a more sustainable system of roads for each national forest in the Pacific Northwest. These travel analysis reports are part of nationwide requirement involving national forests across the country.

These reports are not decision documents—instead, they provide an analysis of where the existing road system is today. All future proposed actions and decisions will involve further opportunities for public input and engagement at the project-level under national environmental policy act processes, according to guidance issued by Regional Forester Jim Peña to all national forests.

“The release of these travel analysis reports is a critical step to ensure our future road system investments promote the greatest good for the great number in the long run,” said Peña. “Given the long-term funding expectations, these reports will help the Forest Service strike the right balance between meeting a diversity of access needs while ensuring the health of your forests and streams.”

The reports will inform future decisions on where and how to invest limited resources on building new roads, managing current roads, or decommissioning old roads. Travel analysis reports identify roads “likely needed” and “likely not needed” in the future, as well as opportunities to change road operation and maintenance strategies, decommission, convert to other use, or add to the system.

As part of a national travel management process, the Forest Service is working to achieve a financially and ecologically sustainable road system that meets access needs, minimizes adverse environmental impacts, and reflects long-term funding expectations.

Through a variety of processes, national forests have worked closely with the public and stakeholder groups to collect information and feedback about social, economic, and ecological concerns and impacts around forest road systems. For many national forests, this is the first time they have looked at their entire road system in a comprehensive way.

The Forest Service manages approximately 90,000 miles of roads in Oregon and Washington that must be maintained to provide safe public and administrative access for a variety of uses, including recreation, fire suppression, commercial activities, forest restoration, and other management purposes. It is a challenge to maintain all roads to proper safety and environmental standards due to increased use, aging infrastructure, and decreasing budgets. Many roads, built between 1950 and 1990, have exceeded their designed lifespan and require costly repairs. Unmaintained roads and infrastructure can impact water quality and wildlife habitat, especially fish-bearing streams. Backlog maintenance projects top $1.2 billion, and funds available for road maintenance each year are only about 15% of what is needed to fully maintain the current road system.

Of the 90,000 miles of Forest Service roads in Oregon and Washington, about 2/3 of those are currently open and maintained for both public and administrative purposes. The other 1/3 of the current road system is managed for specific project uses. These roads are opened during project activities, and closed and put in storage between uses. The travel analysis reports indicate that about 12% of the overall road system is “likely not needed” for resource management purposes in the future. However, the majority of roads in this category are part of the closed and stored road system. Only about 20% (approximately 2,000 miles) of the roads shown as “likely not needed” in the travel analysis reports come from the group of roads that are currently open to the public.

Travel analysis reports for individual national forests in Oregon and Washington can be found here.

The Pacific Northwest Region consists of 16 National Forests, 59 District Offices, a National Scenic Area, and a National Grassland comprising 24.7 million acres in Oregon and Washington and employing approximately 3,550 people. To learn more about the U.S. Forest Service in the Pacific Northwest, please visit www.fs.usda.gov/r6.  

###

Travel Analysis Reports by Forest - Released December 2015
•    Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area

•    Colville National Forest

•    Deschutes National Forest

•    Fremont-Winema National Forest

•    Gifford Pinchot National Forest

•    Malheur National Forest

•    Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest

•    Mt. Hood National Forest

•    Ochoco National Forest

•    Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

•    Olympic National Forest

•    Rogue-River Siskiyou National Forest

•    Siuslaw National Forest

•    Umatilla National Forest

•    Umpqua National Forest

•    Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

•    Willamette National Forest

Related Posts:
USACE Quarterly Permitting Process Meetings Coos County Feb. May, Aug. & Nov
TNC Benefits from States Loss & $450 Million More from Taxpayers for LWCF
NOAA Proposed Recovery Plan for Coho Salmon September 2015
Fish and Wildlife Commission delists wolves statewide in split vote (4-2) ‏
Coos Bay Area Chamber of Commerce Breakfast Meeting w/ODFW October 16, 2015
Coos County Approves Nature Conservancy's Tide Gate for China Camp Creek
ODFW ~ Conservation Opportunity Areas for Stealing Private Property
USACE ~ Comment on Permit Application Process Wednesday November 18, 2015
USFWS ~ Treating Private Property off the Bandon Marsh
The Mosquitoes Return to the Coquille Valley
Why does the Government Own & Hoard Resources?
Senator Wyden’s O&C Plan will Bankrupt Counties Part #2
Senator Wyden's O&C Plan will Bankrupt Counties  Part #1
Senator Whitsett---Oregon: Transfer public lands from feds?
Natural Resources Committee--State Forests Management Superior to Federal Forests
O&C Land---Timber Bill and Log Prices
BLM---Lawsuit expands to lock-up 90 million bd-ft of timber    
B-Corporations:  The Redefining of what it means to be a Corporation
The Federalization of Local Urban Renewal Agencies
The National Fish & Wildlife Foundation

Hey Patriots,

Please tell me?
What the HELL is the matter with Republicans in DC?
 
Did they get their spines removed? 
 
The US Congress reenacted the Land Water Conservation Fund for three more years.  Both houses have a republican majority, yet the party of limited government cannot find the fortitude to stop funneling tax dollars into groups driven by environmental extremism.   The house republicans negotiatiated a deal with the democrats over bans on crude oil exports. 
 
The cost of this green slush fund will top 450 million dollars and part of the money goes for the Bandon Marsh Mosquito Preserve & NWR.      
 
Scroll down after clicking the following link and on the right side of the page there is a list of projects funded by the LWCF, including the Bandon Marsh NWR.  http://www.lwcfcoalition.org/oregon.html
 
The western states will never be free from federal ownership until the money funding these land acquisitions begin to dry up….Rob T.  

ARLINGTON, VA | December 16, 2015

Congress has released its omnibus federal spending package, which sets funding levels for government agencies for Fiscal Year 2016. It also contains a number of conservation and environmental provisions that will affect America’s lands, waters, and wildlife, including a three-year reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and funding that program at $450 million next year. The House and Senate are expected to vote on the bill later this week.

The Nature Conservancy released the following statement from its global Managing Director for Public Policy Lynn Scarlett in response to the omnibus bill:

“The omnibus bill shows promise on many of the top conservation issues facing our nation today. The bill includes greater overall funding for critical land and water conservation work that supports secure and prosperous communities across America, and we are grateful for that commitment.

“We are particularly eager to see the Land and Water Conservation Fund continue its critical work for conservation and recreation. The short-term reauthorization of LWCF in the omnibus is helpful progress that will allow continued investment in the lands and waters that sustain our communities, boost our economy and safeguard our environment. And, it will do so with higher funding next year than the program has had for many years. We’re happy to see this vital and successful 50-year-old program continue to deliver important economic, recreation, and natural resource benefits to the American people.

“However, we—and many other Americans from coast to coast—believe we must continue to work toward a fully funded and permanent future for LWCF. Conserving our nation’s lands and waters is not a short-term need; it is a long-term foundation for our future. Congressional leaders on LWCF fought hard for a permanent reauthorization, and we are grateful for their dedication and persistence. We’ll do everything we can to support that continued effort to make a sustainable, long-term future for LWCF become reality.

“In another positive development, the omnibus bill makes enhanced tax deductions for conservation easement donations permanent. This ensures that one of the most effective tools for conserving private working lands across the country will be available for future generations. In addition, dozens of harmful riders that would have undermined environmental law were originally under consideration, but were dropped from the final bill. We appreciate the efforts of members of Congress who steadfastly opposed the riders.

“But we are disappointed this bill did not include a fix for the wildfire funding problem that has plagued forest health and restoration efforts for years. This was a missed opportunity, despite bipartisan support, a great deal of effort from congressional champions and broad consensus that action is urgently needed. We will continue to work with Congress to provide a solution next year.”

“In all, the omnibus bill advances the critical benefits that conservation of lands and waters provide to American communities and families. We are grateful for all of the hard work of our champions in Congress who made this possible. This omnibus is a hopeful signal for the even greater conservation policy progress we believe is necessary and possible in the very near future.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the web at www.nature.org. To learn about the Conservancy’s global initiatives, visit www.nature.org/global. To keep up with current Conservancy news, follow @nature_press on Twitter.

Three Percent Meeting:

Thursday December 10th at 6:30 P.M. The Oregon III% Coos County Chapter will hold a general meeting and training class at the Coos Bay Fire Station at 4th and Elrod in Coos Bay.

Southwest Oregon Preppers will teach the essentials of developing emergency bug out bags for you and your family. This event is open to the public and free of charge. Donations are greatly appreciated.

Oregon III% is a non profit patriotic organization dedicated to preserving, protecting and defending the U.S. Constitution and American values. Visit us on Facebook.​

I know some of you probably saw my post on Facebook about practicing for the Amateur Radio (Technician level) test, but here it is again in more depth.

I found an article by a group called AmRRON (the American Redoubt Radio Operators Network) that really simplifies what you need to know to get yourself ready for your HAM test.

https://www.amrron.com/2015/05/17/comms-101-2m-vhf/

My previous email had shown the practice exams at http://www.qrz.com/hamtest/ but the AmRRON article mentioned a free application for your smartphone that does exactly the same thing. It's called "Ham Test Prep" and it's available for Android smartphones from the Google Play store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iversoft.ham.test.prep

This app has made it so easy to study for my license I can't recommend it enough. The best thing is that since your phone is almost always in your pocket, you can pull it out and do a practice test whenever you have a few extra minutes. I've been taking the practice test repeatedly over the last week and can easily pass it every time now. There are still a few questions that trip me up but as long as you can take the test 5 times in a row and get a passing score (75% or more) every time then you are ready for the real thing.

Local testing is held by the Coos County Radio Club (https://www.facebook.com/Coos-County-Radio-Club-143710642367394/?fref=ts). The next test is on Thursday December 17th at 6:00pm at the North Bend Public Library. The cost for the test is $15. I didn't think I would be ready nearly this soon but am now planning to take the test that day. I'd like to challenge the rest of our group to practice and see how many can get their licenses with me.

A few of the test questions involve Ohm's Law which is the relationship of Volts to Amps to Ohms. Some others require you to determine the amount of Watts.

The easiest way to memorize both equations is with the image below.

The first equation shows that Volts equals Amps multiplied by Ohms. Some of the tests questions will give you two of these numbers and ask you to solve for the third. Remember that in an equation, terms that are next to each other should be multiplied and terms that are on top or below each other should be divided. For example, if you have 120 Volts and 2 Ohms (E is on top of R), you would divide 120 by 2 which would give you an answer of 60 Amps. The second equation works exactly the same but is for determining Watts. The easiest way to remember them is with the acronyms EIR and PIE, the first letter is on top, the second and third are on the bottom.

Study hard and I hope to see you on the 17th!

-Matt W.