Linn County will participate in a new Oregon Timber Counties Coalition, commissioners Roger Nyquist, Sherrie Sprenger and Will Tucker agreed Tuesday, Nov. 2.
The coalition will include western Oregon counties with national forest lands. Douglas and Klamath counties will contribute $15,000 per year to fund lobbying efforts for the group, and Linn, Coos, Marion, Polk and Tillamook counties will contribute $7,500 each per year. Klamath County will collect the funds, which will be used to hire the Jamison & Sullivan consulting firm to promote the productivity and health of the state’s national forests.
Commissioner Tucker said last week in introducing the proposal that counties have relied on lobbying by an Associated Oregon Counties committee, which hasn’t been active for more than a year. He noted that the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Bureau of Land Management have already made progress cleaning up their properties after last September’s Santiam Canyon wildfires, but the U.S. Forest Service has lagged far behind.
The new coalition will provide counties with “a voice in Washington, D.C.” he said.
Its first meeting will be held in December.
In other business, the commissioners:
— Approved a pass-through between Special Transportation Services and the Senior Citizens of Sweet Home, dba Linn Shuttle, for the purchase of a new bus valued at about $340,000. State funds will pay for about 80% of the cost and Sweet Home Senior Citizens will pay a 20% match.
— Approved an intergovernmental agreement between the Linn County Sheriff’s Office and Oregon State University to provide law enforcement services as needed at sporting events.
— Approved the purchase of four F-350 Ford pickups for the Road Department at a total cost of $201,605 from Northside Ford Truck Sales in Portland through the State of Oregon price agreement.
— Approved a cooperative agreement with the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Road Department to assist each other in emergencies.
— Approved a temporary employment agreement for one month with Lt. James Welch, who retired Oct. 31, but will remain on duty until Nov. 30.
— Approved a cooperative agreement with the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Road Department to assist each other in emergencies.
– Alex Paul, Linn County Communications Officer