Tony Farque, archeologist for the Sweet Home Ranger District received the national Keepers of the Gate Award for Stewardship of Cascadia Cave from the American Rock Art Research Association.
Farque was honored for his 22 plus years of continued education and preservation of Cascadia Cave. Cascadia Cave is owned by Cascade Timber Consulting on private land, and with special permission Farque conducts educational tours and provides for continued research of the Cave.
The Cascadia Cave petroglyphs (rock art) date back 8000 years and it is an important Native American site.
A tour of Cascadia Cave scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday, June 22, with a limited number of spaces still available. Cost is $13.50 for adults and $8.50 for seniors.
Register at http://www.recreation.gov, or call 1-877-444-6777 (refer to Sweet Home Nature and Heritage Tours).
For additional information, contact Sweet Home Ranger District at (541) 367-5168.
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Sweet Home Ranger District has initiated Special Forest Orders that will impact overnight camping in areas directly adjacent to portions of Gordon Road (Forest Service Road 2032) and Moose Creek Road (Forest Service Road 2025) and Moose Mountain Road (Forest Service Road 2027).
These areas are now “day use only” sites. Camping in these newly designated day use only sites can result in a ticket from law enforcement officers.
According to the district, the purpose of the restrictions is to prevent resource damage, litter, human waste, and water quality problems, and also to allow the public increased day-use access to sites along the South Santiam River and Moose Creek. The Special Forest Orders consist of a “no camping” restriction 500 feet from the road at the following locations:
Moose Creek Area
n From Highway 20 at the national forest boundary to the intersection of Moose Mountain Road (FSR 2027);
n From Moose Mountain Road (FSR 2027) to the intersection of Moose Creek Road (FSR 2025);
n Moose Creek Road (FSR 2025) from the intersection of Moose Creek Road (FSR 2025) and FSR 2025-500 to the intersection of the national forest boundary; and
n From the intersection of FSR 2025-500 and FSR 2025-505 to the national forestboundary.
Additionally, the Special Forest orders restrict camping from the intersection of Moose Creek Road and Moose Creek, 500 feet on both sides of Moose Creek until the intersection of Moose Creek and the South Santiam River.
Gordon Road
n Camping would be restricted starting at the intersection of Highway 20 and Gordon Road (FSR 2032) for the first two miles.
For more information contact the Sweet Home Ranger District at (541) 367-5168 or visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/willamette.
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Linn County Sheriff’s Office Water Rescue and Recovery Team members assisted Lebanon firefighters in the rescue of three boaters who were thrown into the South Santiam River earlier this month.
According to Sheriff Bruce Riley, county Sheriff’s dispatchers received a call on the morning of June 6 from the wife of one of the injured boat occupants, who stated the boat her husband was in had hit a rock, and all three occupants were thrown from the boat.
The operator of the 2002 Alumaweld Jet Sled, later identified as Clayton Newton IV, 47, of Portland, told deputies he was traveling downstream from Gills Landing boat launch in Lebanon, when the sled tipped while he was traveling through shallow rapids.
All three occupants were thrown out of the boat. All occupants were wearing personal flotation devices, which aided in them reaching shore safely.
Fishing with Newton in the boat were Colby D. Howe Jr, and James E. Nocolaisen, both 69, from Portland. Newton was not injured and Howe and Nocolaisen both suffered only minor injuries.
Lebanon Fire District personnel were able to locate the boaters, and were aided by 9-1-1 GPS coordinates from the boaters’ calls. LFD personnel reached the patients on land, rendered aid to their injuries, and transported them to their vehicle at Gills Landing.
Sheriff’s Office Water Rescue members launched their Zodiac rescue craft, to determine if any environmental spills were endangering the waterway, to assess the boat crash, and conduct a boat investigation as required by Oregon State Marine Board law.
The Alumaweld was intact, and had only suffered minor dents and scratches from the crash. Sheriff’s Office personnel navigated the jet sled to a nearby boat landing, where it was trailered and returned to the owner.
Riley is warning early-summer boaters about the importance of wearing life jackets while enjoying water activities. River channels change from season to season, new obstacles are presented in different locations after each winter, and the daily changes in water flow create unfamiliar conditions to even the most experienced of boat operators.
Never operate any watercraft under the influence of any alcohol or intoxicant. Always wear your life jacket.
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Test your outdoor skills this Saturday, June 24, at the Running Wild 5K walk/run at E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area near Corvallis from 9 a.m.-2 p.m..
Participants can try four different outdoor skills at stations along the trail: 1) trap shooting with a shotgun, 2) archery at the E.E. Wilson Archery Range, 3) spin casting at a target and 4) identifying wildlife tracks (where you can also create a plaster cast of different animal prints to take home).
All activities are supervised by ODFW staff or certified hunter and angler education volunteers, who are trained to coach newcomers in outdoor skills and put safety first.
Also, particpants can see birds of prey up close at the finish line, as Molalla’s Close Encounters with Perch Wildlife Education (affiliated with the American Wildlife Foundation) will host a raptor demonstration.
Music and a wildlife information booth are also at the finish line.
The 5K trail will be marked and participants can visit the four outdoor skills stations in any order they choose. All outdoor skills events are optional so do one or do them all. Runners and walkers may also choose not to do the outdoor events and participate in the 5K event only.
The event is sponsored by the Owen Denny Chapter of Pheasants Forever which helps conserve pheasants, quail and other wildlife through habitat improvement, public awareness, and education. Proceeds from the Running Wild event will benefit their organization.
For safety reasons, no dogs are allowed at the Running Wild event.
Cost (does not include $2.50 registration fee per entry) is $25 for adults and $20 for youths aged 10-16. Children 9 and under are free. Groups of five or more receive $5 discount per registrant. T-shirts are available ($15 for adults, $12 for youth).
To register or purchase a t-shirt, visit the Running Wild website teamrunningwild.com