2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session arts arts and culture author ballot measures basketball bomb books boy scouts budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal college courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana marriage media medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes technology terrorism theater third parties transportation union university of oregon washington wildfire women

Removing the biomass from the forest is removing the nutrients that form the forrest over thousands of years.

The biomass needs to remain in the forrest to provide the nutriants for future trees. This is a long term rot cycle that we should not interrupt.

Forest biomass is a false argument. It needs to stay in the forrest.

Domestic biomass should be composted.

Burning is not an environmental appriopiate method of getting rid of organic material. It is just another resource exploitation like Oil.  It is justy another form of making energy. 

We should be using and emphasising Solar, not Biomass.

posted 2 years, 2 months ago
view in context

I was surprised that Mr Hamilton, the recreation manager for the Mt. Hood National forest, did not know how much the proposed fees would be from the contractors for Bagby Hot Springs. They have had the contract proposals for at least a week.

Tt was also interesting to note that the past contractor for Cougar Hot Springs is not interested in renewing that contract. I hope that one will go to the non profit group that slso supports the springs.

posted 2 years, 5 months ago
view in context

When I was a volunteer with Friends of Bagby, the first thing of the day we did was to scrub the tubs out so they would be clean for the visitors. Then we picked up all the trash left from the night. Then we washed out the outhouses. There were always minor repairs to do, especially with the cold water system in the fall. The most difficult job was picking up cigarette butts, which we also did daily.

We were able to provide a 24 hour presence by being able to stay in the Volunteer cabin. Our only contact with the outside world was a forest service radio. And when we needed to call in for an emergency it was two hours usually before anyone was able to get to the springs (due to the distance from town). We were instructed by the Forest Service not to enforce prohibitions on alcohol, only if it was serious were we to radio in. We also got formal CPR training and carried Red Cross cards.

The biggest problems were car breakins. This happened to us twice. We learned to bring up a junk car. And this was a problem at all remote trailheads as the local theives knew it would be an hour before law enforcement could respond, at the quickest.

In the late 1980s and early middle 90s Bagby Hot Springs was well maintained by loving volunteers.

It is unfortunate the Friends of Bagby organization was destroyed by two feuding volunteers. I was involved at that time and there was a moderate group of volunteers who were trying to maintain control of the organization and probably would have succeeded if the Forest service had not ended the contract.

At that time the Forest Service thought they could maintain the springs better, even though they could not support a person at the springs. This is when the springs fell into disrepair in the late 1990s. It really takes someone on site to keep up with the repairs.

I do think a properly set up volunteer organization could easially maintain the springs , especially now. Communication is much easier with direct to satelite communication, even though it is still a hour plus drive for law enforcement. Communication was one of the biggest problems in the 1990s.

Currently I am on the BOD of the Oregon Country Fair, a successful organization with 4000 volunteers. I have considerable experience forming non profit and volunteer organizations. I know that Bagby Hot Springs could be successfully run by an organized non profit corporation.

posted 2 years, 5 months ago
view in context

I was a FOB volunteer from the mid 1980s through the 1990s and was involved in the Friends Of Bagby organization. Bagby Hot Springs is one of the most magical spots in the national forests.

I was delighted to wear the US Forest Service Volunteer uniform, scrubbing the tubs at dawn, picking up trash and cigarette buts and repairing the facilities.

Our problems came from our remoteness and the fact that Law Enforcement took and hour or two to respond.  The fact that there were volunteers at the springs really helped keep down lawlessness and vandalism. 

I am sorry to see it becoming a Fee charged area. The natives who gathered at the hot springs laid down their weapons outside the hot springs area and shared the site freely. They did not believe anyone owned the springs and that they should be shared equally.

The Friends of Bagby Hot Springs (FOB) was dedicated to keeping the springs free for everyone. While we were FS volunteers Bagby Hot Springs was well maintained. Once the FOB contract was terminated the site fell into disrepair, due to the limited resources of the Forest Service.

I do believe a healthy volunteer program could be maintained to take care of Bagby Hot Springs as a free site in the Mt. Hood National Forest as the natives intended.

I am dismayed by the willingness of the government to outsource everything even if there is a willing group of volunteers that would do the job and fund it themselves. FOB was a 501C3 nonprofit and raised money to rebuild the bathhouse and maintain the springs. Northwest Forest Conservancy is continuing to maintain the springs as allowed. I am glad to see them represented in this discussion.

I noticed the Forest Service is rebuilding the facilities to let someone else make money off of them. I think this is wrong, especially when there are volunteers that would do the job.

I read the RFP and understand why there are problems with implementing it Bagby. It just doesn't fit the requirements of a campground maintenance contract.

I would rather see the Forest service contract with an appropriate nonprofit volunteer group to administer Bagby Hot Springs.

posted 2 years, 5 months ago
view in context

I think this is very inappropriate and irresponsible behavior from the FBI.

Encouraging bomb making is not what the FBI should be doing. I really doubt this young man would have been able to assemble a successful bomb by himself, and there would have been plenty of opportunity to catch him later if he did try to seek out bomb materials for himself.

Setting him up this way actually encourages copy cat followers. In reality by helping set up this bomb plot and all the publicity actually makes this more likely to happen. It did not need to be encouraged by the FBI. It is the FBI's actions that actually raised the threat level in Oregon.

We all know that age 18/19 is a very difficult time for youth. If they survive that age they often turn into productive members of society. They should not be set up to try to make bombs by the FBI. 

posted 2 years, 5 months ago
view in context

I think the procedures and training need to be changed for Police officers. It is unconscionable to shoot an unarmed person no matter what the belief of the Police Officer.

I think that no officer should be able to shoot to kill unless they are physically injured themselves, first.

They need to train for restraint. If that means that more of them get injured, that is part of what we pay them for.

The problem is the training has no room for restraint. If they feel threatened they shoot to kill. This is not appropriate behavior.

I also think they should automatically loose their job for killing an unarmed person. I applaud mayor Sam Adams for firing the policemen who violated the city rules.

posted 2 years, 6 months ago
view in context