Fire Season
Wildfire season in Oregon will soon be coming to a close, but dangers are still out there. Lane County Emergency Manager Patence Winningham says there is still a threat. Even in Western Lane County.
“Wildfire could be a threat along along the coast as well. The Sweet Creek Fire wasn’t that long ago.”
The effects of that blaze in 2020 can still be seen on the hillsides around Mapleton. Winningham also adds that our area can be impacted by a large variety of disasters.
“From flood to wildfire to pandemic; you name it, anything can happen.”
That’s why she stresses the importance of being ready for disaster, no matter what time of year. September is Disaster Preparedness Month. Winningham suggests residence visit any of a number of websites that offer information about how to get ready for whatever may come our way.
COVID Shots
Some individuals looking for COVID-19 booster shots missed their opportunity this week as the number of shots were limited. On Tuesday supplies ran out after about an hour of the clinic at the FEC. There were about 50 shots available yesterday. The clinic will return next Tuesday and Wednesday. Supplies of the vaccine are expected to be higher as the rollout of the new variant specific booster becomes more widely available. Clinic hours are 1-6 both days.
National Public Lands Day
Saturday is National Public Lands Day, a celebration of national parks in the United States. People will be able to access national park lands for free in celebration of the day. Events such as cleanups and habitat improvement also are planned. Seth Miller is head of Oregon Parks Forever, a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing and preserving public lands in the state.
The National Park Service properties preserve some of the most spectacular lands across the country. In Oregon, Crater Lake stands out as one of the most incredible properties, and in fact the acreage of that park exceeds the sum of the acreage of all our state parks
While Crater Lake is Oregon’s only national park, Miller notes the National Park Service oversees four other locations in the state. They are the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Newberry National Volcanic Monument, Oregon Caves National Monument and Lewis and Clark National Historical Park.
