City Joins Lane County CAP
Despite a motion from Florence City councilman Robert Carp to remove the portion of the city’s work plan that cover involvement in the Lane County Climate Action Plan the council voted 3-2 to keep the verbiage in.
“Climate action does not belong in the work plan. Climate action is not a function of City Government”
The motion was seconded by councilman Meyer. The vote was 3-2 against removing the inclusion. Mayor Ward, Councilor Sally Wantz and Councilor Jo Beaudreau voted to keep the work plan in tact. Mayor Ward in the discussion explained his reasoning for keeping the City involved.
“It’s my understanding anyway that there’s going to be a lot of federal dollars coming through the state, through the counties that is going to be made available to cities that have infrastructure projects that need to be improved upon.”
Mayor Ward said it would not be in the cities best interest to remove itself from the possible financial benefits from being part of the Lane County Action Plan.
Mental Health/Suicide Prevention
According to officials in a rural county in northwest Colorado, nearly one in four 7th and 8th graders in that community considered suicide at one time or another over the past year. No comprehensive numbers are available for western Lane County, but Roger Brubaker with Lane County Public Health says there are real concerns. He and his office have working with local partners for quite some time.
“We’ve been working closely with the Siuslaw School District for the past three years and continue to do so to support their long term prevention and planning needs; intervention crisis response; and in times of tragedy, response after death by suicide as well.”
The Suicide Prevention Coordinator and Senior Community Health Analyst says Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue has also implemented a “crisis response team” that works with emergency responders and law enforcement.
“Anything that a community does to create strong relationships, make people feel included, and that they have purpose and meaning in that community? That’s suicide prevention.”
Brubaker says anyone considering ending their own life or in emotional distress can call the suicide and crisis hotline at 988.
Planned Burn
Up to 50 acres of land in the Oregon Dunes south of Florence in the Tahkenitch Lake area are expected to go up in flames this week. The intention is to create more open sand breeding areas for the ‘threatened’ Western Snowy Plover. The small shorebird was first listed under the Federal Endangered Species Act 30 years ago. The major reason for the listing, according to wildlife biologists, is because of the consistent loss of that “critical” habitat where young birds are hatched and raised. Stabilization of the Oregon Dunes began nearly 75-years ago with the introduction of non-native species like European Beachgrass. Fire crews will work to burn dense stands of that grass. Motorists and residents south of Florence could see activity and smoke well into Saturday.