http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2012/02/judge_rejects_review_of_oregon.html
Judge says Oregon's river temperature standards need more scrutiny
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2012/02/judge_rejects_review_of_oregon.html Ousted scientist slams Salazar - Chico Enterprise Record
http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_20068477 Ousted scientist slams Salazar By RYAN SABALOW-Redding Record Searchlight February 29, 2012 A federal scientific integrity adviser studying dam removal on the Klamath River has filed a whistleblower complaint, saying he was fired from his job after he began questioning top officials "spinning" the benefits of removing the dams while downplaying the negatives of the project. "The bottom line is they need to be honest about the science and the decision-making," Paul R. Houser, an associate hydrology professor at George Mason University, told the Record Searchlight Tuesday in his first remarks to the media about his whistleblower complaint. Houser's complaint, filed last week with Department of the Interior's Office of Executive Secretariat and Regulatory Affairs, is already having a ripple effect in the contentious debate over removing the four dams, three of which are in Siskiyou County. Siskiyou County Supervisor Jim Cook, who traveled to Washington, D.C. this week to lobby federal officials against dam removal, said today the complaint is currently being investigated by staff members of north state U.S. Reps. Wally Herger, R-Chico and Tom McClintock, R-Fair Oaks. Supervisors and other dam-removal opponents have complained about the scientific integrity of the process. The supervisors already have threatened to sue, saying Interior Secretary Ken Salazar isn't being genuine when he says officials are thoroughly reviewing the proposal before making a decision. The supervisors complain dam removal is a foregone conclusion, with federal regulators "cherrypicking" science to support their views. Department of the Interior spokeswoman Kate Kelly said in a statement officials are reviewing Houser's complaint. The statement didn't address any of the allegations. Houser said he was hired last spring to be the Bureau of Reclamation's scientific integrity adviser. His duties included the Klamath dams studies. He said in September he began growing concerned about federal officials issuing reports and press releases that "intentionally distort" the negatives of the project, something he calls "intentional falsification." He says there have been a number of scientific studies that showed dam removal comes with some risks or wouldn't be nearly as beneficial to threatened coho salmon habitat as Salazar's staff made it seem. He said he was told by one of his supervisors that Salazar "wants to remove those dams" and he'd violated "unwritten rules" when he began sending emails to his superiors questioning what appeared to him to be a deliberate spin. "That was my goal as scientific integrity officer, the kind of obligations I was hired to do," Houser, 41, said today in an interview. He said he was reprimanded, placed on probation and eventually fired this month. Last week, he filed a whistleblower complaint challenging violations of the government's scientific code of conduct. He said he's not that interested in getting his job back considering what happened to him. He's since returned to teaching full time at George Mason, he said. "My motivation is to get the scientific integrity and get the science honored in the process," he said. "É I really hope this doesn't happen to somebody else." Rep. Herger described Houser's allegations as "troubling concerns." "An independent entity at Interior should thoroughly and objectively vet these concerns, and the results should be shared openly with the public," Herger said in a statement. "Interior's promotion of sound science in this process is of paramount importance." Houser's allegations come as Salazar announced Monday he was putting off making a decision on dynamiting the Klamath River dams because Congress has not yet given him the go-ahead. A Democrat-backed bill authored this fall that authorizes the removal plus $800 million in environmental restorations hasn't yet made it to a committee hearing in the Republican-controlled House. By Mary Schamehorn
Herald Editor A large group of people in Coos County, including several from Myrtle Point, attended a meeting last Friday night in Coquille to protest a proposal by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to expand the Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. Many of those who spoke said the federal government already owns enough land in Oregon and they could see no reason to spend millions of dollars to purchase more. A map that has been widely circulated shows that all of the land on both sides of the Coquille River up to river mile 10.2 are being considered for expansion. One concern expressed repeatedly in the Coquille meeting and in a subsequent meeting with Congressman Ron Wyden was removing land from the tax rolls. Assessor's info The latest proposal to purchase land involves 154 distinct parcels comprising 4,567 acres, according to information provided by Coos County Assessor Steve Jansen. Those parcels have a real market value of $24,524,243 and a total assessed value of just under $10 million. The gross property taxes off those lands is over $100,000 a year. Port won't sell One group that has made it clear that they will not sell their land to USFWS is the Port of Bandon. The Port voted unanimously at its December meeting not to sell its 80-acre parcel on the north spit of the Coquille River to become part of the Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). Several of the same landowners who spoke in Coquille attended the port meeting, urging commissioners not to sell their land. One of the major opponents was port commissioner Reg Pullen, an archaeologist, who said it's a matter of freedom. "There would be fewer opportunities for people to do things there if it was refuge property versus land owned by someone else," Pullen said. "People use it to run their dogs, dig gravel, go rock hounding, hunting, fishing, cutting firewood, picnicking on the river beach and so forth. They can drive right down to the water. We need to keep some places like that where people can have that freedom. "I love wildlife refuges, but I want to make sure there's a balance. I think a mix of ownerships along the river is a healthy thing — some lands protected for the USFWS, and some lands protected for people to do what they want to do," Pullen said. Fireworks targeted He added that Bandon's annual Fourth of July fireworks display has been set off from the north spit for many years, and from the port's land for the past several years. Referring to a study funded by USFWS on the impact of fireworks on offshore birds, Pullen said the government "would probably like to see the fireworks minimized or stopped. I'm a traditionalist and I know people love the fireworks. I wouldn't want that to be lost." Gina Dearth, port general manager, said staff recommended against selling the north spit parcel "now or at any time in the future." USFWS officials are quick to point out that they will not condemn land or take it through eminent domain. They will only deal with willing sellers. Expanded in 1999 In November 1999, USFWS announced that the approved boundary for the NWR had been officially expanded by an additional 577 acres. Established in 1983, Bandon marsh NWR included 304 acres of tidal wetlands and adjacent uplands in the lower Coquille River Estuary in and adjacent to the City of Bandon. The refuge expansion area, east of Highway 101 (can be seen from Bullards Bridge) along the north bank of the Coquille River, included tidal wetlands, forested wetlands, lowland pastures, riparian corridors and upland habitats. At that time, USFWS spokesman Roy Lowe said the restoration of up to 400 acres of tidal wetlands .... would provide for compatible types of wildlife dependent recreation. Never happened But critics of the latest expansion say that never happened. "We were told that they would allow duck and skeet shooting on that property, but they won't allow any hunting," said Bandon city councilor Brian Vick. He said hunting is allowed on the original refuge, but not on the 1999 expansion, which saw USFWS pay about a million dollars for the former Dave Philpott ranch, owned at that time by the Bussmann family. And that's one reason he is adamantly opposing any further expansion. Receives letter Jill Halliburton, the former Jill Coffman who grew up in Myrtle Point, is one of the property owners who received a letter in November about the latest expansion The letter points out that the USFWS (commonly referred to as the Service) is developing a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for the refuge. "I want to emphasize two key points. First, the Service has initiated a study to possibly expand the boundary of the Refuge," said Roy Lowe, who works out of the Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex in Newport. "The second key point is that you and other private landowners would not be required to participate in any aspect of our land protection proposal (e.g. fee title purchase, conservation easement or agreement) regardless of where your land is located. "Landowners within the expanded boundary would be under no obligation to sell their property to the Service." Some say that is all well and good, but if the government offers people enough money, they undoubtedly will sell their property, effectively removing it from the tax rolls. "More than 4,500 acres is being requested, and you can see the writing on the wall that more acreage up river is in the next phase," said Halliburton. "Roy Lowe is quoted as saying 'when you restore a marsh, it's forever.' You can say the same thing about removing taxable property: once sold to any federal entity, it is forever off the tax rolls. It also will be forever unable to contribute to the county economy in anywhere near the previous volume. "I can't fathom how the federal and state governments (our money) can justify removing that value from our taxable property in Coos county, much less come up with funds to help 'restore' it, and still look us in the eye and say they cannot come up with timber replacement money that was promised decades ago," she said. $19 million in grants In January 2011, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced the award of more than $19 million to support 24 conservation projects benefiting fish and wildlife on more than 5,900 acres of coastal habitats in 12 states. The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board was awarded $1 million to help acquire and restore approximately 622 acres of coastal wetlands in the Coquille Valley ... for permanent conservation, protection and restoration by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. "This project is the first phase of a larger initiative by ODFW to conserve and restore approximately 3,000 acres in the lowlands along the lower Coquille River encompassing some of the most productive wetland habitats on the Oregon Coast. The total cost of the first phase is $2.506,000," according to the release from the Interior department. "Protection and restoration of freshwater wetlands would complement downstream estuarine restoration efforts on Bandon National Wildlife Refuge. About control "Do not be mistaken: this effort to expand the marsh is not about the ecology. It's about control," said Halliburton. "As I look back on the last 30-40 years I can clearly see how we have very gradually lost control and therefore the choice to be able to make a living here in this beautiful corner of the state. "Already over 60 percent of Coos County is in public ownership. Do we really want to allow that number to grow?" asked Halliburton. THE TEA PARTYER
February 27, 2012 At the last County Board of Commissioners meeting, the commissioners failed to pass the resolution to stop The Bandon Marsh Expansion. There were only two commissioners present, Main and Messerle. Commissioner Main stated the resolution was not restrictive enough on the non-governmental organizations involved in the expansion, and therefore, he could not vote for it. They decided to rewrite the Resolution to be more specific to the situation and palatable enough to pass the Board. The commissioners will bring up the expansion at the next regularly scheduled BOC meeting on March 6th. Let us hope Commissioner Main keeps his word and is not playing politics with this very important subject. Here is some History of “The Bandon Marsh” It was the American Indian who had the first pleasure of enjoying the beauty and bounty of one of America’s natural treasures known as the Bandon Marsh. The ancestors of the Coquille Indian Tribe subsisted for centuries on the marsh's riches for survival. The first homestead was established when Thompson Lowe took up a donation land claim of one square mile on the south side of the Coquille River in 1853. By 1890 the City of Bandon had a population of 219, according to the census. There was a large mill built after the first major fire of 1914 by The Dollar Steamship Company on the south bank of the river, just east of the bridge on highway 101. In 1983, Congress established The Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge with the acquisition of 304 acres of salt marsh, mudflats, and tidal sloughs. The Bandon Marsh Unit, as it is now known, is located near the mouth of the Coquille River, with approximately 75 percent of the Unit within the city limits of Bandon, Oregon. Congress in 1999 approved expanding the refuge by 577 acres. The next year, The US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) used federal funds to buy the 408-acre Dave Philpott Ranch, among other parcels of property. The (USFWS) purchased the ranch from the Bussmann family. It was renamed the Ni-les'tun Unit and added to the refuge in order to protect and restore the intertidal marsh. People can see this area from Bullard’s Bridge looking east of Highway 101 on the north bank of the Coquille River. The total land mass of The Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge consists of 889 acres, and in September of 2011 the largest salt marsh restoration project in Oregon History was finally completed. The purpose for establishing the marsh as a National Wildlife Refuge was for the preservation and enhancement of the highly significant wildlife habitat. Unfortunately, The Service closed off The Ni-les’tun Unit soon after it was established. There is no public access allowed in the area’s fertile hunting ground, with few notable exceptions. What is a Comprehensive Conservation Plan? In 1997, the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act amended The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966. These changes required that (USFWS) develop a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for each national wildlife refuge. The reason for developing a (CCP) is to provide refuge managers with a 15-year plan for achieving refuge purposes and contributing toward the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System, consistent with sound principles of fish and wildlife management, conservation, legal mandates, and policies. Subsequently, The (USFWS) has to implement an environmental assessment (EA) to evaluate the potential effects of various (CCP) alternatives. These studies can lead to new rules and regulations for the area that can have adverse and costly effects to adjacent property owners. Expanding The Marsh January of 2011, The Dept of Interior under Secretary Ken Salazar sent out a press release explaining their plans to give more than $19 million in our tax dollars to the National Coastal Wetlands Grant Program to fund 24 conservation projects covering over 5900 acres of coastal habitat in 12 different states. The (USFWS) administers this grant program, and there is another $21 million in matching funds in partner contributions from state and local governments, private landowners and conservation groups. In March of 2011, The Service proposed designating 30,497 acres of critical habitat in 68 units in Washington, Oregon and California. And, as recently as Jan. 17th of this year, U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-LA secured more than $34.5 million for the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund. Currently, the (USFWS) is expecting to get congressional approval sometime in the late part of 2012 to add up to 4500 acres to the Bandon Marsh Refuge. The Service plans on achieving this goal by acquiring more land from willing sellers along the banks of The Coquille River. This expansion will go up North Bank Lane almost to the 11th mile marker continuing further southeast into the Coquille Valley. Subsequently, there is another 3000 acres under consideration for acquisition, which was not detailed in The Bandon Marsh Expansion, but comes from the Coquille Valley Wetland Conservation and Restoration Proposal dated June of 2010. There were three preliminary drafts to come out of the (CCP) for The Bandon Marsh Refuge and the (USFWS) is propagating Preliminary Draft Land Protection Alternative C, which coincidently is the largest in land mass of all the drafts. There are 154 distinct parcels covering over 4500 acres of land included in Alternative C. The Total Real Market Value would be around $24,524,243, with a total Assessed Value of $9,729,043. Besides the listed properties in the perspective area, the (USFWS) has been working with The Nature Conservancy to obtain even more property in other areas of Coos County and the state. The Consequences of Allowing This Federal Land Grab If the (USFWS) acquires all the property it is requesting, then Coos County stands to lose $101,508 in gross property taxes per year, and that amount increases with every piece of land The Service takes off the tax roll. There is an estimated 20 children living within the area that attend school in the Bandon School District. Each child is worth $6000 to the district, which will equate to a loss of $120,000 to the Bandon school system. The county also loses future generations of farmers and ranchers that produce the meats and vegetables for locals and many others throughout the country. Developing a working farm and/or ranch takes generations of learning the soil conditions, weather and growth patterns of the local environment and we stand to lose that experience and wisdom. The families who live in the proposed expansion area will not be here to go shopping in the community, or to eat in the restaurants, or go the local theater. They will not be buying gas, tools, food, shoes, medicine and all the amenities needed to live. The businesses lost in the expansion area will not be generating income, which means there will be less money rebounding in the local economy. There will be an increase in unemployment due to the loss of the jobs in the agricultural industry. The purchases of these properties could cause serious aberrations in the local real estate market. Properties adjacent to The Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge could see a devaluation in their worth, while properties a little further away from the Refuge could have the prices of their properties become artificially inflated. The land will never be able to be bought or sold again once purchased by The Service and this eliminates even more money from flowing back and forth, through the financial system. All of this, in total, will cause a more restrictive real estate market to be created. Then take into consideration the amount of Federal money that it will take to restore these properties back into a natural intertidal marsh. The first two units of the Bandon Marsh were only going to consume $4,000,000 of public money, but that project has increased to about $14,000,000. Up to $50,000,000 is what the estimated cost will be to restore the desired expansion area. Nationally, these expenditures will all contribute to the Federal Debt, which is about $15 trillion and climbing. Feeling a little insignificant? What can The Citizens of Coos County Do? First we have to stay informed and keep others informed, because knowledge is power. Then you have to contact your representatives in the government, and tell them that you will not stand for the intrusive nature of the US Fish & Wildlife Service or any other federal agency with the intentions of taking more property from public domain. We have to organize an opposition, band together and fight against this invasion of our county. There are people organizing now and you can be a part of the effort by going to www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com . Sign up for the newsletter and lets us know if you are willing to volunteer. We need people to monitor the different organizations that capitulate and work with the US Fish & Wildlife Service. We need people to monitor the (USFWS) itself. We need people who can help maintain the social websites that are being set up to stop the Bandon Marsh Expansion, such as on the one on Facebook. We need people who are willing to travel to Salem and Washington to meet with representatives and lobby against the expansion. We need people to write letters to the representatives on the Public Lands committees in both houses of the US government and Letters to the Editors of every publication in the state. We need people to hand out flyers and possibly get petition signatures. We need people to PROTEST. A Place to Start Please show up a little early to the next BOC meeting with a “No Bandon Marsh Expansion” sign and an American flag, so we can demonstrate to the commissioners that we are very serious about this issue. Also, there is another meeting on this issueto be held Saturday, March 3rd, at the Owens Building in Coquille. The meeting will begin at 11:00 am. And, if all of this is not enough, then maybe it is time to OCCUPY the Bandon Marsh and reclaim that which is already ours. “Rob Taylor was the original organizer of the TEA Parties in Coos County and is currently an independent activist working to promote the rights of the individual.” "Bandon Marsh Expansion Meeting"
To be held Saturday, March 3 at the Owens Building in Coquille. The meeting will begin at 11:00 am. There will be updated information to share regarding the US Fish and Wildlife Service's plan to expand the Bandon Marsh by over 4,500 acres. More information? Don Chance, 541.297.2667 or Rob Taylor, 541.347.9942. Please bring a pen, pencil and paper. We will be looking for more volunteers from several area's. We hope those who have signed up to be a volunteer can attend this meeting. Posted on February 24, 2012 by Cowboy Byte
Farmers and ranchers prevailed this week when the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of landowner property rights in the case of PPL v. Montana. This decision puts ownership of streambeds and stream banks in the hands of their rightful owners. “This decision also helps ensure that farmers and ranchers will not have to pay government for the use of land or water from streambeds that run alongside or through their property. This week’s decision is a win for Farm Bureau members, farmers and ranchers nationwide and all private property owners.” The American Farm Bureau Federation filed a friend-of-the-court brief along with the Montana Farm Bureau in the case. Colorado Farm Bureau and Utah Farm Bureau also filed briefs in the case in support of the petitioning landowners. THE TEA PARTYER
February 12, 2012 It was a little before 3:00 am on Saturday when I received the Power Point Presentation, which was going to be shown at an important meeting that day concerning the Bandon Marsh Expansion. Everyone in the group worked diligently to get all of the information and material compiled.We had to present the immense amount of material in a way that could be coherent to the public.It is a very detailed subject, which encompasses several issues.The information has to be linked together with verifiable data, using many different sources. All of this would be fruitless if it were not for those unsung heroes, many of whom we call neighbors.They work with no reward, nor a thank you, but act on a keen sense of principle.Bonnie, the talented lady who has put together the map we use to identify property owners, has been absolutely professional in organizing our meetings. She designed our signs and bumper stickers with the highest of quality. The good people at The Farm Bureau have gotten the word out all over the county.Beau Allen and Kevin Westfall have used their expertise and wealth of contacts to further tell the story.Their work has helped propel this issue into the public eye.They have been trying to get our representatives to take notice, but it is a daunting task that takes the skill of diplomacy and the patience of steel to deal with the political arrogance. Sharon Waterman has become a citizen lobbyist over the last couple of years, proving that fighting for ones property rights is an equal opportunity battle.She found the report published by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board titled Coquille Valley Wetland Conservation and Restoration Proposal dated June of 2010. This article links The Bandon Marsh Expansion and The Winter Lake Project, plus it exposes another 3000 acres that is under consideration for possible acquisition.The Bandon Marsh Expansion combined with this proposal would eliminate 7500 acres of prime real-estate right off the books.It seems Coos County is under attack by government bureaucrats. One rancher, Ken Hershey, has been able to give us a direct history of the place.He tracked down the parcels as we toured the expansion area.We went out last week to see the marsh with local biologist, Daniel Varoujean, who was able to build the scientific case against this ecological and environmental disaster, which will come in handy when we have to face off against the experts on the other side. These people are the real treasure of Coos County and it shows there is more than just the dollar value of the property. They represent an intrinsic value, the wisdom, talent and experience we have cultivated in our little community. We may never be able to replace these folks once we lose them and that could be the real tragedy here and it is one of the most important reasons to stop this federal land grab. The meeting in The Barn was a success. There were over 150 people in attendance, with the majority opposed to the marsh expansion.We had two county commissioners, the Mayor of Bandon, two city councilors and several candidates in attendance.If the US Fish &Wildlife Service did not know there was an opposition to this expansion, they do now. We are still asking for people to contact Senator Wyden and Merkley and Congressman DeFazio.It is important to keep up the pressure with relentless determination.Keep writing those letters to The Public Lands Committees in both houses, because we have to keep fighting the good fight. On Friday we are having a Potluck and a forum on Property Rights will be presented by The Coos County Tea Party with keynote speaker, Randal O’Toole, a Senior Fellow from the CATO Institute.He will be in Coos Bay at the ESD Building, 1350 Teakwood Ave, starting at 5:00 PM and everyone is welcome.Please bring your favorite dish, whoever that might be.Big Daddy Steve Noorlander will be serving his world famous tacos. Then on the 20th of February we are going to have a protest for Senator Merkley’s Town Hall Meeting at Marshfield High school on Ingersoll.This will start at 1:00 PM and we should show up a little early with some, “NO Bandon Marsh Expansion” signs.VIVA LA FIRST AMENDMENT. To find out more information go to www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com. “RobTaylor was the original organizer of the TEA Parties in Coos County and is currently an independent activist working to promote the rights of the individual.” Related Posts: me·a cul·pa The Six Degrees of Separation Three Campaign Issues for 2012 CITY COUNCIL EXPRESSES SUPPORT FOR ONLY ONE ITEM IN THE USF&W PLAN FOR THE BANDON MARSH NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
At their December 5, 2011, meeting, the City Council reviewed, discussed, and heard public input regarding the proposed U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Comprehensive Conservation Plan & Environmental Assessment for the Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. The City Council decided to express support for only one item in the proposed plan. That item is "Facilities - Alternative B," which reads, "Place emphasis on partner-oriented facilities and distribution of information. Participate in a community-based visitor information center off the Refuge." The City believes the proposed visitor information center should be constructed in partnership with Bandon Urban Renewal on the recently purchased former cheese factory property, adjacent to the proposed new cheese factory. This would provide a very visible, centrally located site on Highway 101, and would be the most efficient, effective, and economical means of advising and educating the public regarding the National Wildlife Refuges. This alternative will provide information to the largest possible number of people, will aid the United States Fish & Wildlife Service in recruiting volunteers, and will have very positive economic impacts on the operating and maintenance budgets for both the City and Bandon Marsh. The comment letter submitted by the City strongly recommended that this item be included as the "Preferred Alternative" in the Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge Plan. http://www.ci.bandon.or.us/newsletter.htm Subject: Resource material for the Bandon Marsh Expansion This is a great perspective in what will be happening to the Marsh. den http://www.takingliberty.us/Narrations/introduction/player.html Anonymous Sender:
I checked on the Oregon Biodiversity Information Center which is administered through Portland State University. I should have recognized this program but it has changed its name; it used to be part of the Oregon Heritage Plan .... Go to the website www.orbic.pdx.edu/publications.html and you will find Dave and Kathy's annual study report for the 2011 Snowy Plover nesting season. Based on their research findings, the Snowy Plover in coastal Oregon has attained or is very close to attaining the recovery goals established by the USFWS Recovery Plan. But, as I told you before, this bird will not be delisted by the fed's even if the goal is met in Oregon and Washington, because the recovery criteria for California will require an increase of about 1,000 birds (as I recall off the top of my head). This will probably never happen; moreover, even if the bird were delisted in Oregon by the fed's the head of State Parks said he wouldn't care and continue to set habitat aside for the bird. Also note that the authors of the report suggest that we need to start looking at protecting the bird on their wintering grounds (to increase over-winter survivorship). This bird is more widely dispersed in the winter, so this argument could be used to close beaches in the winter in areas where they do not nest, in addition to closing the nest areas year-round. Also note the call for expanding the closure zones during the nesting season, because with the increase in abundance and fledging success nesting density is increasing, which will increase the likelihood of predation unless we provide more undisturbed nesting areas. We all want to protect coastal populations of Snowy Plovers in perpetuity, and we can, even with limiting set-aside areas and regulations to what they are now and continuing the active protection against nest predation (which they are doing). But these folks have a bigger agenda: they cannot stand the idea, for example, of ATV activity on our dunes and beaches and they will use any excuse to shut this activity down. An activity that was recently estimated to bring $60 million a year into the economy of coastal towns in just the area from Florence to Coos Bay. The 63 page document that I left with you Saturday is here:
http://www.oregon.gov/OPSW/cohoproject/PDFs/November2007_pdfs/Coho_Plan.pdf I got it from this page at the state of oregon: http://www.oregon.gov/OPSW/cohoproject/coho_proj.shtml Hi Rob
Here is the link to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bandon-Marsh-Expansion/271172929619998 Hey Everyone, Here is the video of the meeting in The Bandon Barn. http://coosmediacenter.pegcentral.com/player.php?video=6929e3cf8972e00c782f47f86df99ce0 This is what City Councilor Mike Classen had to say about the meeting: “The repeated misstatements of fact at the meeting were disappointing to say the least.” Mike Claassen Classen also made this statement: '"This photo shows the first wide open view of the Marsh as I drive out North Bank Rd. Note, no cyclone fences no "no trespassing" signs. I say that because Rob Taylor said at the meeting this morning that the Marsh is completely closed to the public and surrounded by cyclone fences and "no trespassing" signs." I never said there is a Cyclone Fence surrounding the Bandon Marsh, but if anyone can find that statement in the video please let me know. I will be the first to eat my words.
Below is my photo of a sign on a gate in front the back entrance to the USF&WS headquarters at the Marsh. However, if you go out to the marsh you can see smaller signs around the Ni-les-tuna area, so who should we believe Mr.Classen or our lying eyes? ![]() February 5, 2012 I want to start with an apology to the Mayor of Bandon, Mary Schamehorn. I wrote in last week’s Guest Editorial that she was still a member the South Coast Development Council and that was wrong, I apologize. Mea culpa Madame Mayor. I was over zealous and should have attained a second verification for the information. The Mayor was on the council, but for a very brief time and no longer serves for SCDC. The SCDC website did have The Mayor listed as a councilor, and this is due to no fault of her own. There should be an immediate correction to the web page anytime there is a change to their organizational structure. This organization functions on public money and should consider their responsibility to their benefactors.
It also proves that not everything you read is true. Please notify me at [email protected] if there are any inaccuracies in my work. If there are mistakes, I will be the first to admit it and accept the responsibility. It is important to get it right and that you do not take my word for it. Always check it out for yourself, investigate everything and especially, question authority. Facts are important anytime you take up a cause and that is why these types of experiences have made me more determined to be a seeker of truth. When the issue of The Bandon Marsh Expansion came to light, there was a lot of speculation, rumors and innuendo as to the real intentions of the US Fish & Wildlife Service. They seem to have an agenda, but The Service is being vague as to what the final plan will look like. What do they really want to do with our county? Well, here are the facts based on the expansion map from the USF&WS, the letter The Service sent to property owners and the data compiled by the County Assessor, Steve Jensen. • With an offer to purchase, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently sent letters to 67 landowners whose properties border the lower Coquille River estuary between river miles 0.5 and 10.4. • There are 154 distinct parcels of land included in the Bandon Marsh Expansion area. • The Real Market Value of that property is $24,524,243 • The total Assessed Value of the property is $9,729,043 • The expansion area covers an estimated 4,567.67 Acres. • The gross property tax of that acreage is $101,508. Those six facts should be all anyone needs to tell the story of The Bandon Marsh Expansion. It is important to make the distinctions between facts and suspicions. However, you should always listen to your gut feeling, because in nature, it is those oblivious to their surroundings who are the first to die. Here are my suspicions, based on my own best guesstiment. The US Fish and Wildlife Service and Non-Governmental Organizations are currently coordinating to buy key pieces of parcels in Coos County. The Service wants to control the properties with tidal gates for the purpose of coercing the adjacent property owners into selling their land. The USF&WS is going to use our tax dollars to buy these parcels within the Bandon Marsh Expansion area and use them for mitigation property, and lease that property as a tax offset for individuals, industries and corporations that need write-offs for their taxes. Mitigation is another way dirty companies can clean up their image by earning carbon credits. There is no verification of these claims, but it is a very possible scenario. I’m basing this opinion on the history of the Service and the ideological bent of the NGO’s involved. With everything we know about this agency, and the current political environment it would be impossible to predict the future, but that shouldn’t stop us from being prepared. On Saturday, February 11th 2012 at 11:00 a.m. there will be a meeting in The Bandon Barn to discuss The Bandon Marsh Expansion. Several volunteers have created a map of all the properties in the expansion area and have labeled each parcel with the owner’s name. This map is incomplete and we are hoping that property owners in the area will show up to label their land on the map. Finishing the map will give us a better idea of the bigger picture. There is more information about The Bandon Marsh Expansion at www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com. “Rob Taylor was the original organizer of the TEA Parties in Coos County and is currently an independent activist working to promote the rights of the individual.” Related Posts: The Six Degrees of Separation Three Campaign Issues for 2012 Hello Everyone,
I wanted to let everyone know the meeting in The Barn was a success. There were over 150 people in attendance, with the majority opposed to the marsh expansion. We are trying to get a resolution from the Board of Commissioners and continuing our letter writing campaign. People need to contact their representatives. There are plenty of people to contact and we have to be relentless. Here is a link to the next scheduled event and it is going to be real fun….. Bandon Marsh Expansion Protest for Senator Merkley's Town Hall Feb. 20th, 2012 1:00 PM We should have some yard signs by then. Also, Randal O’Toole will be here next week to speak on property rights. He is a senior fellow at the CATO Institute. Potluck and Property Rights Senator Merkley will update constituents on his work in Washington, DC and answer their questions and invite their suggestions about how to tackle the challenges facing Oregon and America Let's show up with a bunch of the NO Bandon Marsh Expansion signs. Be sure to sign up to talk. Tell the Senator that we do not want the USF&WS to take anymore land out of the market and off the tax-roll. Feb. 20th, 2012 1:00 PM Marshfield High School Cafeteria South 10th and Ingersoll Street Coos Bay, OR, 97420 Google Map ![]()
There is some really good information in these files. The documents show some of the plans for the area. ![]()
![]()
Take a look at this link...should post on the watchdog. Land Trusts Seek Deals During Recession, Prepare for End of Bond Funds By Josh Stephens on 29 November 2011 - 2:33pm http://www.cp-dr.com/node/3061 "So far, money has flowed smoothly enough during the recession for land trusts large and small around the state to make major acquisitions. For example: . The Nature Conservancy has, according to Yandell, recently been adding roughly 10,000 to 15,000 acres annually in easements and outright purchases to its statewide total - roughly 400,000 acres. . The Eastern Sierra Land Trust has acquired roughly 4,000 acres since 2008, more than doubling its total holdings. . The Sonoma Land Trust recently made one of its biggest acquisitions ever, a 6,000-acre assemblage along the Jenner Headlands, at the mouth of the Russian River. Others have suffered decreases in donations and bureaucratic impediments" See article in attached pdf. ![]()
The U.S. government may have ulterior motives for wanting to expand the Bandon Marsh. Here is a link to an EPA Mitigation Factsheet, some files from the US Fish & Wildlife Service. Mitigation Banking Factsheet http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/facts/fact16.html "The Refuge manages 889 acres of land in fee title ownership within an approved boundary of 1,000 acres, which represents a valuable contribution to the protection of biodiversity in the Coquille River estuary. However, several scientific assessments in the area indicate that much of the region's fish, wildlife, and habitats are in need of further protection, enhancement, and/or restoration. To address this concern, we are proposing to study our options for expanding the Refuge during the CCP process now underway." ![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
This file goes with the map of the Bandon Marsh Expansion Area. ![]()
This is just a start and may not be accurate. ![]()
Hey Everyone,
The Bandon Marsh Expansion Meeting at The Barn Presented by the opposition to this federal land grab Everyone is welcome Saturday at 11:00 a.m. on 2/11/2012 The Bandon meeting on the Bandon Marsh Expansion is going to be at The Barn. Google Map We will be discussing all of our options to stopping this land grab and we need your help. Click here to see more info on the Bandon Marsh Expansion. Contact Info for Organizers: Jill Halliburton Phone: 541-404-6756 Email [email protected] Don Chance Phone: 541-329-2020 Email: [email protected] Rob Taylor Phone: 541-347-9942 Email: [email protected] Website: www.cooscountywatchdog.com Meeting in Myrtle Point
Meeting starts at 6:30 pm 1/25/2012 We're meeting at the OSU Extension building in Myrtle Point. You come in to MP on Hwy 42 (about 1/2 hour from Bandon), turn right on Ash, the first possible right turn before you even reach the streetlights, turn right again on 6th and you'll run into the building. You'll see the building off the to right as you approach MP, before you reach the town proper. I just did a google map of 503 Ash St, Myrtle Point - which is the closest I could find to the right address, and the Extension building shows up there. |
Categories
All
Send Letters to:
|