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An adult emerald ash borer is shown in a sticky trap in Marion County. State officials have announced new sightings where this invasive pest has been found. Submitted Photo

The Invader arrives – Emerald ash borer confirmed in Marion County

By James Day The emerald ash borer, which has wiped out ash trees in much of the eastern United States, has been found in three more places in Oregon, state officials said. The borer, which was first found in Oregon in the Forest Grove area of Washington County in 2022, has been confirmed in Marion and Yamhill counties, with a […]

The Local Angle: The map shows that Silverton and Mount Angel are “safely” in the green or low-risk area of the new wildfire hazard risk maps. Scotts Mills lies in the moderate (purple) region but even in the heavily wooded hills above town you don’t reach any orange areas for more than five miles (lower right corner). Mount Angel faces the lowest overall risk. The hills southeast of Silverton mirror Scotts Mills in terms of having large areas of moderate risk.  Source: Oregon Department of Forestry, enhanced by Our Town.

Wildfire risk: State debuts new draft maps that rank hazards

By James Day The Oregon Department of Forestry has released new wildfire hazard risk maps. This is the second iteration of the project, which is being coordinated by the ODF and the Oregon State University College of Forestry. The wildfire risk project  was mandated by Senate Bill 762, the 2021 legislation that aimed to improve wildfire preparedness and resiliency after fires […]

Joe Pfau

Joe Pfau running for mayor of Mount Angel

By Stephen Floyd Mount Angel City Councilor Joe Pfau has filed to run for mayor. Current Mayor Pete Wall announced in January he will not be seeking re-election. Pfau, a first-time counselor whose term ends this year, told Our Town if elected he hopes to continue helping the city make progress toward long-term goals. He said his priorities include addressing […]

Upper Butte Creek Falls. Oregon Department of Forestry

Open! Butte Creek Falls accessible

By James Day Another piece of the Cascade Foothills recreation puzzle is back on the grid. The Oregon Department of Forestry has reopened access to Butte Creek Falls after a nearly four-year closure fueled by the 2020 wildfires. There was little or no damage to the falls themselves or the surrounding acreage in the 2020 fires, which scorched approximately one-third […]

Wildfire danger – State takes another crack at judging fire risk

By James Day Two more meetings of a rulemaking advisory committee on updating the statewide wildfire hazard maps will be on Zoom in the coming weeks. The committee’s focus for these sessions will be to provide input on whether irrigation for farmland and agricultural crops should be incorporated into the calculations for wildfire hazard assessments.   One meeting was held on […]

Defensible space workshop July 22

A defensible space and wildfire resiliency workshop featuring experts from around the state is set for July 22 at The Oregon Garden in Silverton. The 9 a.m. to noon event is free but reservations are required. Space is limited to 50. See https://tinyurl.com/e5uynwuk to register.   The workshop offers the essential skills and knowledge needed to protect your home and […]

State issues warnings, guidance on fireworks

By James Day The fireworks sales season runs through July 6 and state officials are warning residents to “keep it legal and keep it safe.” The Oregon State Fire Marshal, in a press release issued June 23, offered tips on which fireworks are legal to use, where fireworks can be used, and how to use them safely. “We ask Oregonians […]

Grant to rescue – Silverton nursery to use new seedling funds

By James Day A Silverton-area nursery has received a $540,000 state grant to help it grow seedlings needed for Oregon fire restoration efforts. The funds from the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) will allow Drakes Crossing Nursery to expand its business into greenhouse plug production of seedlings and have more stock available for emergencies such as the state’s rash of […]

Emerald ash borer – Pest threatens Oregon’s ash trees, ecosystems

By James Day The emerald ash borer (EAB), a forest pest that has been targeting ash trees in the United States since 2002, has been found in Oregon. An infestation discovered June 30 in Forest Grove means that concerns of state and local officials about the ash borer’s impact on urban forests, wetlands and streams has gone from the hypothetical […]

‘Sudden Oak Death’ – Not so sudden… Not infecting oaks

By Melissa Wagoner The term Sudden Oak Death (SOD) is really a bit of a misnomer,  according to Sarah Navarro, the Regional Sudden Oak Death Pathologist for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). “Tanoak is the tree species most affected because it’s readily killed,” Navarro said. Noting that unlike the white oak – a true oak – tanoaks are a part of the broadleaf family. “And in terms […]