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TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024 |

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Explosion blows out front window of business Neighbors of Orco Gunworks at 138 N Wasson Street in the Empire area of Coos Bay got an early wake up call when a suspect planted and lit a small explosive device on the front of the business. On June 27th, at approximately 4:19 A.M. the Coos Bay Police Department received a call about an alarm and explosion from concerned neighbors. After arriving on the scene, they found that there indeed was an explosion that had taken out the front window. Upon checking surveillance footage from the surrounding area, officers got multiple angles of the suspect, an adult male,

approaching the business and setting the device on the windowsill. He then lit it, and ran, but did not seem to return and attempt to further burglarize the establishment. The CBPD is still seeking additional information about this incident, and the identity of the suspect. Police think it is likely that the suspect was picked up by a vehicle near the N Wasson St and Newmark Ave intersection. If you have any information about the suspect or the incident, please contact the CBPD at 541269-8911 EXT 1 or Coos Stop Crime at 541-267-6666. Tips can be made anonymously.

Myth vs. reality: What’s the truth behind CFTLC briefed on some common gardening practices? HCP revenue For the World

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Reality can get skewed when there are so many sources of information - books, magazines, newspapers, nurseries and, most of all, the internet and social media open up lots of room for contradiction. So, how do you find the right answer for gardening questions? Experts from Oregon State University Extension Service stepped up to bust some common gardening myths. Read on to get some researchbased answers to 10 common misconceptions. For additional questions, call the OSU Extension Master Gardeners in your area or submit a question to Ask Extension, an online questionand-answer service. Providing a photo is important. MYTH: Lime will remove moss from your lawn. REALITY: Lime will not fix the problem. Moss prefers to grow in wet, shady conditions. Lawns with moss need more sunlight, i.e. trimming, pruning and thinning trees. If you like the trees the way they are, you will continue to have moss and you should think about shade-tolerant alternatives to grass. Moss also grows well in

BY WILL CHAPPELL Country Media, Inc.

infertile soils, which includes acidic (low pH) soils, but more importantly it also includes nitrogen-deficient soils. Lawns, like a lot of cultivated plants prefer nitrogen-rich soils. Regular fertilizer applications (four applications per year, two in the fall and two in the spring) with products containing nitrogen, combined with improved sunlight will result in a green, dense lawn

that can out-compete moss. – Alec Kowalewski, OSU Extension turf specialist MYTH: Ponderosa pine needles make the soil more acidic (low pH). REALITY: The notion that pine needles change the soil pH so that nothing will grow or that it will damage plants has been out there for years. The truth is pine needles do not

make the soil more acidic. It is true that pine needles have a pH of 3.2 to 3.8 (neutral is 7.0) when they drop from a tree. If you were to take the freshly fallen needles (before the needles decompose) and turn them into the soil right away, you may see a slight drop in the soil pH, but the change would not be damaging to the plants. Please see GARDEN Page 2

All ODF district are now in ﬁre season As of, July 3, all Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) districts are in fire season. This means that to reduce the risk of human-caused wildfires, fire restrictions may be in place where you live or at a destination you plan to visit or recreate. ODF protects over 16 million acres of private, county, state, and federal land in Oregon from wildfire. Fire season is declared at the local level when conditions reach a point where the risk of a fire starting and spreading becomes clear. This year, the Southwest Oregon district was the first to declare on June 1, and the North Cascade District was the last to declare on July 3. As we move into the Fourth of July and the holiday weekend, it’s important to remember that forests and fireworks DO NOT MIX. Fireworks are banned in all State Forest designated recreation sites including campgrounds, camping areas, day-use areas, trailheads, staging areas, and boat launch sites. Remember to check any additional city and county firework restrictions as well. “Mid-July and August are known for high fire occurrence due to increased lightning activity, but human activities continue to be the leading source of Oregon’s wildfires. RIGHT NOW is the time to practice fire

safety and preparedness. Wildfire is already on the landscape,” said Chris Cline, Oregon Department of Forestry’s Protection Division Chief. Cline said, “Prevention is our number one tool to reduce property loss and firefighting costs. We can’t prevent lightning fires, but we can prevent humancaused fires…and we need everyone’s help to that end!” With a heat wave expected from July 4th into next week, now is the time to brush up on your wildfire prevention knowledge. Tips include: • Know before you go. Campfires may be banned or only allowed in approved campgrounds. • Make sure your campfire is cool to the touch before going to sleep or leaving your site. Don’t forget to Drown, Stir, Repeat. • Backyard debris burning either requires a burn permit during fire season or is prohibited altogether. If you burned earlier this spring, go back and check on your debris burn site to make sure nothing reignites due to the heat. • Don’t flick a cigarette onto the ground. It may be just enough to start a fire.

• Don’t park or idle over dried grass. • Don’t drag tow chains. • Check local restrictions and

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fire danger levels. For more information on how you can help prevent wildfires, visit keeporegongreen.org.

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Following ten months of negotiations with the governor’s office, members of the Council of Forest Trust Land Counties were briefed on three proposed solutions for revenue reductions projected to be caused by the habitat conservation plan for western Oregon state forests on June 28. A group of five county representatives worked with three representatives from the governor’s office to hammer out the options, landing on reducing contributions to either the counties and special districts or Oregon Department of Forestry, or moving school districts in the counties from timber funding to the state’s special equalization fund. The process began last August, when Governor Tina Kotek’s office reached out to staff from the Council of Forest Trust Land Counties (CFTLC) to initiate discussions about the economic impact of the proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP) on member counties. The CFTLC selected one commissioner from each of its five regions, David Yamamoto from Tillamook County, Courtney Bangs from Clatsop County, Jerry Willey from Washington County, William Tucker of Linn County, and John Sweet of Coos County, to participate in small table meetings. Tillamook County Commissioner Erin Skaar replaced Yamamoto when he retired at the end of last year. To begin the process, CFTLC commissioners discussed what they wanted to accomplish, agreeing that they hoped to see statutes changed to ensure that county governments’ revenues remained steady. CFTLC staff then worked to develop forecasts of the revenue impacts to the counties using historical harvest and stumpage price data, showing a projected drop of a little over $22 million in revenue county and special district revenues across the 14 impacted counties. The small group then solicited ideas from the CFTLC’s full membership, fielding 15 proposals for revenue replacement. Those ideas were then pared down in conjunction Please see REVENUE Page 8

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