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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 30, 2005 Protesters cheer lack of timber sales By PARIS ACHEN Mail Tribune Half of six timber projects auctioned Thursday by the Medford District of the Bureau of Land Management failed to attract bidders. About 90 protesters cheered outside the BLM office at 3040 Biddle Road when officials announced the Bald Lick, Dead Man’s Palm and Slick Sand projects did not sell in the agency’s final auction of the year. "We heard from the timber companies that the projects were economically challenged," said John Gerritsma, BLM Ashland field manager. In contrast, a bidding war ensued between three timber companies for the controversial South Deer sale just outside Selma before Murphy Co. won the project for $524,000, 41 percent more than the appraised value. Murphy Co. bought the 800-acre Camp Cur project 18 miles northeast of Butte Falls for the appraised value of $1.4 million and the 337-acre Pickett Charge project just west of Grants Pass for $407,200, about 17 percent above the appraisal. Advertisement Gerritsma said the low volume of timber and high amount of required helicopter yarding made the Bald Lick, Dead Man’s Palm and Slick Sand projects unappealing. Removing trees by helicopter is significantly more expensive than building roads to truck out timber because of fuel spikes and high insurance premiums, he said. He said the projects would likely be revised before returning to the auction block. Revisions usually involve the BLM, community members and the timber industry, he said. That is good news for the Little Applegate Neighborhood Network, a group of residents staunchly opposed to the 2,147-acre Bald Lick project about 5 miles south of Ruch. "We would support this project if the BLM would (reduce) the number of trees removed, use methods that don’t involve new roads and helicopter landing sites and have an upper diameter limit," said Peter Salant, owner of a 109-acre cattle ranch in the Little Applegate watershed. "We don’t want them to take big trees." Residents with Friends of Deer Creek Valley, who demonstrated against the 378-acre South Deer timber sale, said the project targets old trees and will damage overall forest health. "It’s going to take our last old forests," said Mary Camp of the Friends of Deer Creek Valley. "They did it because of the timber volume they have to get out." The project includes treating about 7 percent of the land with a method developed by Mary Camp’s husband, Orville Camp. The natural selection approach involves falling only dead and dying trees. "Even though we appreciate what the BLM gave us, it was too small," Mary Camp said. "It’s not going to be what we need to be a viable community." The other 93 percent of the land in the sale will be subject to overall thinning through falling trees, burning and mechanical chipping. Mary Camp said that approach will degrade the community’s economy, environment and water quality. Abbie Jossie, BLM Grants Pass field manager, said she disagrees. "We need to thin out trees that are competing with larger trees to maintain the late-successional forest," Jossie said. She said the thinning will also reduce the severity of wildfires. Timber sales Bald Lick Harvest - 12.8 million board feet Price- n/a Buyer - none Number of bidders - none Camp Cur Harvest - 5.7 million board feet Price - $1.4 million Buyer - Murphy Co. Number of bidders - 1 Deadman’s Palm Harvest - 5.3 million board feet Price - n/a Buyer - none Number of bidders - none Pickett Charge Harvest - 2.5 million board feet Price - $407,200 Buyer - Murphy Co. Number of bidders - 2 South Deer Harvest - 2.9 million board feet Price - $524,000 Buyer - Murphy Co. Number of bidders - 3 Slick Sand Harvest - 1.7 million board feet Price - n/a Buyer- none Number of bidders - none Reach reporter Paris Achen at 776-4496 or e-mail Protesters cheer lack of timber sales ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy online casino Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Reservationstogo Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Natto Kinase Nattokinase Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Investments & Loans Advertisement s