Document text
62 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, March 18, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend February 23, 2005 Council addresses recreation area By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Jacksonville could sell about half of 1,800 wooded acres in its watershed for multiple-use recreation, which could include off-road vehicles. Still up for consideration is how much to potentially sell or exchange with a local motorcycle riders’ group — and also how to protect the remaining land for other uses, according to members of a city committee studying the issue. The Citizen Advisory Committee for Watershed Evaluation will make its recommendations at a City Council meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. March 15 in the old city hall, with public hearings on the issue to follow. Howard Johnson, who heads the subcommittee looking into the sell-and-exchange option, said, "It could be half of it, roughly, give or take a couple of hundred acres." Jacksonville’s property is about two miles northeast of the city limits in a rugged and heavily wooded area. The Medford Riders Association, which already owns about 300 acres in the area, has expressed interest in buying the land, which off-road vehicles already use. Advertisement Seven of the 15-member committee members voted last year to sell off an unspecified portion of the land, two voted to sell all of it off and six voted to keep the property intact, but develop it for recreational purposes. Surveys of about 125 Jacksonville residents and businesses last year found a majority didn’t want to sell off the watershed property, and about 100 residents voiced their opposition to the sale at a City Council meeting about two years ago. "A lot of people want to keep it natural — as it is, and preserve it forever," said Tony Hess, chairman of the advisory committee, who wouldn’t disclose how he voted. Committee member John Wilkinson voted to keep the property, but wants the city to take a more aggressive role cleaning it up and repairing damaged areas. While he thinks the MRA might have the best of intentions, he thinks selling the property is "shortsighted. I don’t think it will do anything to solve the environmental problems." He said most Jacksonville residents surveyed said they wanted to keep the property for recreational purpose, but not for motorized use. "Looking way down the road, say in 50 to 100 years, by having all the city property or park, it would be a legacy for the people living here," he said. "It would be a much greater benefit for the citizens of Jacksonville." Since the vote was taken, Johnson and three other subcommittee members have been trying to determine the natural boundaries, like ridge tops, that would separate the city-owned portion from the off- road vehicle portion. The property has not been appraised and subcommittee members haven’t decided the exact number of acres the city could potentially sell. "We want to create a buffer between motorized and non-motorized areas," said Johnson. Johnson said some adjacent MRA property could be swapped for some of Jacksonville’s property to keep motorcycle riders farther from town. He also criticized the survey results, saying they weren’t conducted in a very scientific manner. Neil Smith, who is also on the subcommittee and voted to sell off part of the property, said he has spent a lot of time in the watershed trying to determine where the natural boundaries might lie. No matter what recommendation the committee comes up with ultimately, everyone agrees it is just one more step in a long process. "I don’t think there’s anybody here that thinks any decision made by this group is final," said Smith. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [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 Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Slippers Student Loans afsa teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoo Advertisement s