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Orchard owners want problem trees out They're waiting for the county to approve a law that could keep diseases and pests from spreading By JILL BRISKEY Mail Tribune Hoping to save threatened orchards, the Jackson County Fruit Growers Association in March sparked a change by proposing an ordinance to remove diseased and infested trees throughout the Rogue Valley. But instead of the change it hoped for, association president Dennis Hoffer said the delay in getting an ordinance in place is allowing more disease and pests into the region's commercial orchards in the form of fire blight, coddling moths and fungus scab. "It's an issue that's extremely time-sensitive," Hoffer said of the association's proposal. "We're in a kind of desperate mode here." County Administrator Sue Slack said employees have been investigating the proposal and are busy drafting one of their own. She expects to see a complete draft in mid-May. "There's a variety of ways to approach this," she said. "This would be a new program for us." In a time when local apple and pear orchardists are struggling to stay afloat, Hoffer said every day counts and he's disappointed that so far, Jackson County officials haven't contacted him for input regarding his proposal. Overseas markets have chopped profit margins, and recent bans on chemical pesticides have forced growers to seek more costly alternatives that have proven less effective. Despite the hardships and the shrinking number of small commercial growers, Hoffer estimates that the fruit industry provides 6,000 jobs locally and pumps $70 million into the economy each year. The newest threat to Southern Oregon's historic industry has sprung up in the Rogue Valley's back yards. Abandoned orchards have become breeding grounds for several diseases and pests that bring with them the potential to wipe entire orchards of apple and pear trees. The pests and diseases are spread primarily by wind. A local grower will spend an estimated $12,000 annually to combat the problem in addition to regular costs, Hoffer estimates. To battle the growing problem, the association in March asked county commissioners to consider an ordinance forcing property owners to remove and properly dispose of diseased trees. Refusal to comply could result in a property tax lien. County officials would begin the process by approaching the owner of identified problem areas. Following the initial effort to clean up problem areas, the county would respond only when complaints are reported. The proposal is closely modeled on an ordinance adopted in Hood River County in 1994. Southern Oregon and Hood River County are the only regions in the state that produce pears and apples for commercial sale. "It's been very successful," said Dean Guess, director of Hood River County's parks and building department. "We've been very pleased." Jackson County Commissioner Jack Walker said he supports the proposal, but wonders how the county will pay to remove diseased trees in abandoned orchards. "It's something that needs to be done," Walker said. "The question is, who pays for tearing out old orchards?" Hoffer sympathizes, and points to a 72-year-old woman living on a fixed income who has five acres of diseased trees. "She wants to do it, she needs to do it but she has no funds," Hoffer said. "Some (property owners) simply cannot afford it. If times were good, we wouldn't have a problem." Hoffer said the association has removed diseased trees in the last year throughout the Rogue Valley, but has no money to continue the practice. Local fruit growers do not receive county, state or federal aid, unlike the resources available to "traditional" commodities such as grain, tobacco or wheat growers. "There's no funds allocated for our farmers," he said. "Those billions of dollars (from federal farm legislation) is not going to Oregon." Guess said that in Hood River County, residents comply with the fruit tree ordinance about 90 percent of the time. Action is taken only when efforts to resolve the problem fail, and the property owner refuses to make changes, he added. Hood River's fruit association pays the county approximately $12,000 annually to help pay to remove trees. In cases where a resident simply cannot afford to remove the trees, Guess said local businesses, residents, the association and the county work together to reach a solution. "It becomes a community effort to get it done," he added. Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.