Document text
1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Numerous structures reportedly destroyed in Seiad Valley blaze ... Emergency services, Aug. 30 ... Since You Asked: More information about Olympic sports gear ... Numerous structures reportedly destroyed in Seiad Valley blaze ... Emergency services, Aug. 30 ... Since You Asked: More information about Olympic sports gear ... MARIJUANA Seeing Green Williams farm with elaborate greenhouse operation underscores huge growth in local marijuana industry Comment By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Aug. 29, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Aug. 29, 2016 at 12:01 AM --> Illegal water use at marijuana growing sites a frequent complaint Water rights are a big deal to people planning to grow marijuana. The Shadowbox property near Williams has a wat... » Read more X Illegal water use at marijuana growing sites a frequent complaint Water rights are a big deal to people planning to grow marijuana. The Shadowbox property near Williams has a water right. Lacking water, growers need to truck it in and store it. Water storage tank sales reportedly are up at local supply stores. Complaints about possible illegal water use at marijuana growing sites are among the chief complaints people are making to Josephine County officials. According to Community Development Director Julie Schmelzer, other complaints include those related to fencing built without permits or setbacks from neighboring property lines, accessory structures built without permits or proper setbacks, waste disposal, camping (one camper is allowed per property, up to four months), trees removed from riparian areas, dirt placed in floodways and roads blocked. "We get a lot of complaints about stealing water," Schmelzer said. "The watermaster sits in our office and is busy with that. She, too, gets called out to a lot of sites. Many are not violations. She's awfully busy." Lacking a water right, anyone who wants to use on-site water — under or above ground — typically can only water a half-acre of lawn or noncommercial garden, meaning that without a water right water can't be used to grow marijuana intended for sale. The Oregon Department of Water Resources reports that typical water-related complaints include illegal pumping from creeks, illegal pumping of water to fill trucks that delivers water, illegal well use and interfering with another person's well. According to the department's public information officer, Diana Enright, the department has received an increase in groundwater applications for water rights, and a "large volume" of calls related to land purchases and water rights. "The water rights customer service desk in Salem has seen the number of calls triple in the last three months from people looking to buy property with water rights," Enright said. "The calls are coming from across the country." » Social News WILLIAMS — Josephine County's growing marijuana industry is experiencing growing pains. The number of medical marijuana grow sites in the county has remained steady from a year ago, at about 2,500. But growers who sell to retailers have been sprouting up — 38 new state-issued licenses have been granted this summer to people who plan to grow for the recreational market. More applications are pending. Pivoting to take advantage of retailer preference for indoor-grown marijuana, these new operations are springing up in former pastures and fields across the county. "This industry didn't exist a year ago," observed Dani Jurmann, standing outside a row of industrial-size greenhouses on Cedar Flat Road near Williams, where he and his family employ nearly 30 people growing marijuana for the recreational market. "The world has changed, and Oregon is at the forefront." There's good and bad happening. The good includes jobs and investments. Jurmann pays employees $15 an hour to start, plus benefits. He employed contractors and suppliers to get the place up and running. He obtained land. He also bought big greenhouse fans and framing lumber, and built a gravel road. That's where the bad comes in — some neighbors complain about noise from the fans, and the road had to be moved to avoid annoying a neighbor who complained about the new traffic. Operating as Shadowbox Farms, Jurmann employs not only gardeners and trimmers, but a compliance officer and a foreman. The operation's aim, besides providing 6 million servings of product a year, is to provide a living for his family and employees, in a career some might consider a dream job. "We offer real jobs with a real future," he said. "We're supporting a lot of families here, and that's what's important to us." It all comes with a price, of course. There's the competition and the new neighbors, and a county planning department that has told him there's a need for permits for those greenhouses. In response, Jurmann has applied for the permits, said he's willing to invest in new fans, and is planning to put up a line of closely packed trees to block sound and sight. "We are working very hard to meet the needs of our neighbors," says Jurmann's wife, Angellina. "We are a mom-and-pop business. Our community reputation is really important to us." The fans are shut off by 8 p.m. nightly. The whole operation is surrounded by an 8-foot-high chain-link fence. Dozens of cameras provide surveillance. A former stable has become an office, and there's a room for young plants, in addition to a dozen or more new greenhouses topped with plastic and removable black covers, which give plants 12 hours of sunshine and 12 hours of shade. Every plant is tagged, so it can be tracked. It's a going concern and yet a work in progress. This week, the new road was put in. Last week, post holes had been dug for a new fence, outside Jurmann's nearby home, where his four children are being raised. A couple dogs that looked anything but vicious lounged in the sun. The place bustled with workers. "You couldn't build something like this in six months without making a mess," says Jurmann, a grower for the last decade who persuaded fellow family members to pool their money and give it a try. He's convinced his crop is superior to marijuana grown outdoors, where rain and wind and dust can take their toll, including how the product looks — an important consideration for retailers. He predicts a glut of marijuana grown outdoors, which could cause prices for those products to drop, and affect the ability of outdoor growers to make a go of it. "There's only going to be the biggest and strongest that survive," he said. Reach reporter Shaun Hall at 541-474-3722 or [email protected] By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Aug. 29, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501