Figure 41
Photo of Downtown Alsea
community.
Many families have been in the area are 5 and 6 generations. Old family names
include Bedell, Hendrix, Rycraft, Slates, Vernon, and Wilcox. The Alsea CRU
includes lands owned by BLM, U.S. Forest Service, Starker Forests, Weyerhaeuser
(taken over from Willamette Industries), and Georgia Pacific. Figure 41 shows a
photo of downtown Alsea.
There
are many social and family ties between Philomath and Alsea.
As
the local economy in Alsea declined, workers began commuting to Philomath and
Corvallis, and commuting is now the dominant economic pattern.
"The road [between Alsea and Philomath] is fine and
most people don't mind it. There's just that one stretch of curves and then
it's OK."
"I used to commute but there weren't too many of us.
Now, everyone is commuting."
"We are a bedroom community to Corvallis."
As
in other parts of the region, newcomers are making themselves felt in Alsea,
but their presence is very much reduced compared to other towns.
"Newcomers are retired people. They cycle out in ten
years as they get older. There's nothing to connect them with others. They
bring their hobbies with them."
"In 1980, the population was 1700. Now I'd guess
it's 2000, so what we've lost in big families, we now have commuters."
"There are 1500-1600 people here."
Publics
The major publics
of Alsea are long-time families, timber and forest workers, commuters,
home-based business people, and young families.
Networks
See
Section Two.
Work Routines
When the Forest
Service had its office in Alsea, it was the town's major employer. Since its
closure, the school has become the primary employer. The mills closed but there
is still some logging activity on private lands. With the mills closing,
residents have started going farther to work. Commuting has become the norm.
At least some
people make a living in the regional economy in some way. One gentleman, a
retired Forest Service employee, chose to retire rather than to transfer when
the FS Alsea office closed. He now raises exotic birds and furnishes pet stores
in the Northwest.
Nurseries are an
important part of this small economy, but apparently they are declining in
number. People said that "only" three nurseries are left, the ones along the
highway.
Alsea used to have
a strong artist community but it has declined in recent years. Although a few
artists remain, generally the distance to their markets has encouraged people
to move elsewhere.
Residents feel
like their economic options are limited. Cottage industry is not easy because
markets are distant. Internet options seem limited also.
The T1 lines were
lost with the Forest Service, one resident said. Satellite is not reliable and
there is no DSL. Apparently, a fiber optic cable goes from Eugene to Newport
but residents don't feel they are permitted to tie into it because it's a
different company. United Parcel Service (UPS) is forty minutes away.
Support Services
The
school was described as the life blood of the community, and said to be
struggling because of its small size. But more people thought it suffered the
most because of the Forest Service loss. The school now employs 23 teachers and
staff and has about 200 students.
Young
people move out upon graduation. Residents are very proud that their small
school district can compete with others, and they make special efforts to
encourage their children to get more education. The Linn-Benton Community
College and Oregon State University are favored destinations.
"School functions used to be
attended by the whole valley. Now, even the Christmas program isn't as full.
Now, no one has time - they're driving."
"The PTA used to get 40-50
people. Now, we're lucky if we get 10."
Alsea Community
Effort, ACE, is a 6 year old non-profit that draws on a number of funding
sources. Among its projects, it has organized the library effort. The present
library is 600 square feet and has an occupancy limit of 12. ACE received a
USDA rural community assistance grant for $24,000 in 1998 for feasibility and
planning. It came up with a 3000 square foot plan, plus 1100 square feet for a
community multi-purpose room. Some residents criticized the size of the
building but the planning group felt it was consistent with the size of the
community. ACE also tries to attract small businesses and participates in
restoration efforts (see below).
An elderly
facility recently closed, Al Senior Center Retirement Homes, which brought
revenue into the community. Voters turned down a request for a bond to
construct a gym a couple years ago.
People
voiced appreciation for their local, home-grown utilities, Pioneer Consolidated
(telephone) and Consumer Power Inc. In 1992, these cooperatives, along with Blachly-Lane
Electric Cooperative, formed Casco Communications, located in Philomath. It
recently purchased PEAK Internet of Corvallis and offers a range of
communication technology services in the area.
Recreational Activities
See Section Three.
B.
Themes and Citizen Issues
Related
to Community Life
Themes
1. "There's no job
base. If your community is still alive, there's energy and you have new ideas."
2. "We lost our
leadership."
Citizen Issues Related to Community Life
Residents had
issues about the kind of people moving into the community in recent years.
"Agencies
have dumped low energy people on us."
The library is the
primary recent success in the community. Residents worked hard to develop the
vision of the building, and to attract the resources and the funding necessary
to make it happen. Although the Forest Service building was considered,
ultimately, people wanted a building closer to the center of town.
"We
want a new library but at the right location."
"Kids in the past had a work ethic
but kids won't work anymore. As an employer, I have had to start firing,
although I hate that."
"Land use laws hurt us. They prevent building. Some
things you can't do on your property."
Section
Two:
Communication
Strategies
A. Informal Networks and Communication
The school and the
restaurant are important gathering places.
The Stitch and Rip
Quilt Club is an informal gathering of women that are active in helping the
community.
B. Formal Groups and Communication
Figure 42
Organizations With Interest in Public Lands in Alsea
|
Organization
|
Contact Information
|
Mission
|
|
Alsea Community Effort
(ACE)
|
Jackie Nichols
(541) 487-4378
|
Community improvement,
economic development
|
|
Tidewater Watershed
Council
|
Waldport 464
|
Restoration projects in Alsea
area; joint projects with ACE
|
|
Alsea Watershed Council
|
Linda Johnston
10518 E 5 Rivers Road
Tidewater, OR 97390
(541) 528-3221x
|
|
|
Advocacy for Youth
|
Mary Francis
(541) 487-8994
|
|
Section
Three:
The
Public Lands Perspective
A. Uses of and Orientation to Public
Lands
Although no local
timber mills exist any longer in this area, and no federal timber sales have
reached production stage, logging activity continues. Many people have small
timber lots, and a number of larger timberland companies have holdings in the
area. Many traditional people (farming, logging) have diverse income strategies
that still include logging, as in the past, but now the standard of living
associated with that activity has declined.
"We have 100 acres, about
half is timber. We thinned for years. Now we started cutting heavier because if
the mills go, we'll lose our ability to market at all. People are overcutting."
Residents make
clear that the community as a whole has been unable to recover from the loss of
the Forest Service. The office reportedly had 123 full-time employees. Youth
did job shadowing. The agency successfully blended "rednecks" and "hippies."
There was a good bit of tourist activity. Now, tourist information is not as
readily available and visitation has dropped. Apparently, two fire staff and
one silviculturalist remain of the Forest Service personnel.
"The
community was completely behind it [the Forest Service]."
"The
library is only open 3 days a week."
Years ago, the
Alsea River was in danger of being closed at a popular fishing hole along
private property. The story goes that Northwest Steelheaders built a large
unavoidable sign that stated the etiquette and the consequences of further
problems. People did change their behavior and the river was cleaned up. The
sign had a profound effect on how people used the river.
ACE wants
connection with the Forest Service through making Alsea salmon friendly so that
recreation and tourism can be tied in. The group believes that good fishing
will bring people in. Jobs will happen if the river is improved and more trails
are created. ACE has an OWEB proposal pending for the monitoring of beaver
habitat. They are using Wyden Amendment money to do restoration on private
lands
B.
Themes and Citizen Issues Related to
Natural Resource Management
Themes
1. "The Forest Service was
the last energy."
2. "The Forest Service has a
bubble around it. They don't interface much."
Citizen
Issues Related to Natural Resource Management
"People
are overcutting."
"Some
people say this forest can't burn but it's not so. Under the right conditions
it would. There's a lot of slash on the ground."
"We
need training for restoration and monitoring. The [Siuslaw National] Forest is
not letting restoration contracts."
"The
Alsea Watershed Council became a wise use platform. It blocks projects."
"ODF
tests for herbicide spraying on dry days and find no readings. We tested after
rain and got significant readings."
"Clearcuts
created slides. Slides will get worse without management. We'll go back to
streams washing out."
"Rental
places used for Forest Service temporary help is now being used by social
service agencies to put people out here for low rent."
"They
said they were going to put roads to bed but it got too expensive. Now they are
abandoned and we risk greater slides, and stream sediment from erosion."
"You
can't get firewood permits now."
"The
Forest has to invest in stream restoration and restoration forestry."
"With
the current low level of management, fire and roads are big problems."
"The
Forest Service should have a local presence, even if it's contracted out.
People would get questions, like what to do about these trees…No one is local."
"We're
glad they [Forest Service] come to the watershed council meetings."
"The Forest Service would not support library development costs, but said 'yes'
to downtown revitalization, even though that idea had not been talked about
much in the community."
The most
widespread citizen issue related to natural resource management is the
disposition of the old Forest Service building. Citizens said that efforts to
sell the building have not been successful. In the meantime, many feel that it
communicates a feeling of abandonment and failure.
"It's a $6 million dollar
building but it can't be used for anything. It's a public facility set aside,
so by law it can't be used for commercial purposes."
"I heard they even tried to
pawn it off on the Deschutes Forest. Told them it could help fund their new
office, but it didn't work."
"There's been no building
maintenance for ten years. There are rats in that building."
"The building has to get
resolved before we can go forward. It's an obstacle as it is."
C. Management Opportunities
Alsea is still
recovering from the decline of timber production, and specifically with the
closure of the Forest Service office. Recovery efforts have been partial at
best, since the community not only lost programs and revenue but leadership and
community involvement as well. It seems like the agency is supporting newly
emerging leadership, like ACE, and these efforts should only continue. Because
factions still remain from the struggles of the past, the Forest Service should
make special effort to foster and support diverse efforts at economic
diversification and forest restoration. The Watershed Councils, particularly,
should be influenced to be community-based in their efforts so that they are a
force for cooperation and not division.
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