Northwest Passage Issue 5 Vol 1 Print Version - Bureau of Land

32 Pages·2009·19.86 MB·English

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A DISTRICT 25 YEARS IN THE MAKING
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Op - “Ed”
Welcome friends of the BLM! Can champion ultramarathoner. What’s reading? Just check out our feature on
you believe how fast this summer is an ultramarathoner, you say? Good author and BLM retiree Clair Button.
going? We sure can. question. It’s anyone who runs a race Clair has written three mystery novels
Once summer rolls around, the longer than a marathon which is 26.2 about a fi ctional BLM employee who
BLM is thrilled to see our friends and miles. And Robert, the manager of serves the public lands while solving
neighbors and honored visitors heading the BLM’s Spokane District, has been crimes. These are must-read novels for
outside to enjoy the breathtaking public known to run – and win – races over anyone who loves reading a great yarn
lands of Oregon and Washington. And hills and through forests for 30 miles, set on our pu blic land s. FEATURES
given all our magnifi cent opportunities 50 miles, or more! I think you’ll be as And fi nally, we return to a topic that’s
for recreation and family outings, you’ll impressed by his accomplishments as I dear to the heart of the BLM: Johnny
probably see us out there as well. Even am. Horizon. In 1976, Jo hnny Ho rizon w as WHAT’S IN YOUR BACKYARD? 6
Federal employees love to get out on the Keeping on the topic of Spokane, endorsed by Presiden t Ford as the lead er CONNECTING YOUTHS WITH PUBLIC LANDS
public lands when they can! Northwest Passage often focuses a of America’s “This L and is Y our Lan d” BY CANDY HARMON
Speaking of enjoying the outdoors, great deal of coverage on the BLM in Campaign. In this issue you’ll see
MR. GAMMON GOES TO WASHINGTON 8
our theme for our summer issue of Oregon where nine of our ten districts vintage Johnny Horizon memorabilia
Northwest Passage is “Take It Outside!” are located. I’m starting to think that and learn mo re abou t one of t he histor ic AN “INVENTIVE” BLM EMPLOYEE PAINTS HIMSELF INTO A CORNER
BY MEGAN HARPER
This declaration is both a great idea and coverage balance must have inspired mileposts in the BLM’s history.
the offi cial title of our national effort our BLM district in Washington State to But heck, I think it’s time I headed
THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG DISTANCE RUNNER 10
to inspire American youths to actively get busy writing their own feature about back outdoors myself. So thanks for
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE BLM’S NATIONAL ULTRAMARATHON CHAMPION
connect with the public lands in their their unique history and exciting future. reading Nort hwest Pa ssage an d we ho pe BY MATT CHRISTENSON
backyards. In our “Take It Outside” It’s a fascinating piece about how the you “Take It Outside” this summer!
article, we provide helpful information BLM in Washington can be found SPOKANE AT THE CROSSROADS 18
and hints on how you yourself can get everywhere from the plains in the east A DISTRICT 25 YEARS IN THE MAKING
involved inspiring young people to to the mountains in the center to the San BY SCOTT PAVEY
enjoy the great outdoors in your own Juan Islands at the coast. Once you see
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS JOHNNY HORIZON? 26
communities. the photos and read this article, you’ll
A NEW VISIT WITH AN OLD FRIEND
When it comes to heading outside, defi nitely feel inspired to make the Edward W. Shepard
BY MICHAEL CAMPBELL
there’s one BLM employee who Spokane District your next destination. State Director
simply can’t get enough. His name But what do you do when you’re ready Oregon/W ashingt on A NEW CHAPTER 30
is Robert Towne, and he’s a national to take a break and enjoy some summer Bureau of Land M anagem ent A RETIRED BLM BIOLOGIST REWRITES HIS FUTURE
(AND HE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN AWAY WITH IT IF IT WASN’T FOR THOSE MEDDLING KIDS!)
BY SUSAN NELSON
22
Contents
D
EPARTMENTS
OP - “ED” 2
THIS MONTH’S COVER 4
OUR CONTRIBUTORS 5
DISTRICT ROUND-UP 14
BACKCOUNTRY 32
F
EATURES
WHAT’S IN YOUR BACKYARD? 6
CONNECTING YOUTHS WITH PUBLIC LANDS
BY CANDY HARMON
MR. GAMMON GOES TO WASHINGTON 8
AN “INVENTIVE” BLM EMPLOYEE PAINTS HIMSELF INTO A CORNER
BY MEGAN HARPER
THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG DISTANCE RUNNER 10
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE BLM’S NATIONAL ULTRAMARATHON CHAMPION
BY MATT CHRISTENSON
SPOKANE AT THE CROSSROADS 18
A DISTRICT 25 YEARS IN THE MAKING
BY SCOTT PAVEY
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS JOHNNY HORIZON? 26
A NEW VISIT WITH AN OLD FRIEND
BY MICHAEL CAMPBELL
A NEW CHAPTER 30
A RETIRED BLM BIOLOGIST REWRITES HIS FUTURE
(AND HE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN AWAY WITH IT IF IT WASN’T FOR THOSE MEDDLING KIDS!)
BY SUSAN NELSON
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This Month’s Cover
Take it Outside!
Vo l u m e 1, I s s u e 5
W W W. B L M . G O V / O R
Ed Shepard / publisher
Jody Weil / editorial director
Matt Christenson / editor / art director
Teddi Duling / copy editor
Shelly York / production designer
contributors
Michael Campbell, Matt Christenson,
Maya Fuller, Bob Hall, Candy Harmon,
Megan Harper, Trish Hogervorst, Doug
Huntington, Tara Martinak, Susan
Nelson, Scott Pavey, Pam Robbins,
Cheyne Rossbach, Scott Stoffel, Maria
Thi Mai, Mark Wilkening
photographers
Matt Christenson, Maya Fuller, Bob
Hall, Megan Harper, Trish Hogervorst,
Doug Huntington, Tara Martinak,
Susan Nelson, Scott Pavey, Cheyne
Rossbach, Scott Stoffel, Scobel Wiggins,
Mark Wilkening
contact
Northwest Passage is a publication of
Bureau of Land Management
Oregon State Offi ce
Professional photographer Scobel Wiggins generously provided this photo
333 SW 1st Ave
for the cover of our Summer Issue of Northwest Passage. Scobel skillfully
6th Floor
captured BLM Spokane District Manager Robert Towne mid-jump at the
Portland, OR 97204
McDonald Forest 50k Trail Run.
503.808.6035
Wait. 50K? Isn’t that over 30 miles?
[email protected]
Yes.
Running! For 30 miles! Through the trees and up, down, and over hills! (and logs)
mission
Most of us won’t even drive 30 miles if we can’t have our cup holders.
The BLM’s mission is to sustain the
When we asked Robert if he’d ever seen UFOs or anything strange after running
S
health, diversity, and productivity of the that far, he said, “Hallucinations usually happen at night, alone, and many miles N
I
G
public lands for the use and enjoyment into the forest - what a combination when you’re freaking out.” G
I
W
of present and future generations. In Indeed. L
E
Oregon and Washington, the BLM To read more about what inspires someone to run as many as 100 miles at a OB
C
provides innovative leadership in time, check out our interview with ultramarathoner Robert Towne on page 10. He Y S
defi nitely exemplifi es the motto, “Take it Outside.” B
managing natural resources of the O
To view other shots from the McDonald Forest 50K, you can see them at photographer T
O
Pacifi c Northwest. H
Scobel Wiggins’ site: scobelwigginsphotography.com. P
4
This Month’s Cover Our Contributors
 Writer Candy Harmon marks her inaugural article  Campbell, Campbell, Campbell... How does Northwest
in Northwest Passage with a piece inspired by this issue’s Passage get so lucky that we can almost always rely on Michael
central theme: Take It Outside! An author of fi ction, Candy Campbell to provide one of his awesomely quirky and fascinating
used her prodigious prose skills to cover the BLM’s efforts in Oregon articles? We’ll tell you how. Metal! Your humble editors do every-
and Washington to support the national initiative, Take It Outside: thing within their power to keep Michael rockin’ with his beloved
Connect with Your Public Lands (Page 6). As soon as she was done heavy metal so he can focus on his writing. Writing that, in this case,
with this article, Candy’s fi rst question was, “What can I write about covered one of his favorite cultural icons: Johnny Horizon (Page 26).
next?” As evidenced by her in-depth coverage of how the BLM connects Will this article help bring back Johnny? Maybe. But for now we’re
American youth to our public lands, the answer is clearly “Anything!” wondering if Johnny is more of a Zeppelin fan or an Ozzy afi cionado.
 Offi cially, this is Northwest Passage’s “Summer Issue.”  This must be the old timer’s side of the page because,
But unoffi cially? It’s the “Spokane Issue!” Hailing from the BLM’s lone like Michael Campbell, Megan Harper is one of our most
district in Washington State is Scott Pavey, another fi rst-time contributor. frequent (and favorite) contributors! And in this issue,
In addition to serving the good people of Washington on planning and Megan puts the spotlight on Paul Gammon, a BLM inventor who won
environmental issues, Scott profi les the Spokane District’s rise...to power! a national Department of the Interior Award for devising a completely
This feature (Page 18) is clearly an open challenge to all the other districts new way to capture and reuse paint (Page 8). You heard that right -
to try to do the same. That’s right – we’re lookin’ at you, Medford! paint! If it’s good enough for Picasso, it’s good enough for us!
 Aerial photography expert and cartographer Susan Nelson came down to earth to shoot photos of author (and BLM Retiree)
Clair Button. And while she was snapping shots trekking deep into the bowels of Joseph Canyon, Susan chatted with Clair to learn more about the region in
which he lives and writes his mystery novels (Page 30). Hey, we’ve got a mystery for Clair to solve: Why does summer always seem to be over so fast?

 
Candy Harmon Michael Campbell Scott Pavey
  
Megan Harper Susan Nelson
Summer 5
2009
Public Lands Live! What’s In Your Backyard?
The BLM’s Take It Outside
initiative reconnects
American youth with the
nation’s largest “playstation:”
Our Public Lands.
T
!
HRILLING ADVENTURES ACROSS EXTRAORDINARY LANDS
O 5,000
VER SPECIES OF WATCHABLE WILDLIFE LIVING TOGETHER
IN HARMONY!
R
OARING RIVERS DESCEND STEEP MOUNTAINS ONTO OPEN DESERTS
!
FILLED WITH TREASURES
Are these scenes from a summer blockbuster? Images flickering on a darkened
movie screen?
Nay.
These boundless wonders patiently await you to discover them…
...in your very own backyard.
666
What’s In Your Backyard?
BY CANDY HARMON
Oregon is
for Lovers
(of Public Lands!)
“MY BACKYARD,” YOU SAY? THAT’S RIGHT. And with all ten BLM districts located throughout the Pacifi c
if you’re wondering how to get there, the Bureau of Land Northwest. And because she’s a member of the BLM’s
Management just happens to provide an experienced Virgil national team, Leah also serves as her region’s voice to ensure
to help you cross a River Styx of game stations, computers, Oregon and Washington receive the necessary resources to
movies, and high-speed internet. successfully reach out to local youth.
Your tour guide in search of natural wonderment is Leah In fact, Take It Outside provides annual funding to both
Schrodt, an environmental education specialist in the BLM’s established and new outdoor recreation projects. These
Medford District. Year-round, Leah coordinates a number of grants help promote, provide transportation, and procure the
programs – many of which are specifi cally aimed to entice necessary supplies to attract young people to our public lands.
our youth to “get outside” and enjoy all that nature has to In 2009, 18 applicants in Oregon and Washington received
offer. up to $5,000 – the second highest number of approved BLM
One of Leah’s highest profi le projects is her role as the projects in the nation.
lead representative for Oregon and Washington on the 
BLM’s national initiative, Take It Outside: Connect with OKAY, SOUNDS GOOD. It’s summer, the weather’s
Your Public Lands. This initiative is an umbrella program warm, and we’re ready – let’s “take it outside!”
providing overarching assistance to groups, organizations, But how can we get started?
and individuals who share a united interest to inspire Leah explains about a number of events held in
America’s young people to go outdoors and experience our conjunction with Take It Outside. In Salem, the BLM
breathtaking environment. partnered with Oregon State University and 4-H to hold
Take It Outside competes directly with the synthetic fi ve-day Latino Olympic Summer Camps for youth in grades
adventures of televisions and gaming systems by creating 6 – 12. These camps promoted education in math and
attractive and fun physical quests on public lands and natural science as an avenue to college and future careers in forestry
areas. Kind of like a completely peaceful World of Warcraft and environmental sciences. And coming up this September
– but set in the actual outdoors! near Coos Bay, the Tsalila Education Days bring together
“Mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health is over 2,500 students and their teachers for a three-day event to
improved by going outside. Kids can fi nd their own creativity educate them on topics ranging from tribal culture, logging,
and independence. Gives them a breath of fresh air!” says and pioneer living to wildlife, watersheds, and energy.
Leah. These are but a few of the types of programs and events.
As the Oregon and Washington ambassador for this Everyone is invited to contact Leah to learn more about
initiative, Leah is responsible for sharing exciting events what’s happening in our own necks o’ the woods!
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Paul Gammon’s Fantabulous Contraption
How one BLM employee’s obsession with improving our ecology
inspired a midnight dream and a new invention – as well as a
Department of the Interior Environmental Achievement Award
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Gammon
Washington
Mr.
Goes
To
““IItt wwaass ssoo ssiimmppllee,,”” ssaayyss GGaammmmoonn.. ““IItt aaccttuuaallllyy ttooookk
me awhile to explain the system to people because
they didn’t believe that it could be so straightforward.”
W
hat’s it like to stand shoulder to Is that something someone as Paul lay awake, he was struck
shoulder between the Director of the spends time thinking about? by inspiration. Jumping up, he
Bureau of Land Management and Absolutely! Paul’s creation was snatched nearby pen and paper
an offi cial from the Department of a labor of love for many months. and set to scratching out his
the Interior while a crowd applauds? Each year Coos Bay and other rough design for a new system.
Just ask BLM Coos Bay District BLM Districts conduct tree “It was so simple,” said Paul.
Haz-Mat Specialist and mastermind marking – the process of selectively “It actually took me awhile to
inventor, Paul Gammon. applying paint to specifi c trees prior explain the system to people
In honor of Paul’s invention, an to thinning or harvest. While this because they didn’t believe that
environmentally friendly paint can process helps the BLM maintain it could be so straightforward.”
recovery system, Paul had the rare a healthy forest, it also generates Receiving the green light from
opportunity to travel to Washington, thousands of used spray cans which Coos Bay District Manager Mark
D.C. to accept the Department of contain small amounts of paint. Johnson, Paul traveled to a local
the Interior (DOI) Environmental These cans and the paint they metal shop which constructed the
Achievement Award from previous contain are designated hazardous fantabulous contraption which
BLM Director Jim Caswell and DOI materials and must be treated as would soon make him famous.
Assistant Secretary Lynn Scarlett. such. In the past, the BLM collected 
“It was an honor to be chosen for this paint in 55-gallon drums. And Paul’s system is about the
the award. When I found out I won, that’s when Paul decided it was high size of a refrigerator box and
all I could think was holy cow.” time for a new process to safely sits in the Coos Bay Warehouse.
But wait, “paint can recovery?” collect and reuse this material. Each month a contractor operates
So one night around midnight Paul’s invention to puncture used
8
Pioneers
cans and collect the remaining hazardous treatment costs, next morning I could hardly stand.”
paint. This system collects almost protecting fellow employees, and “I enjoyed the people too. They
1.5 gallons of paint every 90 using virtually 100 percent of this were all really nice, and it turns
days. And while that amount of paint, Paul received his award and a out Lynn Scarlett has a tie to Coos
paint may not sound signifi cant, trip to Washington, D.C., a city Paul Bay. It was fun to swap stories.”
the process itself saves the BLM had never visited. He took advantage 
substantial hazardous material of the opportunity to see the Recognition of Paul and his
disposal fees. And, perhaps more famous sites in our Nation’s capitol. recovery system may not be
importantly, Paul’s mechanism “My favorites were seeing the over. He’s been nominated for the
protects employees from exposure Arlington National Cemetery and White House Closing the Circle
to hazardous chemicals. Award which recognizes
So what happens to the Paul’s Invention safely recovers paint outstanding achievements
collected trace amounts that is used to freshen up District of Federal employees and
of paint? Well, it all turns utility trailers – so nothing is wasted! their facilities for efforts
black, the defi nition of resulting in signifi cant
the presence of all colors once the the WWII Memorial. Turns out contributions to waste prevention
pink, green, and blue get mixed though, D.C. blocks are a lot longer and recycling. And until then
together. And then this recovered than Coos Bay blocks. I thought Paul can revel in his DOI award
paint is used to freshen up District eight blocks on the map wouldn’t be recognizing his accomplishments
utility trailers. Nothing is wasted! so bad, but man, I think we walked in the recycling world: a statue
So in honor of reducing about eight miles the fi rst day. The made of recycled window glass.
Summer 9
2009
Long Distance
Runner
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