The JPR news team discusses the biggest stories from around the region this week.
A Southern Oregon collaboration is trying to bring back a disappearing landscape — one oak tree at a time
The Klamath-Siskiyou Oak Network is working to restore 4,000 acres of oak habitat east of Medford. The area was once an open oak savanna but has gradually been overtaken by dense conifer forests, including Douglas fir, that block sunlight and crowd out native oaks. Today, an estimated 10% of the region's historic oak habitat remains in the Pacific Northwest.
Restoration is important because oak habitats support unique bird species and provide a stopover for migratory birds. Oak woodlands are also more resistant to wildfire than dense conifer forests. The six-year project is now in its fourth year and showing results, but long-term maintenance remains uncertain because there is no funding for the prescribed burns needed to keep fir trees from returning.
How one bundle of firewood could bring this destructive beetle to Southern Oregon
The emerald ash borer, an iridescent green beetle native to Asia, has not reached Southern Oregon, but experts say it could devastate ash trees in the Rogue and Umpqua basins if it does. Those trees provide shade for rivers and important habitat for fish and wildlife.
Researchers say parasitic wasps and insecticides can help slow infestations, but prevention remains the best defense. Their message to the public is simple: Buy it where you burn it. Moving firewood more than 10 miles can unintentionally spread the invasive beetle.
Roseburg City Council votes against changing homeless tent camping regulations
The Roseburg City Council voted 5-2 against proposed changes to the city's 2022 tent camping ordinance. The proposal would have added a 14-day public comment period for new campsites and required permit renewals every two years.
A majority of councilors said the changes would make it harder for operators such as Elk Island Trading Group to run managed camps. Several also argued the city should focus more on unmanaged homelessness in places like Deer Creek Park than on adding regulations for existing camps.
Guests
- Maria Carter, JPR news director
- Jane Vaughn: Housing, homelessness, and education reporter
- Payton Gast: JPR Snowden intern
- Theo Greenley: Jefferson Public Radio’s newest South Coast reporter
- Roman Battalia: Science, environment, and politics reporter
