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Rough popcorn flower
SUTHERLIN — An incident that damaged nearly 1,500 individual rough popcorn flower plants has placed the endangered flora on Sutherlin’s priority list.
The rough popcorn flower, a perennial plant in wet sites and unique to seasonal wetland areas of northern Douglas County, has been on the endangered list since January 2000. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated at the time that only 7,000 plants existed over a combined 45 acres from Yoncalla to Wilbur.
The nearly 1,500 popcorn flower plants in Sutherlin were damaged when the Blackberry Festival’s BMX bicycle track on city property was relocated, said City Manager Bud Schmidt.
The BMX track, located across Sutherlin Creek near the Timber Days Grounds, was temporarily moved about 100 yards during the last weekend in July. City officials were notified of the relocation July 31 when a passer-by saw notified them.
The track’s change of location by a Blackberry Festival volunteer had not been included in the final plan, Schmidt said.
“Based on a kind of interim plan, he moved the BMX track dirt and piled it right over top of one of the premier colonies of rough popcorn flower,” Schmidt said.
Because of its endangered status, actions that harm the flower are considered a misdemeanor offense and may result in a fine of up to $600 for each individual plant, according to an Oregon Department of Agriculture letter to city officials. The damage to the rough popcorn flower may have been minimal, however, and no fines were assessed by the state, said Kelly Amsberry, a botanist with the state Department of Agriculture.
“I think the site is largely intact, and can be rehabilitated without undue effort,” she said, adding that the department’s goal is conservation, and not to levy substantial fines.
The BMX track dirt was moved back to its original location and the surrounding area was cleaned as much as possible, said Wayne Calder, a longtime festival volunteer.
“It was just a little bit of miscommunication,” Calder said. “After we got it moved back, everything worked out fine.”
Even though Blackberry Festival volunteers will take special care to avoid the area in the future, Sutherlin is left with the task of finding new ways to better manage the flower.
“We have put a fence around that area, cordoned off the vehicle traffic and we’ll do something more permanent,” Schmidt said.
At this point, Schmidt said, permits would be required by the city for any earth moving or heavy equipment operation by anyone other than city employees at the city park. Preliminary plans include weeding invasive plants out of the colony, and seeding the immediate area of the rough popcorn flower with co-habitative grasses.
City officials are also working in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the state Department of Agriculture to develop a more comprehensive management plan.
“The city wasn’t really aware of what their responsibilities were to protect the plant,” Amsberry said.
• You can reach reporter Erik Skoog at 957-4202 or by e-mail at eskoog@newsreview.info.
The rough popcorn flower, a perennial plant in wet sites and unique to seasonal wetland areas of northern Douglas County, has been on the endangered list since January 2000. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated at the time that only 7,000 plants existed over a combined 45 acres from Yoncalla to Wilbur.
The nearly 1,500 popcorn flower plants in Sutherlin were damaged when the Blackberry Festival’s BMX bicycle track on city property was relocated, said City Manager Bud Schmidt.
The BMX track, located across Sutherlin Creek near the Timber Days Grounds, was temporarily moved about 100 yards during the last weekend in July. City officials were notified of the relocation July 31 when a passer-by saw notified them.
The track’s change of location by a Blackberry Festival volunteer had not been included in the final plan, Schmidt said.
“Based on a kind of interim plan, he moved the BMX track dirt and piled it right over top of one of the premier colonies of rough popcorn flower,” Schmidt said.
Because of its endangered status, actions that harm the flower are considered a misdemeanor offense and may result in a fine of up to $600 for each individual plant, according to an Oregon Department of Agriculture letter to city officials. The damage to the rough popcorn flower may have been minimal, however, and no fines were assessed by the state, said Kelly Amsberry, a botanist with the state Department of Agriculture.
“I think the site is largely intact, and can be rehabilitated without undue effort,” she said, adding that the department’s goal is conservation, and not to levy substantial fines.
The BMX track dirt was moved back to its original location and the surrounding area was cleaned as much as possible, said Wayne Calder, a longtime festival volunteer.
“It was just a little bit of miscommunication,” Calder said. “After we got it moved back, everything worked out fine.”
Even though Blackberry Festival volunteers will take special care to avoid the area in the future, Sutherlin is left with the task of finding new ways to better manage the flower.
“We have put a fence around that area, cordoned off the vehicle traffic and we’ll do something more permanent,” Schmidt said.
At this point, Schmidt said, permits would be required by the city for any earth moving or heavy equipment operation by anyone other than city employees at the city park. Preliminary plans include weeding invasive plants out of the colony, and seeding the immediate area of the rough popcorn flower with co-habitative grasses.
City officials are also working in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the state Department of Agriculture to develop a more comprehensive management plan.
“The city wasn’t really aware of what their responsibilities were to protect the plant,” Amsberry said.
• You can reach reporter Erik Skoog at 957-4202 or by e-mail at eskoog@newsreview.info.
